October is over and cooler weather is in full effect. The leaves in our trees are fully changing color and summertime is becoming a distant past. This year feels like it went by faster than last because we were more accustomed to socially distancing from everyone. But 2019 still feels like decades ago. But a new box of Artsnacks is here to warm me up. Let’s open it up and see what came.
The November Artsnacks box came with a smaller selection of tools, but each felt very high quality.
What’s in the Artsnacks box?
First item in the box is a rather thick water brush. I have several water brushes already, so I was hoping this one was better. You fill up the barrel of the brush with water and squeeze it out to use with watercolor or other spreadable mediums. But this one from Derwent with its dedicated push button function and contoured barrel feels much more complete and durable than those other brushes. A $11.49 retail price point might be a little high though. I couldn’t understand if the cap was supposed to be placed on the end of the barrel or not when the brush is in use. It definitely didn’t stay on properly.
Next in the box was a pair of Faber-Castell Gelatos. I love the quality and vibrance of Gelatos, and this box came with an iridescent purple and a vibrant lime green. These pastel crayons (or whatever they are) function like a lip stick product. You twist the base of the plastic container to advance the pigment up. Using the Gelatos is a nice and creamy experience. They blend well with other colors and with water.
To pair with the purple and green is a bottle of concentrated liquid water color. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant in a 53D Iris Blue is a deep purple-blue right out of the bottle and can be watered down using the water brush. The bottle itself is made of glass and comes with a rubber dropper integrated into the cap. I love when liquid supplies come with a useful cap instead of just having to pour out the ink or having to dip my brush or pen. This concentrated water color proved to dry pretty fast, so I needed to work fast to avoid any weird brush strokes in my work.
What to draw for the #artsnackschallenge?
For my #artsnackschallenge using all of the supplies in the box, I drew my fox character going fishing. Instagram posts let me know watercolor of some sort was coming and the iris blue worked perfect for the water. Blending the purple and green Gelatos for the rest of the scene worked out pretty good. I also tried to use the Iris Blue water color for line work, but the brush tip on the water brush was too flexible for thin lines. A fine liner or short brush would have been perfect for the finishing touches.
In all, I’m happy with the end result and will come back to use these products more in the future.
Have a great day.
Use Code (GELATO) for 25% off anything from the HelloFriendlyFox store until the end of November.
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November Artsnacks Box Items:
Derwent Push Button Water Brush https://www.dickblick.com/products/derwent-push-button-waterbrushes/
Faber-Castell Gelato Pastels https://www.dickblick.com/products/faber-castell-gelatos-sets/
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Watercolor https://www.dickblick.com/products/dr-ph-martins-radiant-concentrated-individual-watercolors/
The Sketchbook I use for Artsnacks Challenges:
RENDR Hardbound Sketchbook, 5.5″ x 8.5″ https://www.dickblick.com/products/crescent-rendr-no-show-thru-sketchbooks/