Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint Set, Field Pocket Set, 12 Half Pan w/ Brush, Sponge, Bottle

I’ve been using this pan of watercolors for years and I love it overall. Only thing I would wish different is that it had more colors. I have to supplement from another pan sometimes if I want a really dark black, certain shade of purple, or certain shade of red, because those are not included and some shades can’t really be mixed with what is available. However, it is very easy to travel with, and I like that it comes with a little brush. Overall great set, especially for carrying around.

I've been slowly trying to add different brands of paint. I've only been painting for a few years and am very much still a novice. I've only tried about 7 or so brands so take this review as you may. I love this paint! It's smooth, vibrant and easy to work with. I haven't had any problems blending colors and a set like this helps me see which colors I favor. The included case was also a win for me.

I am impressed with these paints. I'm an amateur, but have used several other manufactures paints. These are rich, full colored, intense. I found it hard from other reviews to understand just how small this little kit is, so I've included some pictures for scale. (I liked these paints so much I just ordered a full pan set (for bigger brushes), and will save this kit for when I travel. Just add water!)The first shows the kit with a ruler for scale. Note the two unwrapped paints. One shows the pan itself, with the black paint as that little back square next to the brush. The brush is tiny...much thiner than a standard pencil so a bit hard for big hands to use.The second shows the kit will all colors unwrapped. The large brush in the picture is a full 1.5 inches (3.5cm). Obviously, you aren't going to paint directly from the palette to the paper with a big brush! The second picture also shows my attempt to create a color grid going straight from the palette to the paper. These colors are so solid that, even thought the lines were wet, there was very little blending.The two paintings were done entirely with the kit with one exception. I used Winsor and Newton masking fluid in addition to the kit. The paintings are on the sample paper (4" by 6") so about postcard size. They are based on pictures found in Terry Harrison's books...and use ise painting tecniques and color blends. (So, no gray, black or white used.)Notes on the tools: The colors are brilliant, and require a lot of water. As noted by other reviewers, keep the eraser in the sleeve and just expose a little to erase. The sample paper is thin and curls as soon as water hits it. Hint: run a damp sponge over the back of the paper before starting, then put it under a heavy object like a book for a couple of hours.As an aside, I highly recommend the books by Terry Harrison. I was a bit discouraged when I started with water colors, but his methods are not too hard to learn, and his pictures are fun to paint. I also recommend "The Complete Watercolorist'ss Essential Notebook" by Gordon MacKenzie. His methods are more difficult to grasp, but worth the effort.

I have several sets of watercolor pans. These are by far my favorite. Colors are wonderful. Yes, the set is hard to open. One reviewer gave a good description on how to open it. I put a piece of scotch tape over the closure so it would be easier to open next time. I love that the 2 mixing areas can be detached to clean.

The colors were vibrant and the kit is so so convenient. It doesn't have an odd smell like most do and they blend fairly well on decent paper. They're pretty and smooth. Pretty nice for the price! My only complaint is that it arrived kind of broken, it's missing one of the screws that holds it all together which makes it kind of inconvenient to hold. