As a hobbyist artist and designer always on the hunt for affordable supplies, I was eager to test out Arteza‘s huge range of products catering to painters, drawers, crafters and more. With over 1500 art materials all priced well below competing brands, how would Arteza‘s quality hold up?
Get comfy as I share my honest impressions after putting dozens of Arteza goodies to the test across mediums like acrylics, markers, colored pencils and gouache. I‘ll compare Arteza against art supply giants, showcase shining stars from their lineup, and reveal who can benefit most from their budget-friendly catalog.
My Experience as an Arteza Guinea Pig
Before digging in, let me introduce myself and my history as an artist. I‘ve been painting and crafting on and off for over 15 years. Though I occasionally sell my work at local fairs, art is mainly a passion project outside my 9 to 5.
I like to explore a variety of mediums from pen and ink to watercolor, acrylics, resin art and more. My style tends to blend abstract, graphic and floral motifs.
As primarily a hobby painter, I don‘t need the highest quality art materials that professional fine artists rely on. But I do value good lightfastness andpigment intensity at a reasonable price.
Enter Arteza…a brand that promises professional quality art supplies costing mere pennies compared to leading manufacturers. I‘ll cut right to the chase on whether Arteza delivers on that guarantee across their enormous range of products.
Arteza by the Numbers: Market Share, Reach and Product Lineup
First, let‘s get an aerial view of Arteza‘s standing in the art supply world. Founded in 2015, they‘ve quickly become a household name for affordable materials despite their newcomer status.
- 64+ million social media video views fueling viral growth
- 1500+ available products spanning painting, drawing, crafting & more
- 20+ color palettes across acrylics, watercolors, oil paints and gouache
- 1 million+ happy customers as of 2022
Beyond eye-popping sales metrics, Arteza impresses with their commitment to quality assurance and safety:
- 80%+ of all products AP Certified non-toxic
- Ongoing 3rd party lab testing ensures conformity to ASTM safety standards
- 350+ positive TrustPilot reviews averaging 4 out 5 stars
For parents and teachers, that provides peace of mind when shopping for budding creatives. Now let‘s analyze the actual product lineup and performance…
Reviewing Arteza‘s Most Popular Art Supplies
With so many offerings to choose from, I focused my testing on Arteza‘s top sellers:
Markers: EverBlend Alcohol Markers, Real Brush Pens
Paints: Acrylics, Gouache
Drawing: Colored Pencils, Watercolor Pencils
After putting each set through its paces, here were my big takeaways:
Smooth Blending and Bold Colors with Arteza Markers
Arteza‘s markers were the undisputed MVPs. Both the EverBlend alcohol-based and Real Brush watercolor markers impressed me with their vivid pigments and seamless blending.
The EverBlend‘s flexible tapered nibs maintain crisp shape after countless uses, depositing consistent vibrant color. They rival my pricier Ohuhu markers in terms of blendability and flow. And they absolutely demolish Crayola‘s Washable Markers with richer, bolder hues.
Meanwhile, Arteza‘s watercolor markers make on-the-go painting a breeze thanks to their dual-tip design. The fine bullet nib allows intricate details and calligraphy that I can‘t achieve with standard brush pens. Then flip to the flexible brush end for loose, expressive watercolor washes.
At just $60 for a 96 pack, the Real Brush pens reveal Arteza‘s magic formula…concentrated pro-level quality without the premium price tag.
Vibrant Matte Color from Arteza Acrylics
Moving onto paints, how did Arteza‘s acrylics stack up to heavyweights like Liquitex and Winsor & Newton? As expected at a fraction of the price, Arteza paints fall slightly short of top tier standards in a few areas:
- Pigment intensity seems diluted or weaker in some earthy hues like burnt sienna or sepia
- Viscosity leans thin and dries quick rather than thick/buttery for blending
- Suspect lightfastness ratings not supported by real world testing
However, for intermediate hobby painters like myself, Arteza acrylics deliver 90% of the performance at 50% of the price. Their affordable sets provide all the vibrant matte color I could want for decorative projects.
The 60-count set satisfies with a rainbow of cool and warm tones at a steal for only $36. Beginners should have no issue building color mixing skills without breaking the bank.
And while not meeting professional archival standards, Arteza acrylics easily suffice for playroom murals, DIY home decor or casual abstract works unlikely bound for galleries. I happily recommend them to all creatives on a budget.
Dependable Results from Drawing Supplies
Rounding out my trial run, Arteza‘s economy drawing range reliably impresses as suitable student-grade options costing nearly zilch:
- Colored Pencils: Buttery vivid color laydown despite smaller cores prone to quick dulling
- Watercolor Pencils: Convenient solid watercolors with vibrant washes ideal for travel sketching
The non-toxic formulas give parents and teachers piece of mind. While frequent sharpening is annoying, at just $.25 per color, replacing them is no biggie! For basic coloring or hobby sketching, Arteza drawing tools deliver.
