First Look at the Sketch Pad from the Artownlar 72-Piece Art Set

 

This is a follow-up on the blog post about unboxing the Artownlar 72 piece art set (here: https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2023/06/unboxing-artownlar-72-piece-art-supply.html ). This is a first look at the sketchbook that was included with the Artownlar art supply set. At the time, this sketch pad was shrink-wrapped, and so the only thing that I could tell you before opening it was what I could see from the outside.

It was labeled as a 60-sheet book, 8½ x 11 inches, with a paper weight of 80 pounds. I was pretty excited about that because most sketch pad paper is only 65 lbs, but 80 lbs is the same weight as my favorite drawing paper, Strathmore's 400 series. I could also see from indications on the cover and from looking at the side of the pad that the paper came in three colors: 10 pages of tan paper, 10 pages of black paper, and 40 pages of white paper. I've never seen a basic sketchbook with a variety of colors before, so that was fun.

 

Now I have unwrapped the sketch pad and have had a chance to examine it more closely. I have discovered something interesting: Not only do the pages come in different colors, they also come in different textures, according to color. The white pages are textured very much like drawing paper, with a fairly light “tooth” on each side. Good for pencil or colored pencil, and perfectly okay for media like pen or marker, too.

The tan sheets, however, are different: Unlike the white pages that are textured on both sides, the tan pages are extremely smooth on one side and have a texture on the other. 

The smooth side probably would not be good for the charcoal pencils that are included in the set and perhaps not for the softer drawing pencils; maybe the harder ones. I think these might be best suited for a medium like pen and ink or marker; possibly a somewhat dryer and thicker paint like gouache. As for the textured side of the tan pages, they have a lot more texture than the white pages, and so this might be ideal for a medium that gets built up in layers, like charcoal or colored pencil. Since the the set is very colored-pencil-heavy, then that might be a good thing to try.

Last but not least, the black pages are actually smooth on both sides and might not be receptive to any dry media. Again, these would kind of be like the smooth side of the tan sheets, but since they are black, perhaps they would be best used with gel pens in white or neon colors. I could possibly try white colored pencil and see if that goes anywhere, but with no tooth to the paper, I don't think trying to layer colored pencils as usual would work. I do have a silver Sharpie that might make some fun marks, but I would really prefer trying to stick to the supplies that are included in the set just for consistency sake and also it might be kind of fun to limit myself – it might force me to be more creative in figuring out what I can do.

I'm pretty sure that the black pages cannot be used with the watercolor pencils, but who knows? We'll see. I feel like the only possible page for the watercolor pencils might be the tan paper, because I think watercolor would probably just wrinkle up the white pages. Even though all the pages are supposed to be 80 lbs, the tan paper seems more sturdy, like maybe it would be okay to use watercolor pencils. Maybe I'll just try to use not very much water. I'm trying not to destroy things, here!

Anyway, I did end up using some supplies from the set, including one of the sketchbook pages, to make a picture, so you can see that review here: https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2026/03/review-of-colored-pencils-and-drawing.html

For regular shenanigans, please follow my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/allsortsofart

Unboxing the Artownlar 72-Piece Art Supply Set

 

I was poking around at the new closeout store, where I had promised myself not to buy anything that I did not currently need or would not use on a regular basis. Rather than pawing through the bins like other people, I just kind of held back, strolling around slowly, waiting for something to catch my eye.

Well, the word “art” caught my eye. Sticking out of a jumble was a thick box labeled “Drawing Art Set – 72 pieces- Premium- Professional Art Supplies”. The brand name, “Artownlar” sounded like one of those nonsense names Chinese companies come up with based on a realllly loose knowledge of English, but hey, the first three letters had done exactly what they were supposed to do – get me to pick the box up and look it over. No-name brands are notorious for being crap, and cheap art supplies are also notorious for being crap, but it said 72 pieces, and it had some heft to it, so for the low, low price of $10, I was willing to take a gamble. After all, not all Chinese stuff is crap - the HIMI gouache paints have been superb!

The package was sealed, so I looked at the box for some hint of what was in it. I expected a photo or at least some details on the box, but all there was on the packaging besides the cover illustration was a blurb that described the contents as a " charcoal drawing set”. well, I highly doubted there were 72 pieces of charcoal in the box. Since there was a color illustration on the lid, I figured it was probably a set of pastels. 72 pastels for 10 bucks? Yes, please! I bought it.

When I got it back to the studio and opened it up, I got my first pleasant surprise: It came in a zippered set, along with a decently-sized pad of drawing paper. I haven't opened up the paper yet to check the quality (reviews to come!), but it does say 80 lb. That's extremely heartening, since sketchbook paper is typically about 65 lb. Heck, my favorite drawing paper, Strathmore 400 series, is 80 lb, so: cool. The pad has a standard amount of pages – 60 – mostly white, but some tan and some black.

