ArtSnacks - February 2018

Happy Valentine's Day! It's a bit late, but I'm finally here with my unboxing and review of the February 2018 monthly ArtSnacks box!  For anyone who doesn't know, ArtSnacks offers monthly blind boxes on several different subscription plans.  These boxes always contain at least four (and often five or six or more) full-size, premium art supplies.  This is the last box of my third year being subscribed to the service and I'm still not bored of it!  Let's see what came in my box this month.

I love when ArtSnacks themes the boxes for the holidays!

I was really happy with my January box and the February box didn't disappoint either.  Everything, again, was totally up my alley!  Drawing and watercolor supplies--my favorites!  Here's what was on the menu:

• Sennelier French Artists' Watercolor [lemon yellow, titanium white]
• Raphaël Mini Precision Brush, Flat Size 2
• Faber-Castell Goldfaber Sketching Pencil 2H
• Sakura Pigma Micron PN
• BONUS: Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper Sample

Outside of the actual art supplies, my box also came with a little serving-size bag of Sweethearts and a Valentine's Day-themed ArtSnacks logo sticker.  I still love that every box comes with these fun bonus items!

Test of both watercolor tubes and the brush.

Sennelier French Artists' Watercolor

Watercolor is one of my favorite media so I'm always happy to receive more in my ArtSnacks boxes.  I was a bit disappointed to receive white this time, though.  I so rarely use white since I work on white paper (and the sample paper that came in this box was white, as well!).  White is good for mixing pastel shades and greys, so it's not a useless color, but I always unbox thinking first about how I can use all the supplies together for my ArtSnacks Challenge (a piece made using all of that month's supplies and nothing else).  It was not easy to imagine using every item from this box effectively in the same piece.  You can see, in the testing image above, how the white paint is virtually invisible on the white paper of my sketchbook.  It shows up well on the yellow paint, though, which was what made it possible to complete my ArtSnacks Challenge successfully this month.  As for the yellow paint, there's nothing much for me to say about it.  It seems like a quality watercolor paint, plenty of pigment and no weird smell like some other brands.

Raphaël Mini Precision Brush

This brush is one of the shortest-handled brushes I have ever seen!  I was skeptical at first glance, thinking it might be uncomfortable to use, but once I tried it out, it didn't really feel any different than other short-handled brushes.  I could see someone with really large hands having trouble, but then again, such a person might have trouble with any short, thin handle.  When I used this brush for my ArtSnacks Challenge, I found it worked really well, holding a lot of color, spreading it evenly, and it didn't lose its shape or any bristles.  Based on the menu, it seems like all boxes contained the flat size 2 brush.

A little side story about paint brushes:  Recently, I finished painting the interior of my house but we were in a rush to move out (I was painting it because I sold it) and the painting supplies all got packed before I was done.  We went out and bought a couple of those cheap painting kits--the kind with a roller brush, paint pan, foam brushes, etc.--and most of the supplies were fine except the 2.5" brush that was included.  It was SO cheap, so awful, I was barely able to paint anything.  I threw it away as soon as I was done painting because it was already falling apart after only a couple hours of on-and-off use.  I've never worked with such a cheap, useless brush, not for interior or fine art applications.  I'm bringing this all up because it really made me appreciate how good even the worst of my large collection of artist brushes are.  It especially made me think about the fact that I've never gotten a bad brush from an ArtSnacks box.  I almost feel spoiled.  It's so great to paint with quality supplies!

Pencil Test. The hard graphite doesn't show well in the photo.

Faber-Castell Goldfaber Sketching Pencil

Thanks to ArtSnacks, I will probably never need to buy another artist pencil again.  I have so many now!  But I'm never unhappy to receive another one :3  I've been particularly keen on harder pencils recently, since they are great for doing underdrawings which will eventually be erased (the harder the pencil, the easier to erase cleanly) so this 2H was quite welcome.  I don't have anything in particular to say about it, it's a hard graphite core encased in wood, easy to hold and does its job.  Can't really ask for more.

Micron PN test. Like most Microns, the ink is black.

