I am an artist who enjoys artwork, art supplies, and well…all things art. (I'll have some of these videos up soon. Promise!) I enjoy working with Watercolors, Oil and Acrylic paints, soft and oil pastels. I do a few things in Charcoal and Colored Pencils as well. I do a lot of Urban Sketching and Plein Air painting and will be posting many of these. I'm working on a few still life painting too, so I'll make some videos talking about that experience in time.
Please check in for original content and let me know if there are painting styles or mediums that I can try out on video or even just art supplies that I can review to help you with your understanding of them.
That is a great question that I still go back and forth on. I still use both for different outings. My Meeden is a solid box that will hold just about everything, brushes, many paint tubes, mediums and accessories, and even wood/canvas panels. The palette is built-in and slides out. It really is an all-in-one paint box. The bad thing is that it's pretty deep, bulky, and heavy. The box does come with a handle and a shoulder strap. The Sierra is not so deep, but still pretty solid with the wood. It will not hold your paint tubes or much else, just the palette glass. As shown in this video, you'll see that I have a separate wood supply box (also made by Sienna) that hold all of my gear. This pochade box is all wood, but pretty light compared to the Meeden box. As with the accessories/gear, I have another box to carry the wood/canvas panels. I would carry this set up if I was using my larger backpack to put everything in. A smaller back pack if using the Meeden, for paper towels, bags, clips, etc. I hope this helps with your decision. I could not choose, so I got both, but I do use them for different outings.
I saw the pocket one but it in white box color. Is there a difference from the blue one u review? And what would recommend between 48color and the travel one. I mostly draw indoor but hav an idea about doing urban drawing while travel Btw love your review it very helpful for me to decide what to buy🫶🏻
Hi. Great questions. The white box that is out is the exact same as the blue box. I’ve seen that some of the boxes are being made with all white plastic. I think this is not a change in the set or quality, just changing the colors which might appeal more with artists. As for your question about using a watercolor box of 48 colors or a travel box (usually 12 colors), really depends on your preference. When I go out for urban sketching, I may go with a modified box of 18-24 colors, but that’s because I want to be more compact and mobile. If you wanted to go to a park that had a picnic table in the area and you wanted to paint there, then a 48 color box would work there. I suppose it can also boil down to if you like to mix a lot of colors, a smaller number of colors would work. If you like to paint straight from the pans, a 48 color box would give you all the colors you needed and then some. I hope this helps.
Heh, you know I did have that same thought…about a month after posting this video. I happened to be watching the video in order to see what I could have done better next time. I thought, “why didn’t I just use a measuring cup for this?” Well, lesson learned and I’ll do better next time. 😆
Have you ever had trouble with the fountain pens leaking during airplane travel? I know they say, travel with it full, which I can do going out but on the way back it won’t be full and I hate to throw away the ink.
Yes. That is a great question. I didn’t have trouble this time. A few months later, after this video, on a flight back home from California, I found that two of my fountain pens had leaked out. Fortunately the ink leaked into their caps, but I definitely have some washing to do. Yes, I would not recommend taking fountain pens on flights. I won’t be doing that again.
They do sell an expansion set for the micro painter to allow you to replace the current pans with special pans to allow you to expand the number of colors from 6 up to 16, if you like.
That’s correct. I purchased those after I published the video, but I have yet to use them. I want to finish these current pans before trying those new ones. 😃
I’ve got the field pocket set. I store the sponge in the water cup when it’s put together. That way I could add 2 more colors on the left and right sides. I’m using up the cotman paints and adding in the professional paints when required. It’s a great little box for getting started doing paintings when you’re on the go. I like having a small water bottle and travel brushes to carry with it. As long as you’re not going to be doing big washes, the little mixing areas work fine. You can paint the area under the water bottle with white enamel paint if you need a big area to mix a wash.
The aluminium clasp is a terrible design. Catches on things, slides off on its own, potential to get lost, adds thickness ect. Constantly checking on it becomes a pain. I'd have had those cups clip directly together instead.
Thanks for sharing your experience...I have older wn cotman travel palette with 14 colors and a rounded lid for mixind with 5 wells..but doesn't lie flat so color mixes run to center to brush holder...I have lost original details of colors included and wondered if anyone else has that older set and knows?! I don't remember year I bought ...could have been 8 years ago. ??? Thanks 😊 from Ontario Canada 🇨🇦.
I very happy I could help. Yes, that blue section was just not useful to me, but I sure liked that blue pop of color on the box. I’m glad I could make it useful for that.