I opened the zippered case, and it's a trifold, just chock full of stuff. Not pastels, but several different kinds of pencils. And when I took photos for this article, I realized that if I had looked more closely at the bar code, I would have had a heads-up about that:

In the left-hand section, a set of charcoal pencils, some black and some white, plus three tortillons (blending stumps), a sandpaper block, a pencil sharpener, a white plastic eraser, and a kneaded eraser. That section right there is worth at least 10 bucks, as is the drawing pad (okay, maybe $8 for the pad, without knowing the quality). 

But wait, there's more! There's a set of regular colored pencils and a set of metallics, a set of watercolor pencils, and a water brush (plastic fillable brush - you squeeze a bit to let water flow through the brush part), and your basic range of drawing pencils. what a haul! Each of these three sections is worth what I paid for the whole thing, not even counting the drawing pad.

There is even some info regarding social media - and apparently some tutorial videos on YouTube - ah, cross-branding!--included. I haven't watched any videos, yet, but please feel free: 

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be so yippee about it, because I haven't tested anything, yet. Maybe the water brush leaks and the watercolor pencils are terrible; maybe the colored pencils are chalky and the paper has no tooth; maybe the charcoal pencils are actually colored pencils (that actually happened to Super Rae Dizzle when she ordered “charcoal” pencils from TEMU). Maybe the sharpener isn't sharp and the kneaded eraser isn't kneadable. But I'll bet most of the stuff is just fine. The carrying case is pretty good quality, and I can put my own stuff in there, if worse comes to absolute worst. At any rate, the set is being sold for $25 on Amazon and up to $39.99 on other sites, so I got a great deal, pricewise. I'll do a little testing and get back to you to let you know if this is a box of awesome or not.

More fun with art supplies: 

https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2023/03/unboxing-himi-jelly-gouache-24-color-set.html

https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2014/12/little-angels-craft-project-cheap.html

https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2015/09/step-by-step-painting-fantastic-mr-foxs.html

https://allsortsartbyali.blogspot.com/2015/09/step-by-step-painting-fantastic-mr-foxs_5.html

For regular shenanigans, please follow my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/allsortsofart

Unboxing the HIMI Jelly Gouache 24-Color Set

 

Full disclosure: I haven't used gouache since art school, although I do have fond memories of it. But gouache painting has recently come back into vogue, thanks in large part to “art YouTube”, and I was reminded of how much fun it was. I have been seeing a lot of art vloggers rave about the so-called “jelly gouache” produced in China by the Miya company under the HIMI brand name. I decided to order my own set to see what all the fuss is about.

The 24-color HIMI set is very popular and very easy to find from Amazon, Wal-Mart, and other retailers for about $30. It's an extremely good buy, considering that you get a generous amount of each color, packaged with a mixing palette and a set of three gouache brushes all in a securely-fastening carrying case. The case is available in several different colors. I chose the bright orange so that it would be very easy to locate when stored among my supplies. The tangerine-colored heavy plastic case also coordinates well with one of the tumblers I use to hold supplies, as seen here. What's not to like?

The case has flip-up tabs in the front and back that hold the lid securely on. Once it's removed, it can be placed beneath the tray to keep everything together. The mixing palette sits atop the tray, and within the tray sit the 24 “jelly cups” of gouache, along with a set of brushes in a plastic bag with a ridiculously cute little suit-wearing bird design.

When the gouache is unopened, it presents a pretty bland display, as the peel-off tops are opaque white. The color names and numbers are printed on the tops, but many of the color names might not be easy to visualize. Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, and Black are no problem, but Ponceau (similar to Cadmium Red) and Acid Blue (similar to Cerulean or Pthalo Blue) aren't such familiar names. My theory is that they are substitutes for colors with more expensive pigments (Cadmiun Yellow is also not present), but there is a Cobalt Blue, so I'm not sure what to tell you (other than do not eat it). [Editing note - I see from the listing that this gouache is actually non-toxic, so less worry about eating it, but that also tells me the Cobalt Blue is probably not made with actual cobalt, which is lightly radioactive.]

Fortunately, the plastic cup itself is clear, so to see the colors, simply turn them over. Ponceau and Jade Green are the colors pictured here.

As a matter of fact, I would highly recommend flipping all of the colors over straightaway so that you can arrange them in the tray as you want. If you just start peeling the tops off the colors all willy-nilly, you may realize that you don't like the way the colors are arranged and will then have to try to pry the now-open cups out of the tray (they fit rather snugly) without getting paint all over yourself and the other paint.

I've arranged my colors, but I won't be opening them willy-nilly. I plan to be methodical about the whole operation, making sure to record the color names and numbers (for re-ordering purposes, in case I run out) and creating a big ol' swatch chart to show what the colors look like both on a white background and on a black background (fun fact – gouache does not dry the same color as it looks wet – it may dry lighter OR darker) and mixed with one another, so stay tuned for further posts about that fun project, which will also include individual color reviews.

Image credit: my photographs. May not use without permission.