The Artsnacks August 2018 box was a hit. Curated surprise boxes of art supplies in the mail is all I thought it would be and more.
Details of the Artsnacks August 2018 Box
This is an ink and watercolor sketchbook drawing using only the materials in the August ArtSnacks box. The challenge to make a drawing each month is a boost to my creativity. This box included 4 watercolor pans (2 yellow and 2 blue), one brush, one pencil and one brushpen. This one has dual tips; and extra fine point on one end, and a fat and responsive brush tip on the other end.
Now that I am receiving curated boxes from ArtSnacks once a month, I see that brush pens are all the rage now. I am not used to having a flexible tip. It’s sexy but it will take some getting used to.
Can You Ever Have Too Many Art Supplies?
Years ago when I lived in New Orleans, there was an art supply store two blocks from my office. Even though I would restrict myself to going only on payday, I wound up with way more supplies than the law should allow. A big chunk of my budget was being spent on supplies that I was not using. So I banned myself from the art supply store and tried to encourage myself to use up what I already have.
It was a successful budgeting decision and it got me temporarily out of the habit of art supply shopping. Which was good for awhile. It also got me out of the habit of keeping up with what is new and trending. Which is bad. The last new product I fell in love with was water soluble crayons and colored pencils.
Novelty is a key to getting to the flow state. Having a new pen is a novelty that usually leads to lovely drawings. However this can be an expensive way to stack up excess supplies. If you get new art supplies every pay day, or subscribe for a monthly art box, you will end up with way too many supplies. It is cheaper to get that same novelty by mixing 2 supplies you have never used together before. This way you don’t have to spend any money.
After a full year of artsnacks boxes, I have a tote bin full of supplies. Even though the surprise element of getting supplies in the mail is delightful, I need a plan for surplus. Maybe I can cultivate a following of people who would like to get a used box that I have already opened and given all the supplies a test run. I would even include the candy that comes inside. Not the sticker though, I would keep the sticker. Let me know in the comments if this scenario interests you.
Inspiration in the Mail Makes Me Happy
Getting a new box of random art supplies in the mail is delightful. It gives me something to look forward to and a challenge of using supplies I have never used before or a combination of colors that I would not ordinarily use. I was IN LOVE with the muted blue color that I got from putting just a tad of the yellow into the blue. However though, my affection was completely gone after I decided to outline the first drawing on top.
At first I didn’t feel much for posting it. After awhile, it grew on me.
The Answer is That the Mistakes Should Show
People need to see that the larger percentage of drawings are misses. So many of us are trying to present flawless content. At the same time, the whole concept of flawless is a fantasy. Everyone and every thing is flawed. Even though I don’t feel any competition to be like anyone else, I still wanted to post only the best work. I struggled to have enough drawings to post, because the new work paled in comparison to the old work.
My mind has changed. Now I feel that the obviously weaker drawings belong on social media. The strongest drawings will be published on the blog and everything else can go on other platforms. If I count thumbnails and weak drawings from my sketchbook, there is not shortage of artwork to post.
The Artsnacks August 2018 box was one of my favorite boxes. It represents a combination of art supplies that I already prefer; ink and watercolor wash.
To get alerts when new art is published, sign up for the newsletter.
Leave a Reply