Sakura Pigma Micron PN

Now this item REALLY intrigued me.  I'm a longtime user of the Sakura Pigma line and until I received this pen, I thought I had already seen (and owned) every pen under the Pigma banner.  I can't describe how excited I was to see something new from a familiar brand!  The blue-green color for the "PIGMA" and "PN" printed on the body was so visually striking since I am very used to my other pens that have purple or red text, instead.  I had no idea what "PN" could possibly stand for.  This was the most excited I'd felt by an ArtSnacks item in quite a while!  Instead of the thrill of an utterly new tool, it felt like the shock of a plot twist!

I finally turned to the menu to learn just what was up with this marvel.  It turns out, "PN" stands for "plastic nib".  I totally would not have guessed that, lol.  The nib allows for a bit more range in line weight than the Microns I'm used to but it's otherwise the same as the rest of the line.  The ink is water/alcohol proof when dry, which is the nicest thing about these pens and the reason I've used them for so long.

My ArtSnacks challenge!

I actually completed my ArtSnacks challenge for this month before writing this post, which is somewhat unusual, but not bad since I can include it here instead of making an additional post.  The reason I got it done so soon was my Twitch livestreaming schedule.  Every second Monday is ArtSnacks challenge day, so regardless of whether my unboxing post has been completed, I have to get my challenge piece done.  Not only that, but it's done live on the Internet for anyone to watch!  I started livestreaming in January but this was the first live ArtSnacks challenge I did.  If you'd like to watch it, it's been uploaded to YouTube!

I drew a grey heron. I really like birds recently!

ArtSnacks is on a roll so far this year.  They've had a great first two boxes (at least according to my tastes) and they've been teasing their birthday box for next month, so I'm hoping I'll be just as happy with that one.  ArtSnacks' birthday is my subscription anniversary, so the March box will be the first box of my fourth year as an ArtSnacker!

Pencil shavings canister gets another sticker.

So, fellow subscribers, what did you think of the February box?  Did you like what you got?  Did you participate in the challenge?  Non-subscribers, are there any questions about the items I got this time?  Is there anything you'd like me to cover in my unboxing posts that I missed this time?

Lucky Dip I

A few years ago, I was really inspired by Ashley Picanco's Lucky Dip Videos on YouTube.  The idea of taking all my subscription box art supplies, putting them together, and randomly choosing just a few with which to make an art piece was super exciting!  When I started this blog, I realized I could do the same thing in my own way.  So in 2015, I set up my system and created my first Lucky Dip!

My first set of randomly selected supplies.

For my version of Lucky Dip, to make sure I chose as randomly as possible, I made a spreadsheet listing all of my subscription box supplies (at the time, I was subscribed to both ArtSnacks and the now defunct Pigment + Palette) and used RANDOM.ORG to generate five random numbers.  Those numbers pointed out which items from the spreadsheet I would use for my Lucky Dip.

My selected paper and random tools.

Test of each tool on the paper.

I wanted to give my Lucky Dip series a sense of structure, so I actually wrote down my own rules to follow, like a game.  If you want to start your own Lucky Dip journey, I do recommend making rules (or feel free to use mine!) because it makes the challenge that much more fun.  Working within the confines of your randomly selected tools and your predefined rules is actually one of the most exciting creative things you can do, in my opinion.  Creativity flourishes under restriction.

Here are my rules consolidated and typed out for future reference (and easy copying!)

• A pencil for underdrawing is allowed, but all marks must eventually be covered/erased.
• Extra tools such as paintbrushes, blenders, and erasers are allowed.
• Substrate can be selected freely, based on appropriate use of the Lucky Dip items.
• Final piece must clearly show use of all Lucky Dip items.

My ultimate goal when doing a Lucky Dip piece is to somehow get art supplies that I may otherwise never have thought to use together, to look as if they were chosen on purpose.

Underdrawing

Based on the colors I had to work with, I decided to draw a blue version of my favorite raptor: the peregrine falcon.  I found a reference image online and sketched it out with my usual pencil.

Copic Sketch Marker, BG57 Jasper

After sketching, I started with the lighter blue Copic marker.  I can't remember for sure, but this may have been my first time using marker-specific paper.  I do enjoy it and I've used it again for a different marker drawing.  It definitely gets to show its strengths more when you have access to a full range of markers, instead of just a few, though.

