Travel Watercolor Kit

 

Travel kits! What watercolor painter doesn’t search for the perfect travel solution? I have seen some great little watercolor paint boxes made from Altoids cans, but could never find the trim that was used to hold the paint pans in place. Several paint manufacturers sell clever little sets that hold either tubes or half pans. Some have cute little water reservoirs and tiny paintbrushes, but all are pretty pricey. Paper; how to find a watercolor pad that is large enough to record what you see that still fits into a reasonably sized bag or backpack? I hate tiny little watercolor books that I feel like I have to work in miniature, and forget a teeny tiny little brush that isn’t comfortable in my hand!

I’ve tried several solutions over the years, but don’t use them much because they are just not practical to use on the go. SO- I finally bought some Altoids, donated the candy to my son and have been carrying the can around in my purse. I have felt it, and opened it and closed it and wondered how to get the paint pans to stay in place, where to mix colors and what colors I would most want to have in it. The thinking about it was as fun as the putting it together!

I wanted a mixture of full and half pans and decided on 9 basic colors of paint to put into it. The colors I use most get the full sized pans and the mixers get the half pans. I used a dot of rubber cement under each pan to hold it in place. That way, I can pull them out and re-arrange and stick them back in again when I want to. Each paint pan is only half full of paint to help in mixing, plus the lid will work for larger mixtures.

With a good quality travel brush, I am well on my way to a useable travel kit!

 

From top, left: Quinacridone Rose, Burnt Sienna, Sepia, Phthalo Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, Cadmium Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber in the center.