How Arteza Compares to Leading Art Brands
Throughout testing Arteza‘s products first-hand, I repeatedly asked myself…how do they compare with popular art brands charging twice as much?
Here‘s how Arteza stacks up against mainstays like Crayola, Faber-Castell and Prismacolor in key categories:
| Category | Arteza | Crayola | Faber-Castell | Prismacolor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 🏆 | 🥈 | 🥉 | 😫 |
| Safety | 🏆 | 🏆 | 🥈 | 😫 |
| Lightfastness | 😫 | 😫 | 🥉 | 🏆 |
| Beginner Quality | 🏆 | 🥉 | 🥈 | 😫 |
| Intermediate Quality | 🥈 | 😫 | 🥉 | 🏆 |
| Professional Quality | 😫 | 😫 | 🥉 | 🏆 |
Key: 🏆 Best 🥈 Good 🥉 OKAY 😫 Worst
As shown, Arteza dominates on affordability and safety while still delivering respectable hobbyist/student-grade quality across most medium. But pros painting for galleries should look elsewhere.
Next, get the scoop from working artists on how Arteza performs for actual artistic creation vs. casual play.
Artist Impressions: Can Arteza Supplies Create Professional Work?
As an enthusiastic dabbler myself, I wanted an expert verdict on Arteza‘s potential for pro-level fine art creation.
I connected with two working artists known for vivid abstract acrylics to test drive Arteza‘s paint and marker sets:
Cara, a muralist and live painting performer, along with Jamil, who shows his geometric landscapes in regional galleries.
Here‘s what the two had to say after putting Arteza through its paces:
Cara‘s Take: Vibrant Colors but Expect Fading
"I was pleasantly surprised by the high intensity neon paints in the Air Dry Fluorescents set. The colors popped nicely for the festival banner I was commissioned to paint. However, the vibrancy faded quicker than expected over time compared to professional grades I normally use. The acrylic inks also lacked the permanent lightfast ratings I require for outdoor murals and signage."
Verdict: Vibrant beginner quality but won‘t meet permanency needs of pros
Jamil‘s Impressions: Better for Practice than Portfolios
"As an abstract mixed media artist, I enjoyed playing with Arteza‘s alcohol markers and Metallic Gouache paint pens on small test canvases. The markers blended smoothly and gouache offered nice opaque coverage. However, when using the basic acrylic paints for finished collection pieces, I found the colors got muddy quickly compared to heavy-body professional oils. The cheaper formulas may help beginners practice color mixing on a budget, but pros need archival quality."
Verdict: Solid for practice experiments but upgrade materials for gallery showings
Who Are Arteza Products Best Suited For?
Between my first-hand testing and artist feedback, a clear verdict emerged on the ideal target user for Arteza supplies:
Best For:
- Beginners building skills with quality starter sets
- Casual Hobbyists not selling work
- Mixed Media artists on a budget
- Art Students needing affordable classroom supplies
Not Ideal For:
- Professional Artists selling work in galleries
- Fine artists needing conservation-grade archival materials
In summary, Arteza art materials deliver outstanding value catering more towards the journey vs. the destination. Budding creatives get bright vibrant colors and smooth performance for skill-building.
Just don‘t expect extremely lightfast paints meeting museum standards. But for most enthusiasts like myself, Arteza satisfies the artistic soul without draining the bank account.
Getting Your Hands on Arteza Products
If my glowing review has you ready to haul home a haul a horde of Arteza goodies, here‘s a breakdown of the top places to shop:
- Arteza.com – Largest selection with direct low pricing
- Amazon – Access Prime shipping but smaller range
- JOANN, Target, Walmart – Convenient in-store retail option
Inside tip: Buy directly from Arteza when possible to save up to 60% compared competitors. And take advantage of:
- Site-wide sales up to 25% off
- Special holiday deals on gift sets
- Subscribe & Save 10% automatic discounts
For superfans obsessed with all things Arteza, set your calendar for November. That‘s when their limited edition advent calendars launch jam-packed with 24 arty surprises. These highly coveted calendars sell out fast so make it snappy!
Final Verdict: Beginners Will Love Arteza Supplies
If you‘re an aspiring artist ready to ignite your creative fire without flaming your wallet, Arteza delivers as a top budget-friendly art brand.
Across pencils, paints and pens, their products offer respectable quality that punches well above their ultra affordable price tags. As long as you manage expectations around archival lightfastness, Arteza art materials bring stellar value to all levels of hobby painters.
From inspired amateurs like myself to emerging young talents, Arteza equips budding artists to envision, explore and enjoy artistry worry-free. Thanks to their commitment to premium quality and safety at newcomer prices, creating remains accessible and achievable for all.