ZIG Fudebiyori Metallic Marker, Silver

Next I moved onto using the metallic ZIG marker.  It comes across more like a typical grey pigment unless you're in really good lighting and even then, the color seems more like it has a reflective sheen rather than being full-blown metallic.  It's a subtle marker :3

Kurecolor Fine & Brush for MANGA by ZIG, Navy

In the third stage, I started using the dark blue Kurecolor marker as well as the previous two markers to add dark areas and details all over the drawing.  The falcon really started coming to life.

Copic Multiliner, Black, 0.05

With the addition of ink details using the Copic Multiliner pen, the falcon itself was complete.  I may have called such a drawing done if I didn't have one more tool left to use.  I already knew what I wanted to do from the very beginning, which is why I saved it for last.

Sharpie Peel-Off China Marker, Red

I used the china marker at the end to add a wash of color in the background and to bring that color onto the body of the falcon, as if it were in the midst of a sunset.  This not only helped fill the page and give depth to the image, I think the blue and silver palette looked incomplete on its own.  I'm glad I had one warm color to balance it out with!

So there we have my very first attempt at a Lucky Dip art piece!  I was extremely pleased with the result and I had a ton of fun figuring out how to utilize all the randomly selected items together in a cohesive way.  I've already completed a second Lucky Dip piece and have two more sets of supplies selected for future entries!  I hope you'll look forward to those pieces and maybe even give Lucky Dip a try yourself.

ArtSnacks - January 2018

2018 marks my fourth year as a subscriber to the monthly ArtSnacks box, though my actual anniversary will be in March.  Now that I think about it, March is also the birthday of ArtSnacks itself!  That means I'm exactly one year behind, ha ha.  Well, I'm still as happy as ever with my monthly delivery of surprise supplies; the novelty never wears off because there's always something new to discover!  Here's what I received in my January box, the first box of 2018!

Pencil shavings canister.

I was really excited to see everything in my box this month.  This year is starting off great!  Drawing materials are my favorite thing because they're so accessible; you don't need anything more than a piece of paper to start using them.  This month's supplies are neat because you can use them straight up dry or you can dilute the pigment with water for unique effects.  Here's the full list of supplies:

• Uni-Posca PCF-350 Brush Tip Paint Marker [red]
• Marabu Graphix Aqua Pens [cool grey, bright blue]
• Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip Brush Pen
• Sakura SumoGrip Mechanical Pencil

Now let's go over the contents in detail and check this stuff out!

Uni-Posca PCF-350 Brush Tip Paint Marker

This is one of the most unique paint markers I've received to date.  Not only does it have a brush tip (most tend to have chisel or bullet tips) it uses a clicker mechanism to deliver the paint, similar to a mechanical pencil.  I'm happy I got red!  The color is really vibrant and lays down thick and easy.  The brush is soft and bristly so you can get a wide variety of marks out of it.  Since the paint is water-based, I tried some water techniques but it didn't really do much.  The paint dries SUPER fast, too fast to play with it on the page.  Because of that, I really recommend keeping the cap on whenever the marker isn't in use so that the tip won't harden.

Marabu Graphix Aqua Pens

I got a very light cool grey and a bright blue color.  The pens don't have color names or even numbers printed on them, so I don't know what colors I got officially (^^;  The grey is SO light that it's barely perceptible on the page.  Hopefully that means there is a range of greys available instead of just this one.  In any case, I'm ALWAYS excited to try new watercolor supplies, especially markers and pens, a relatively new concept to me.  These pens come with a fine tip and a brush tip, although both tips are quite firm, so you can't get all that much more variation in line weight from the brush end.  Perhaps with use over time it will loosen up.  Since these are watercolor pens, it almost goes without saying that water techniques worked wonderfully.  I didn't try blending the two colors since the grey is so light it would just get lost, but I have a feeling that blending with other color pens would be super fun and satisfying.

Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip Brush Pen

Japanese black ink brush pens are my FAVORITE thing to get in my ArtSnacks boxes.  Ever since they were first introduced, I find I am never disappointed in them and I therefore never get tired of trying new ones out.  This particular pen has a really nice, unique, silky texture to the body.  Just holding it is pleasant.  It doesn't disappoint when writing and drawing, either.  The tip is small but extremely flexible so you can produce a wide range of strokes with interesting variations in texture.  Just press harder, move faster, tap at an angle--all kinds of marks are possible.  It's just as good for writing a letter as it is for inking a picture.

Sakura SumoGrip Mechanical Pencil

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed using the SumoGrip pencil.  After all, once you've tried so many mechanical pencils, it gets really hard to design anything that stands out.  But Sakura did it here!  First of all, this is one of the fattest mechanical pencils I've ever used.  It's fat, but it's still quite light and the grip is soft, velvety, and shaped like a triangle, so its girth doesn't cause me any problems.  In fact, this may be the most comfortable mechanical pencil I own.  To top it all off, it has a twist-up eraser.  The twist feature makes it easy to customize how you want to erase (if you make it longer, you can erase using the edge and get a thinner line) and it comes with plenty of eraser so you don't have to worry about buying replacements for a good while.  I twisted it out to its fullest and measured to find it is at least one solid inch of rubber, and that was after I used it a couple times!

ArtSnacks Challenges!

I'm feeling really good about my year in art for 2018.  I've got lots of well-made plans and goals and my intent is to take everything slow so I don't burn out or get overwhelmed.  My ArtSnacks subscription is going to continue this year so you can look forward to my monthly reviews from here on out!

Inktober 2016/2017 - Day 6: HIDDEN

I'm moving right along with my Inktober drawings!  Day 6 is already done and it's only lunchtime!  It helps that my previous piece bled through to the next page; I used those cloudy marks to inform today's work and it made my subject really easy to draw.

As a reminder, I'm using the 2016 drawing prompts list so that I can finish what I started last year.  Day 6's theme was HIDDEN.  The general shape of the blank space between the two major bleed-throughs on this page reminded me of someone hiding in a huge fluffy blanket, so that's what I drew!  I gave the face a suspicious look just because it fits the Halloweeny mood of October.  Even though the subject looks on edge, what I really wanted to convey was the comforting, tactile sensation of a huge, heavy, warm, fluffy blanket.  Maybe they're on edge because someone is trying to steal their cuddly blankie?  Maybe that's why they're hidden!

Anytime I focus on any kind of book for too long...

In the middle of working on this, one of my cats, Kiki, very adorably got right in the middle of my work XD She kept purring and fluffing herself up and rubbing on my face until she finally stepped exactly on my sketchbook, lol.  Typical cat behavior but absolutely adorable no matter how often it happens~  So I took a million pictures of her naughtiness (I picked just one to share here, lest my blog be taken over by her as well!) until she finally got bored and jumped down.

After adding the first round of hatching, I thought of calling it good and stopping there but I decided to add a bit more presence with big inked shadows.  I ended up taking it farther than I first thought but happily didn't take it too far.  Sometimes when I shade without a plan, I end up going so far that I have to add more to the entire piece, changing the whole mood or message.  That can be fun, but for a daily drawing like this, I really don't want to do that much work.

Challenging myself to complete the full month of Inktober has been teaching me a lot.  Not about drawing and inking, but about myself, the way my mind works, and what I have to change in order to get something like this done.  I have to force myself to forget about perfectionism, remind myself that these are just daily drawings, not masterpieces.  I have to get started immediately and remember that if I don't get it done today, there's no make-up time later.  Stuff like that may seem simple, but my mind doesn't naturally think along those lines (it's more like "If it's not done perfectly and to the best of your ability from start to finish, there's just no point").  I think this month is going to help me become more flexible and productive as an artist.

Inktober 2016/2017 - Day 4: HUNGRY

This is one of several unique Inktober posts I'll be making this year. The drawing I'm presenting here was actually completed last year, but that was around the time I started getting behind and just completing the prompt responses was all I could do. I had no time to share them online. This is part of the reason I decided to pick up with last year's prompts instead of starting over new; I wanted to give myself the opportunity to share what I already did!

