Artsnacks Doodle Mystery Box Review

If you saw my recent review on the February Artsnacks subscription box, you probably also know that I might be a little in love. In fact, I’m so smitten with the idea of these boxes that I ordered both of their mystery boxes that were on sale for just $10 USD each. I mean, how could I resist? It’s obvious my self-control has left the building, so why fight it right?

The two boxes, in keeping with February’s Valentines Day theme, are labeled as the Main Doodle Squeeze and Acrylic Soulmate. In this review, I’m going to show you what was inside the Main Doodle Squeeze, but stay tuned for next time, when I show you what was in the Acrylic Soulmate.
Presentation
I wasn’t sure if the green tissue paper was exclusive to the month of the box I got last time but it appears that this is the standard color that comes in every Artsnacks box. It’s BOLD and I love it. Packaging was the same as last time and as a nerdy bonus for me, I received unscathed boxes because I ordered in bulk and it came in an envelope! (Presentation matters people.)

I also discovered by looking at the “menu card” that this is actually the box from February 2017. I’m assuming this is the leftover box from that month’s products that they then sell at a discounted price to get rid of the inventory. It’s a total bonus though because, for someone like me who just signed up, it gives me the chance to check out a previous month’s box. If you hadn’t signed up for a subscription yet it would be a great way to get a test box at a lower price than the monthly subscription as well. Or,  if you’re just an art supply lover, again like me, it’s just a gateway box to what will inevitably be a hoarding problem but that’s a topic for another time…
Items in the Box

• Pentallic Drawing Set
• KRINK K-70 Permanent Ink Marker
• ZIG Clean Color FB – Carmine Red
• Stabilo Pen 68 (2)
• The Snack – Sweethearts 

Performance
There is a really interesting combination of items in this box. For someone who loves mixed media as much as I do, it’s so awesome to see items in these boxes that I have never tried before. I love that they challenge you to create a piece with all the items in the box. It’s such a great creative exercise. The items and colors are curated well together and with a little imagination, who knows what you will create! I started following the #artsnacks tag on Instagram and it’s been awesome seeing everyone’s different and awesome contributions.

Pentallic Drawing Set
This small, diverse set of drawing media would be a perfect addition to a travel sketch kit. It gives you HB, 2B and 6B pencil along with soft and medium charcoal and a white pastel. I’m a sucker for tin cases so this gets extra bonus points for keeping its contents a protective, travel-friendly case. The pencils were fantastic, smooth and buttery. The charcoal and pastel I wasn’t as keen on but that could have been because of the mixed media paper I used them on.

KRINK K-70 Permanent Ink Marker
This permanent ink marker is a beast. It has a beautiful, rich consistent flow but also soaked right through the watercolor paper I initially tested it on. It also has an unpleasant odor which I’m not a fan of in markers. Despite those things, however, it boasts a reversible tip and you can water it down to use it like ink. This is best done on a wax paper or disposable palette sheet. I also wouldn’t recommend using a paint brush you like the first time around. Another thing I found a little irritating was that the name of the color wasn’t apparent anywhere on the outside. I mean yeah I get it, it’s black, but I also like that direct means of identification in a product.

ZIG Clean Color FB – Carmine Red
I love the tip on this marker and like the KRINK marker, it’s also water-soluble ink. This is a new thing for me, I must admit. Usually, I’m trying to find markers that WON’T bleed with water, and this is specifically designed to do just that. In my initial tests, I used the marker in its original “dry” state but the addition of water was a next level experience.

Stabilo Pen 68
Honestly, I was a little dismissive of these pens until I actually tried them. The design of them reminded me of these Swiss-Made markers I had as a kid except these are way more awesome. Right away though I noticed, like the KRINK marker there are no color indicators. The 2 pens have one spot where they show a different number but I REALLY want a color name in addition to that number.  Aside from that detail though, I thought these pens were great. Also water-soluble, the color lay down quite nicely and evenly. They are also odorless which is AMAZING! My biggest pet peeve with some brands of markers is the smell. I would 100% invest in a set of these pens except I couldn’t find anything on their website about their lightfast ratings. They would still be great to use for sketchbook illustrations and drawing that were only made for prints, however.
One of the really exciting details about the markers included in this box is that they are water-soluble. In my YouTube review below I show you how they interact with water and create a bonus drawing using them in that form. Overall, I really like the items in this Mystery Box and can’t wait to try out the items in the Acrylic Soulmate version. If I had to pick one favorite though, it would be the ZIG Clean Color FB. It’s such a well-performing and versatile tool! Stay tuned for my next review and in the meantime check out the companion video below!

Sign up for your own Artsnacks box by following the link: http://www.artsnacks.co/

Have you tried any of the items in this review? Which did you like best?
Share with me in the comments!

Please Note: I am in no way being paid to promote this product. The opinions in the blog post are my own.