The case is not exactly the same. First it has more plain texture, then the brand name is place in a different spot and doesn't have golden layer. It also feels less tight to close and open (for me not in a good sence), feels like it could open on it's own while in a bag or a pocket. Not sure if the plastic quality is the same too. The paint colors are the same, I think. Overall I like older box more.
Yeah, they do switch out box, plastics, thickness, colors from time to time. I suppose a good thing is that you can have different boxes of the same model. Makes it feel like they’re all different.
I got the thicker palette and I was annoyed that it didn’t lye flat. I will make that modification by cutting the back. Also I didn’t realize the mixing trays can be snapped on! So thank you for cool tips
Thank you so much for sharing your setup. I'll be taking quite a few ideas from it. 👍 Question: would it be possible to fit a 4th row of half pans in there? The set you have is the 12 colors one, right?
Hi there. Yes, it’s the Sakura Koi 12 color travel box. I took the plastic inset out and covered the bottom with packing tape-covered cardstock to make a flat base. Then put in my half pans using ZOTS adhesive dots to hold them down. I tried it and there IS room (where my brushes are now) for a fourth row to add another 7 half pans of colors. I hope you have a chance to try it out. It really is my favorite travel watercolor box.
@ArroLyfeArt That's quite ingenious! Thank you so much for sharing the DIY tips on how to modify this box to accommodate the half pans, I much appreciate it! I'm seriously amazed at the incredible expansion capability of this little box, truly. 28 half pans? In such compact size? That's insane. I'm just a bit sad they removed the finger ring on the back of the box. 😢 It can be so handy at times. As well as providing an extra layer of security to prevent the box from slipping off your hand. Still, I need to get my hands on one of these. Solid box overall. And it won't rust like the metal ones, haha!
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Thank you very much! This is so helpful. My take home message is - small journal or two, 2 or 3 pens, 2 water brushes and maybe 2 other brushes, small tin of good mixing colours and away we go! Maybe a pencil. Maybe.
Thank you for this very helpful review. It’s good to see the paint being applied to paper (vs the still pictures you get on the store reviews). It’s nice that this set comes in a metal palette, and I can get it from a local Michaels.
Hi. So I went and looked. The long tins (24 half pan) have the racks wedged and almost clamped on the tray. I tried to take them off one before and had to use pliers. I ended up bending and damaging the tray and threw the tray and racks (still attached) out. The small tin (12 half pan), the racks are attached to the tray by a grove that they are simply popped in. The racks can easily be popped off the tray. I hope this helps.
@@ArroLyfeArt Thank you! I think maybe they changed the tins at some point? Because product photos suggest that that the long Rosa Gallery tins that have three rows/racks on the tray also can be popped off. I haven't found anyone showing it off online yet thought and I wanted to make sure I understand correctly szal-art.pl/images/product_images/popup_images/13808_2.jpg I love this solution so much! I largest area possible to attach pans with magnets, but I also don't want to destroy the racks
i don't really like the palette box because of the blue rubber thingy, it doesn't lay flat on the surface, so you needed to remove it to lay flat on the surface.
Very true that blue rubber thing did get in the way, but I managed to take care of that. Now it’s just there to look nice and doesn’t bother me anymore. 😎
Post-vac video is an amazing idea ❤ so useful. I'm traveling mostly on car so sometimes my "art kit" gets out of control becouse I want everything, even sometimes acrylic paints and canvas 😅 so it's always good to cut some of supplies you not using right now.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it. I’m glad that the video helped. I am going on an Alaskan cruise in a few months and plan to pack acrylics and watercolors, so stay tuned for that one.
I'd go for a block of A5 paper or sketchbooklets and an A5 tin and try to fit magnetised paint pans , brushes , pen, pencil and sponge/ napkins inside . I'd hold them together with elastic and make a simple crossbody linen bag to pop them in. If my favourite brushes were slightly too long or I wanted more pens pencils or brushes I'd put them in a bamboo roll and pop that in beside them. The bag would be horizontal so your brushes could dry horizontally in the bamboo roll. You'd have a fine big mixing tray this way and you wouldn't need pockets or special travel brushes.
Hi. It would depend on the shade and type of pink color you wanted. I’d go with a shade of red and a shade or white and start with mixing very little and building your way up to the shade that you want.
Thank you for this really great look at these two sets. I was trying to figure out which one I should get for field use for urban sketching, and I decided on the second one. I liked the finger grip thing as well as the additional 5 wells. Will mostly be using it on location in urban settings, and the extra pallet mixing space was appealing. Thank you!
Thank you very much for your comment. I am very happy to have helped with your decision. I remember when I was looking for videos comparing these two, I didn’t find many. That’s when I decided to put one out there just for these sets. Enjoy your urban sketching!