The prompt for Day 4 was HUNGRY and although I don't remember my thought-process anymore, I clearly decided to draw myself surrounded by a delicious assortment of breakfast foods XD Breakfast is actually my favorite meal of the day, but I'm not a morning person so I rarely get to indulge in things that actually require cooking time, like delicious french toast or sausage links.

I started this drawing off the same way as all the others: with a graphite sketch done using a pencil I received in a previous ArtSnacks box. I don't remember for sure anymore, but I feel like I had fun drawing all the scrumptious foods and my love for them made it easy to fill the page, lol.

Next I moved onto inking. Thank goodness I took all these photos at the time or I wouldn't have remembered at all what the details of my process were! I started with the ZIG sumi ink and the nib pen and then moved onto using the more expressive brush.

The ink cap is a tool rest, awesome!

I took the photo above to show something cool I discovered about the ZIG ink container's design: the cap has indentations for your inking tool to rest in! It's such a great idea, so easy to incorporate and does so much to help prevent the mess that ink can cause (setting your brush or pen down on a flat surface not only makes that surface dirty, it risks getting ink on the tool itself in places you don't want it and might not notice until it's too late).

To finish the inked drawing, I continued using all the Inktober Collection tools at my disposal, as appropriate. That includes the Copic Multiliner pen, the Pentel brush pen, and the ZIG sumi ink. I also used a shape template to add hearts to the piece and a white gel pen to add details. The gel pen was brand new to me, as it had been a part of the October ArtSnacks box that arrived the same day :3

Gwah, sorry about the super blurry photo...

The photo above was going to be the final version of my response to this day's Inktober prompt but I really wanted to try out more of my October ArtSnacks and since they were all inking things too, I actually added a bit more to it later.

 

Let me know what you think of my Day 4 Inktober response! Do you recognize any of the foods I included in it? Just looking at it again is making me hungry...I think it's time for a snack!

Inktober 2016/2017 - Day 3: COLLECT

I never finished drawing the daily prompts I received with my ArtSnacks Inktober Collection in 2016. That bugged me all this time so now that it's October again, instead of starting over new, I am picking up where I left off. I still have all the lovely art supplies that came with the Collection so I'm also continuing to use them for this challenge. Augmented, of course, with a few other ArtSnacks supplies from other boxes :3

The prompt for today was COLLECT and the first thing I thought of was me collecting art supplies. I have quite the collection now, partially thanks to being a long-time subscriber to ArtSnacks but also because I love trying new things and have a bad habit of buying art tools simply because the novelty is invigorating. This idea formed pretty quickly as I considered the prompt, so I drew myself showing off my stuff!

I used my pencil from the September 2017 ArtSnacks box for the initial sketch. I found it unusually easy to draw what I was imagining, so that made me feel really good! Most of the time, I can't draw what I see in my mind's eye as concisely as I want. Maybe it was the necessity of getting the drawing done TODAY that helped me focus. I am absolutely determined not to repeat last year's Inktober attempt; I must get each drawing done and posted on the day it's due or it just won't happen at all. I know myself too well now to have any hope of a last minute success in such a case...

Anyway, once the pencil lines were done, I switched to the inking supplies from the Inktober Collection. That included a Copic Multiliner, ZIG sumi ink (with brush and nib pen; I used both here), and a Pentel brush pen. I was surprised to be reminded that the Collection only came with three ink sources. It seems like a lot more on the menu but that's because each individual item is listed out, including the sketchbook I am drawing in, the brush, the nib holder, the nibs, and an online inking class (I wonder if I can still sign up for it...). It's not a huge deal, just a tiny bit disappointing.

It started getting really late and even now I've got other things I should have been doing hours ago instead of continuing to work on this drawing but, like I said, I'm determined to get this done every day! So I took the time to fill out the whole page (that was a goal I had when I started these last year) which ended up really wrinkling the paper, since I thinned the ink with water to get that background effect. Along the way, I erased the remaining pencil marks and used a white gel pen to add some final details--especially to make the pens in the center stand out more--both of which were previous monthly ArtSnacks items.  I set the drawing in front of the space heater to dry once it was done :3

Are you doing Inktober this year?  Let's see your Day 3 responses down in the comments!

