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Disclosure: This complimentary box was sent for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.
Smart Art Box
Cost: $49.95/month.
Ships To: United States.
Coupon Code: N/A
Smart Art provides artists with diverse, high-quality materials that inspire and nourish creativity. Each month subscribers receive a new box featuring a different artist that highlights their time-period, 8-11 trial/full sized art supplies, a suggested project, and a detailed pamphlet introducing a new art medium.
Smart Art ships via USPS and ships on or around the 1st of the month. If you sign up on or before the 28th of the month, you will get the box that will be released on the 1st of the following month. All orders processed after the 28th will ship the month after the following month. For example, a purchase made on or before June 28th will be shipped July 1st. A purchase made on June 29th will be shipped August 1st.
I had no idea what this project could be!
The June 2016 Smart Art focused on Indian Block Painting. The information booklet includes history on the technique and gives some details on the materials used in the technique. Also included are some tips on how to complete the project, a list of included tools and set-by-step directions.
Materials
The box included:
~Soho Print Making Blocks 6″x4″ (2 Pack)
~Wood and Linoleum Carving Tool (12 Piece Set)
~Speedball Water-Soluble Block Printing Ink
~Heritage Arts Rubber Brayer 4.”
~Strathmore Watercolor Post Cards 6″x4.”
Instructions & Project
This project seemed like it was going to be fairly simple, but as you will soon see, it wasn’t (at least not for me).
I sketched (don’t laugh) an elephant with some rough details that I planned to use for my block painting. It said to use a pencil, but I used a colored pencil, and it was fine.
The next step was to transfer your sketch to the block. Again, this was fairly simple you just had to flip it over, place it on the block and then use the rubber brayer to transfer.
Ahh, this step was my problem. I had a lot of trouble carving my picture. I just couldn’t get the right consistency. I think it was user error, though. I probably should have (and still should) watch a YouTube video to get the technique down.
I’m going to put this aside for a bit and pick it up again in a few weeks and see if I can’t get it right. The kit included two blocks so I still do have everything I need to give it another go. I’m going to use my first block to get some practice carving in!
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