ARTSNACKS JULY BOX REVIEW

I’m six months into Artsnacks boxes and so far the honeymoon phase is still going strong. Let’s be real though, how is getting new art supplies in the mail every month ever going to get old? This month’s box had an interesting combination of new and familiar. One product, however, left me feeling a little less than impressed.
Items in the Box:

• Grumbacher Watercolor Paper Sampler Pad (BONUS ITEM)
• Molotow ONE4ALL Acrylic Twin Marker (Poison Green)
• Marabu Graphix Aqua Ink (Carmine Red)
• Weber Museum Emerald Artist Brush
• Copic Drawing Pen F02
• The Snack – Laffy Taffy in Sour Apple

Grumbacher Watercolor Paper Sampler Pad (BONUS ITEM)
This 140lb (300gsm) cold pressed watercolor paper was a fun surprise. I don’t normally like cold pressed paper too much but this had a really sturdy feel to it. The sampler pad comes with 4 sheets in it which gives you enough to do some doodles and tests. In my finished pieces, I found there was a minimal warping of the paper especially considering the long small strips.  Full versions of this paper are available and I must admit my interest has been peaked.

Molotow ONE4ALL Acrylic Twin Marker
I’ve recently become a fan of Molotow outside of my experiences with Artsnacks, so it was a nice treat to try a different product of theirs. The price per marker tends to be a little hefty so it was nice to have this included. I may not have otherwise ventured out to try one of this type on my normal trips to the art store. The respective tips are 1.5mm and 4mm. I liked the flow and consistency of this acrylic-based ink product but I found at times that when it dried the color seemed uneven. Things it has going for it though is that it is UV resistant and permanent on nearly all surface types.

Marabu Graphix Aqua Ink
I love the idea of a watercolor ink. What I didn’t love was that you have to either pour it to get it out or dip your brush directly into the container. Listen, accidents happen, and let me tell you from experience that highly pigmented ink is a nightmare to get out of carpet…. or anything really. That, of course, is more of a packaging concern as opposed to anything to do with the product itself, which performed quite lovely. True to traditional watercolor form, one dried the ink is full reworkable again with water. It also boasts that it is highly lightfast and mixable with other inks in the line which are all great qualities to have.

Weber Museum Emerald Artist Brush
Sometimes I feel like I’m not picky enough about paint brushes. I have pretty basic requests. I want them to hold their shape and not lose their bristles. This brush fulfilled both of those requests and it was comfortable to hold due to it’s exclusively patented handle.  Was I blown away by it? Not really, but I wasn’t disappointed either. This is a nice little brush that works well with oil, acrylic, and watercolor. It’s a great addition to any painter’s toolbox, especially if you’re logging a lot of time at the easel.

Copic Drawing Pen F02
Finally the moment of truth. I’ve been on the Copic-Train for the last few months, proudly declaring my love to anyone who would listen. But has that love-affair come to an end? Would this drawing pen instead seal my affections for all eternity??? No. It did not.

First of all and most importantly, this pen is not waterproof. I’m leading with that point for a very important reason. In my blissed-out state of assuming Copic pens could do no wrong, I started my illustrations with it forgetting that using a water based product over top of it will cause it to smear. (Although apparently not with other Copic products.) Luckily I realized in time but that’s kind of a strike against it for me. You could perhaps use that to your advantage when doing a drawing, but I like my lines to stay put.

That wasn’t the only issue for me though. The flow out of the pen wasn’t consistent and although you can use varying pressure to get different line weights from the stainless steel nib, it didn’t feel like that worked well either. Perhaps I got a bad pen in my box, I don’t know. I found the ink also appeared slightly brown as opposed to a rich black. It’s not a great combination with the cold pressed paper either. I’m willing to give it another chance though on a smoother paper type because there’s part of me that thinks that might be part of the problem.

Here is a final look at my illustrations using all of the items in the box. I don’t love my line quality in these illustrations but the other products were definitely fun to use. I think I may redo these illustrations on different paper because I really liked the challenge of the extremely elongated format. Overall another fun and challenging box from Artsnacks!

For a more in-depth look at my process behind these drawings and to see the products in action, check out my YouTube 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.