ArtSnacks - February 2017

The second ArtSnacks box of 2017 is here and ready to be revealed!  For those who don't know, ArtSnacks is a monthly blind box subscription for art supplies.  They send out 4-5 full-sized art tools every month, often including sample sizes of other products on top of that, and the contents are a surprise until you open your box!  I've been a subscriber for several years now and I'm still happy to open my box every month~  Let's see what I got this time!

Here's what's on the menu for February:

• Pentalic Graphite & Charcoal Drawing Pencils Set
• KRINK K-70 Permanent Ink Marker
• Kuretake ZIG Clean Color FB
• Stabilo Pen 68

Pentalic Graphite & Charcoal Drawing Pencils Set

It's always very impressive when I receive a complete drawing kit in my monthly ArtSnacks box.  I mean, that's 6 full-sized items right there!  I feel familiar with this Pentalic setup because I already received a similar drawing pencil set from a different ArtSnacks box, but this one is even better, for me.  The set includes three hardenesses of pencil—HB, 2B, and 6B—one soft and one medium hardness charcoal pencil, and one white pastel pencil.  I didn't realize until I actually started testing these tools that this set is perfect for my travel sketches; I always pack a white charcoal pencil, a black charcoal pencil, and a graphite pencil when I go somewhere I'd like to sketch with ease, like the zoo or an out-of-town vacation.  Of course, to make proper use of the white pencil, I bring a tan or grey paged sketchbook, as well.  That's what made me realize I could use this kit on-the-go: I started to sketch on white paper and had to switch to tan so I could really show off the set's potential. 

Something else that makes this kit nice for travel is the metal case it comes in.  The pencils are all cradled in a molded plastic rest with a thin sheet of foam providing cushioning from above.  Basically, the tools are well protected and conveniently organized while in the case.  Next time I go to the zoo, I may bring nothing but this set, instead of my travel pencil case, and my sketchbook.  It'll be even easier to carry and manipulate!  I'll have to remember to sharpen all the pencils first though, so they don't get dull too quickly while sketching (I could bring a sharpener but the point in this scenario is to bring as little as possible).  Which reminds me, I was very impressed by how incredibly sharp the graphite pencils already were!  Furthermore, the manufacturers sharpened the graphite pencils to a longer, thinner tip while the charcoal and pastel have shorter, wider tips.  I feel that's a good detail for Pentalic to have considered; it shows they really think about what artists want.

KRINK K-70 Permanent Ink Marker

When I saw this, I immediately thought, "I already have one of these," and indeed I do, from a previous art supply box (can't remember if it was ArtSnacks or the defunct Pigment + Palette).  I remembered so easily because I recently tried using the older one and found it disappointing.  It was encouraging, therefore, to see the menu explain that this particular marker is the redesigned version, supposedly with better ink flow and a reversible tip.  The tip is definitely reversible—one side is a large bullet while the other is a wide chisel—but I won't be switching again.  Even being extra careful, I still stained multiple fingers with the ink.  If I had rubber gloves or tweezers that I didn't mind inking up, perhaps I wouldn't have had a problem, but that's really too much for this one little thing.  As it was, I hoped a paper towel folded over several times would be enough to protect me through the 5-second operation but, alas.  I just don't think it's worth it to bother with flipping the tip around; I'd rather just buy two markers.  Furthermore, after trying both tips, I still found the chisel to have the same issue as the original K-70 that I mentioned before: the ink does not flow evenly.  I can't draw a wide line with the chisel tip that comes out as one solid mark.  I was hoping the improvements would have fixed that.  With a marker this big, the only thing I'd really want to use it for is filling in large areas with black but the spotty delivery of the chisel tip means I'd spend just as much time filling in as if I used a smaller marker.

