Art Snacks subscription update/review

So I have mentioned that even though I have received my Art Snack subscription boxes from the past 3 months I still have not had the chance to review them. But I wanted to at least show you the content of the boxes received and tell you about what I think about the products, some of which I have used already. 

In the december 2016 box we have the following items (taken from the artsnacks site):

Caran d'Ache Discovery Set

The Caran d’Ache Discovery Set is not sold on its own - but this month, ArtSnackers get special access to this exclusive set! It includes five colored pencils and one Full Blender Bright, an oil-wax medium used for blending and burnishing. Use it right out of the box, or sharpen it and try blending with a point. The bright, soft colored pencils are also water soluble; just use a wet brush to create a watercolor wash effect. 

Magnesium Long Point Sharpener by KUM

It’s important to get a sharp point on your pencil to get maximum control and performance. The Magnesium Long Point Sharpener by KUM (pronounced “KOOM”) shaves off wood while also shaping the graphite core, all in one motion. This small, lightweight sharpener is a great addition to your art studio or travel art kit. 

Higgins Black Magic Ink Pump Marker

The Higgins Black Magic Ink Pump Marker lays down artist ink with ease and control. Black Magic, this brand’s darkest ink, dries to a matte finish. The 1mm nib delivers a bold, thick line. Give this marker a good shake before using. 

Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner Marker Pen

The Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner Marker Pen is made to last. The pen tip is encased in metal to extend pen life, and this pen won’t quickly dry out if the cap is left off, thanks to specially formulated ink. Stabilo produces this pen in 20 vibrant colors.

My fave item was the Caran d'Ache watercolor pencils set. I have used it for the Heart Collector mailart envelopes. They blend very nicely with water. Surprised to see there is a full bright blender included in a watercolor set though. I would have thought a brush would be more fitting. But the blender is superb, as I already tried one of those. I already know the stabilo fine liner, fun to have it in my fave color though! And I am very curious to see how the Higgins Black magic Ink marker will perform on my mixed media projects.

The January 2017 box contained these items: 

Art & Graphic Twin RB+F by ZIG

ZIG has re-mastered their most notable double-ended marker into a totally new one that hasn’t hit stores yet: introducing the Art & Graphic Twin RB+F by Zig! The “RB” stands for “real brush,” because one side of this marker has an actual brush tip. The opposite side has a thin 0.8mm felt tip, or “F” for short. The ink in this marker is water-based, so you can dip the brush tip end into water to achieve a greater watercolor effect.

GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic Paints

This prestigious brand is the leader in high-quality paints. We’ve packed your box with 2 bold colors for a colorful GOLDEN experience. The GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic Paints act like ink when wet, but dry like acrylic paint–making them fluid enough to be used with dip pens, brushes, or empty pump markers. Once dry, High Flow paint will not bleed or reactivate with water. The High Flow line has 49 colors and is compatible with many of GOLDEN’s gels and mediums. Please note: Before using these paints, unscrew the cap and pull off the protective white seal.

Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencil

Kick off the New Year with the soft and smooth Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star Pencil. Produced in the Czech Republic, this oversized pencil adds some darker tones to your sketches and illustrations. If you’re looking to tune up your shading technique, we recommend practicing with this comfortable, fat-bodied pencil.

Snap! Series Paintbrushes by Princeton Brush

Oh SNAP! (We could say that all day.) We’re excited to have the SNAP! Series Paintbrushes by Princeton Brush in this month’s box. This versatile brush comes in an assortment of sizes and shapes, including round, fan, flat shader, and bright shader. The synthetic hair tip will guide your paint evenly. To clean, use mild soap and water, then reshape the bristles into place. Afterwards, stand it upright on the handle to dry.

I am really excited to work with Golden High Flow acrylics. The fluorescent colors in chartreuse and blue are really fun colors. The princeton brush does snap nicely! I have used it several times for watercolor cards and love that I got a small round brush which a fave to use. The pencil has an interesting shape and size, which you can get nice thick lines with. Another ZIG product in the box. I do like it, the brush is bouncier than the Clean Color one and having a fine tip for detail coloring or underlining lettering is definitely handy.

On to February's (2017) box the sweet edition.

Pentalic Drawing Set

ArtSnacks subscribers get to try the new Pentalic Drawing Set before anyone else! While many sets on the market only include one medium, this set of six pencils features a mix of graphite, charcoal, and pastel. Using only this set, you can build from underdraw- ing to midtones to shadows to highlights. From the smooth feel of the soft charcoal pencil to the rich darks of the 6B, this set is the total package. 

K-70 Permanent Ink Marker by KRINK

KRINK’s K-70 Permanent Ink Marker is better than ever! In this upgraded version of the marker, not only is ink flow smoother and cleaner, but the tip is now reversible. Just remove and flip it to switch from a bullet to a chisel design, and see the variety of fine and heavy lines that this versatile tool can create. 

ZIG Clean Color FB

Similar to the KRINK marker in this month’s box, the ZIG Clean Color FB is a fresh take on a favorite tool. This marker – a new product in the Clean Color family – features the same highly blend-able, water-soluble ink as the Clean Color Real Brush, but it has a new, firmer fiber brush nib (“FB” for short). Try using a watercolor brush to wash and blend this ink on the page to achieve a softer effect. 

Stabilo Pen 68

Another pop of color in your box this month comes from the Stabilo Pen 68. The shape of this pen is similar to your everyday pencil, giving you a comfortable drawing experience.

The premium fiber bullet-tip on the Pen 68 holds odorless, water-based ink and will create a perfectly even ink application on smooth surfaces. 

Well the candies were pretty sweet for sure but was a bit disappointed that there was yet another ZIG and Stabilo items in the box. Though I do have all the brushes in the ZIG line now with help via the box so I can compare them better and see which one has my preference. I should definitely do that in a separate post! The Krink is a great addition to my black paint markers for Mixed Media! And I am quite in love with the Pentalic pencils set.

Everything you need to get started to draw with graphite and charcoal pencils. When I as in high school I used to draw a lot and these got me itching to do so again. I think that is the whole purpose of these boxes, to get you to start something or pick up an old creative habit you have lost along the way. 

So the verdict is that I am still very much enjoying the subscription and will continue! Am very much looking forward to the march box, which is not only their birthday month, but mine as well (on the 14th :) so I am excited what kind of goodies they will have for this month.

Also while I haven't done the review style like I did with the other boxes, I still hope this was still useful to you if you're considering signing up for Art Snacks. If you have also subscribed, let me know what you think of the content.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!