Drawing a Blank? Check Out These Art Supply Subscription Boxes

Inspiration might be tough to come by, but good art supplies aren’t! With these creative art supply subscription boxes, you can create all of the things without worrying about burning through all of your art supplies.

These art supply subscription boxes are great for professional art students, as well as those who love drawing fan art and similar things just for fun. The best art subscription boxes offer a handful of premium supplies, like pens and pencils, and even include fun extras, like exclusive artwork and weekly or monthly community art challenges.

Update, 10/24/21: Verified all picks are still good. Updated pricing for Paletteful Packs, Charcoal Expressions, and Let’s Make Art.

Tested and Curated: ArtSnacks

ArtSnacks (starts at $24/month) is a curated monthly art supply subscription box with two options full of supplies the ArtSnacks team has tested and used themselves. The ArtSnacks box, which is $24 per month, gets you four or five premium art supplies and a few extras like stickers and a snack. The best value, however, is the ArtSnacks Plus box, for $39/month, which gets you five or six premium supplies, a full-size surface that’s paired with that month’s supplies, early access to events and presales, and a code for free shipping in the ArtSnacks shop. Though it’s much pricier than the standard box, it offers more gear. The company also encourages you to use your monthly supplies to create original artwork and to post it online using #ArtSnacksChallenge.

Great for Beginners: SketchBox

With SketchBox (starts at $25/month), you’ll get custom exclusives each month along with artwork created by the company’s in-house artist. Beginning at $25 per month, the Basic Box nets you hand-picked supplies and a piece of art, which is a good start for art novices. The premium box starts at $35 per month and includes premium art supplies from brands like Copic, for example, as well as a piece of art. SketchBox lets you choose how long you want a subscription for, and it’s a great pick for beginners and those wanting custom colors and a first look at exclusive new products.

Amazing for Young Artists: Paletteful Packs

Though art supply picks are offered for artists of all ages and skill levels, Paletteful Packs (starts at $22.50/month) offers quality terrific high-quality supplies for artists as young as eight years old. Both the Petite Pack ($22.95/month) and Young Artist ($29.95/month) options come with at least four items per box, and the Premier Paletteful Pack ($33.95/month) comes with at least five. Supplies vary by month but typically include things like sketch pads, pens, acrylics, watercolors, and canvases.

Projects and Tutorials: Smart Art Box

If you love creating art but are sometimes at a loss for what you should make, Smart Art Box (starts at $49.95/month) is ready to be your muse. In each box, you’ll receive full-size quality art supplies along with a unique project complete with tutorials created by popular YouTube artists. The projects are beautiful and designed to be completed in six steps, so you won’t have to worry about getting lost in a project; in fact, you’ll have created your own art gallery in a matter of months. Smart Art Box doesn’t offer tiered box plans; everyone gets the same thing each month, and all you have to do upfront is choose your subscription plan from one-month, three-month, and six-month options.

Cool for Charcoal Drawings: Charcoal Expressions

The beautiful textured lines and shading that charcoal can produce is why so many are drawn to the material to begin with. Charcoal Expressions (starts at $36.20 per month) understands this, and this box provides a terrific opportunity for artists new to charcoal to begin using it. Each box contains two charcoal drawings and the supplies you’ll need to recreate them yourself. You can follow along with the video tutorials and printed directions each month, and the included paper and mattes are ready for you to frame and hang once you complete the project.

For the Watercolor Artist: Let’s Make Art Watercolor Box

Watercolor painting is a great way to create beautiful landscapes, and with Let’s Make Art Watercolor Box ($45), you’ll get all the supplies you need to start making your own. Whether you’re new to watercolor painting or well-versed in the medium, you’ll enjoy the included supplies as well as the projects (which come with weekly tutorials). Past projects include fun topics like sunflowers, vegetables, wheat fields, and otters; and the boxes include supplies like paint, paper, project outlines, and instructions. The only caveat of the box is that it doesn’t include brushes or tray palettes; you’ll need to procure those on your own.