At least the bullet tip works well.  Now I have one marker with a chisel (the older one) and one with a bullet (because I don't want to bother with the mess of switching) so the upside is I ended up with two different tools :3

Kuretake ZIG Clean Color FB

I already have a few Clean Color markers from previous subscription boxes (I even have the same exact color, carmine red, in the Clean Color F series!) but this is the first time I've received one from the FB line.  (The menu means it when it says "New Product" because I couldn't even find it listed on Amazon!)  FB stands for "fiber brush" and I found it to be quite a firm one.  You really have to lean into it to get thick lines, but it does a lovely transition from hair thin to reasonably thick.  Using the side of the tip also works great for filling in, it's the best way to get big fat marks out of this tool.  Since the ink is water-based, I tried a few techniques with my water brush.  First I used the water to spread a big patch of ink.  It went quite far which shows this ink is very pigmented.  The vibrant pink color it thinned out to is beautiful, also.  The next thing I tried was wetting a section of paper then writing on it with the marker.  It made pretty cool effects but it really drained the tip of color.  My next experiment further drained it: I wet a section of paper, drew in it, then dripped more water onto that ink.  It produced a really beautiful, even, feathered patch of color but with how much it drained the tip, I wouldn't want to use the marker like that all the time.  I had to press the tip into a paper towel until the color properly returned so I could continue with my final test.  I drew a patch of ink on the page then dripped lots of water onto it and gently swirled the page.  The result was another cool effect: an organic blob with more deeply hued edges.  The only problem with this technique is that it takes forever for the water to dry up.

Stabilo Pen 68

The final item in my February box was the Stabilo Pen 68 and I received two colors, a purple defined only by the number 55 and a green numbered 43.  I love when ArtSnacks sends more than one color of the same product because the color can often make a big difference in first impressions.  For instance, the green and purple I received both laid down very vibrant, solid lines and, aside from the purple being darker, didn't seem too different.  But when I used a water brush to test out the water-based ink, they revealed their distinct properties.  The green became very transparent, more easily blending away the original lines, and was quickly brushed out to clear.  The purple, on the other hand, remained fairly opaque when the same amount of water was applied, left the original lines mostly intact, and obviously would have required a lot more water and paper to be brushed out to clear.  This doesn't mean one color is better than the other, just that they have variations which might need to be taken into account.  Receiving two colors and seeing the differences also gives a better idea of what one might get if they decided to invest in more of the product.  Differences aside, both of my Pen 68's created beautiful, even lines and I think this marker collection would do really well with stippling techniques because the firm tips create dots that are generally always the same size and shape.

Goodies & Bonuses

As always, ArtSnacks includes a few extras in each monthly box.  I received the all-important menu, which explains what each item is and also has a goofy art riddle that makes me snerk every time (the menu was tinted pink this month for Valentine's Day 💘), a sticker featuring the cute ArtSnacks logo (my beau always calls my subscription "your ArtPretzels" because of the logo XD), and a little bag of Sweethearts candies, which I ate up before I even finished my first draft of this blog~

This was a really generous ArtSnacks box!  Not only did we receive a tin with six full-sized drawing utensils, there were three other types of art supplies in four different colors!  Maybe the ArtSnacks folks were just trying to show how much they love us.  We love you, too, ArtSnacks!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Behind the scenes, the making of a blog :3

ArtSnacks - January 2017

The folks at ArtSnacks helped get 2017 started on the right foot with the interesting, fun supplies they included in the January box. There were four different types of item--marker, paint, pencil, brush--but a total of five items thanks to the inclusion of two different paint colors. I'm here to share my unboxing with you, so let's check this stuff out!

 

Here's what's on the menu for January:

• Kuretake ZIG Art & Graphic Twin RB+F Marker
• GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic Paints
• Princeton Snap! Series Paintbrush
• Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star HB Graphite Pencil

Kuretake ZIG Art & Graphic Twin RB+F Marker

I've now been introduced to so many ZIG tools throughout my years with ArtSnacks that I'm always happy to receive their products because they're always good. This marker's title is long but aptly describes it. “Art & Graphic” is self-explanatory, “Twin" indicates that it has a different tip on either end, and "RB+F" describes those tips: real brush and fine. The marker uses water-based dye ink and the 037 Persian Blue color I received is quite beautiful. I found that the brush tip laid down color fairly evenly when used with a light hand and produced an interesting dry brush texture as I pressed harder. I didn't test it, but I think dipping the tip in water would allow it to create large lines without the dry texture, perhaps making it useful for filling in relatively large areas with color. The fine tip, on the other hand, gave me a steady line that didn't waver in thickness. Since the ink is water-based, I ran a water brush over marks made with both tips as well as running the marker tip over a damp section of paper. All of these tests produced different, cool effects that would be useful in artwork, especially if the artist knew what look they wanted to achieve ahead of time (or was simply making an experimental piece).

GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic Paints

I was surprised to find two full bottles of the GOLDEN paints in my box and was pleased to read on the Menu that it wasn't a mistake. How generous and fun to send us two different colors to play with! I received two fluorescent colors: green and chartreuse (yellow, to my eyes). These paints come in squeeze bottles (be sure to remove the protective seal under the cap before squeezing or you might end up with an explosive mess on your hands, literally) so they can be used straight from the nozzle or poured out for use in everything from refillable markers to airbrushes. For my part, I tried them straight from the bottle, with a dip pen and with the Princeton Snap! brush and water. The paints performed admirably in all applications and my colors in particular looked really cool swirled together with water on a blank watercolor postcard (pics at the bottom of the post!). The only problem I encountered was when digitizing the dried postcard: it took a good deal of color adjustment to get the digital copy to read well. I'm sure it was an issue caused by the bright hues and not by the paint in general.

Princeton Snap! Series Paintbrush

I don't have many filbert brushes and I didn't have any in size 4 so I was happy to receive this one. In the days I spent testing it out on various little projects, I've washed it many times, sometimes quite roughly, but haven't had a single bristle fall out. To me that's an indication of a well-made piece of equipment. Aside from the bristles, I think the attractive finish on the handle is further evidence of the brush's quality: at the right angle, it's possible to see a shadow cast on the wood by the letters printed on top of the clear varnish. That kind of detail is so satisfying! In action, I could find nothing to complain about with this Snap! brush; the bristles held a reasonable amount of pigment and laid it down evenly and smoothly. The filbert shape allowed me to create both wide blots and relatively thin lines, making this tool useful for multiple applications.

Koh-I-Noor Magnum Black Star HB Graphite Pencil

It's hard to get too excited about any graphite pencil but this Koh-I-Noor has proven to be a satisfactory example, gliding smoothly across the page, stippling, lining, and shading with ease. The latter is probably this particular pencil's forte, since it's much fatter than your average drawing pencil. The chubby body also makes the Magnum very comfortable to use. The only drawback here is that the large size requires a larger sharpener (or the more risky knife-sharpening method) which luckily is not an issue for me, thanks to the wide variety of sharpeners I've obtained from previous ArtSnacks boxes over the years.

Goodies & Bonuses

As with every monthly ArtSnacks box, this one included some extras: the Menu, a list of all the tools and their descriptions (plus a wonderfully cheesy art riddle); an information pamphlet from GOLDEN about the High Flow line of paints; an ArtSnacks sticker (my pencil shavings jar is getting prettier by the month!); and a yummy Life Savers candy :3 I don't know if I've ever said, but I am always pleased to receive an actual snack with my ArtSnacks~ I'm glad they send one every time!

I made a colorful mess!

Overall, January was a solid box, a great start for a fresh new year. I think my favorite item was the Art & Graphic Twin RB+F marker. I just love art markers, so I'm always excited to try new ones. The RB+F didn't disappoint and the color I received was beautiful, so it's a welcome addition to my collection. I was surprised how much I liked the High Flow Acrylics, too. I'm not a fan of acrylic paint in general, but the fact that these can be used with dip pens means they're not just acrylic paints for me. I rarely paint with acrylic but I use dip pens all the time. I'll remember these next time I want some trippy fluorescent linework. Heck, even the Snap! brush and Magnum pencil from this box, though basic, are still welcome additions to my supply horde. Who can't use an extra brush or pencil?

This was a really fun experiment~

I'm looking forward to what ArtSnacks will bring me throughout this year. If you received this month's box, let me know what you got and what you thought of it! Also, feel free to send me any questions about this box or its contents, I'd be happy to clarify anything I didn't already cover. Finally, if you did an ArtSnacks Challenge with the January 2017 supplies, link it in the comments so I can check it out!

I mailed the finished postcard to my good friend, Sarah.