I like all of them. I do think little is better for a pocket pack though. I have one small Windsor and Newton box I think I bought it almost 30 years ago. One of my kits was just bottle caps in a cute old box. Used that forever it seems. It's fun to look at other people's stuff and how they organize it all. Thanks
I just drop the clip into one of the water containers when I'm using the palette. It's aluminum, water won't damage it, it sinks to the bottom and I know exactly where it is. The thing I love most about this palette is Steve didn't try to incorporate a water bottle like the Frazer Price, Schminke, and Windsor Newton travel palettes but focused on the water wash containers. I already carry a bottle of water nearly everywhere I go, especially if I am painting outside so don't need to carry water inside my palette. 20-30 years ago that wasn't the case when the only bottled water you could buy (outside of gallon jugs) was probably Evian or Perrier. I still have to carry my watercolor paper or sketchbook, so I am going to have a bag or backpack which can also carry a bottle of water.
That’s a pretty good point about the clip as I wonder if the rubber band would age and loosen in time. As for a bag option, I sometimes use a sling-type bag. It’s just a small backpack but with one strap and it on one shoulder and across (diagonally) the chest and back. It works pretty well.
Thank you for doing this! I love the point that the other one you showed had 3 mixing wells and enough space for 6 primary colors vs the others that had 4. I think it's these little details that make all the difference when selecting products! :)
If you loosen and push all three black nobs that hold the lid with your canvas on so the arm is sticking all the way out the back, you’ll find when you tighten them up to hold your canvas at an angle, it will be secure.
Thanks so much for this great video! I couldn’t get my palette to sit flat but tried your tip to use the mini binder clip. Thanks so much! Can you share the adhesive dots you used to stick your half pans to your customized base? Thank you!
Hi. Thank for your comment. I eventually got my exacto knife and sliced it down the seem. I don’t use the finger-holder attachment, but like the blue contrast. Now it stays on and opens flat. The dots are called ZOTS. They’re made by the company Therm-o-web. I got the medium size, 3/8 inch. If you’re near a Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or Walmart, you can get them there. Amazon should have them as well. I hope this helps.
I love how Lamy is so loved by artists all around the world and in Germany pretty much every student learns to write cursive starting in first class with one of these fountain pens😂😂 I had a silver one with my name engraved but my sister broke it and now it leaks and I can't use it anymore😢
Age brings resolution to many problems. I’m no spring chicken and these days my travel set consists of a little sketch pad like the black one you have, a small tin of 6 half pans, a matching small tin of cut down pencil, rubber, sharpener and paintbrushes and a small bottle of water. The sketch pad, two small tins and bottle of water fit on the flat of my hand.
Mine varies. When I go out a lot in a shorter span of time, I start to slim down. When I haven’t gone out in a long time, I seem to revert back to taking everything I can think of, and then start over with thinking out them more I go out. Lol
It looks like W&N have listened to feedback. I have an older W&N field set with 14 colors. Nice, sturdy plastic, but the mixing wells are too shallow. If you try to mix enough paint for, say a sky on a 4 by 6 paper, it would inevitably flow into adjacent wells. It looks like the wells in your sets are deeper and better separated.
And all but the spiral bound will fit in the blue/white case even the packed slim black pencil case. And you have a 6 & 8 travel boxes in your koi palette box. So I would lose the 6 & Princeton and one of the 2 #4’s you have.
I think you could shave further. You don’t need two sets of 6 & 8 water color, 2 mechanical pencils or 3 med. sized nib ink pens. You could fit that smaller black case with your water brushes & misc pens/pencils inside the blue/white one.
I am only just getting back into doing art regularly and made an “everyday” essentials kit: a5 sketchbook, folio palette with 18 colors & extra mixing pans, 4 travel brushes, mechanical pencil (need to toss in an eraser), and a collapsable silicone water cup (I regularly break the “use two cups rule lol). I am going on a reading retreat next month and am considering if I want to add some pens or color pencils to the mix or stick with my basics. Decisions decisions lol.
That reading retreat sounds really exciting! I’m sure some extra pens or pencils wouldn’t hurt. 😆 Wow, listen to me, the enabler! lol. That’s a good idea, to have an established “everyday” bag. Let me know how that reading retreat and your art set packing goes.
I'm an over-packer as well so I very much appreciate the post-vacation follow-up. I sometimes wonder if I bring everything and the kitchen sink because I just want to feel like I'm home...
I appreciate your comment. I used to travel a lot for work, but the first thing I’d start packing were my art supplies then everything else. The best feeling is when you have a sudden and crazy idea to draw or paint and actually HAVE what you need to make it happen. 😎
