When I agreed to make videos of the Smart Art Boxes, I had no idea how much I would end up looking forward to seeing what came each month. This month’s box had me extra excited. We got everything we needed to make a Sumi style painting! I’ve wanted to try this before, but every time I was in that section of the art store I had NO idea what to buy. Sure I could look it up online, but I always forgot by the time I got home and back into my studio.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Smart Art Box, it is a subscription box available for those within the US. Each month you are sent everything you need to complete a project in a different medium, complete with a lesson plan. The lesson plan is where I think the biggest value in this box comes in. As I mentioned, I had no idea how to use this medium, so without it I wouldn’t have known where to begin. After this single lesson and project, I feel confident to tackle my own designs…well sort of, it’s not a very forgiving medium lol.
One of the things that I love about these boxes is that you aren’t just sent samples, you get full sized products. Aside from the paper in this set, I have everything I need to create a LOT of new paintings with this medium. I just need to get Studio Assistant #1 to sit still long enough for me to paint her now! I’ve wanted to try painting silhouettes of sighthounds with ink for a while, now after this taste, I think I’m hooked!
This month’s box came with Two Chinese Calligraphy brushes, a giant bamboo sketch pen, Speedball sketching pen set, Speedball super black waterproof India Ink, 3 sheets of Nujabi handmade watercolor paper, and a Red Paste ink set.
I didn’t actually use the red ink set because I need to carve a pattern into the chop thing to make a signature for myself still, but there were instructions on how to do that so I will get to it eventually. I had a beautiful set for that given to me years ago and I had NO idea that’s what the block was for! I’m going to have to dig that up and decide what I want my signature to look like!
As you will see in the video, I’ve got a lot of practicing to do before I master this style, but it was honestly SO much fun!!! I’m really happy to have gotten the introduction. If you would like to get your own smart art boxes, Smart Art Box has given me an affiliate link for you guys to use Smart Art Box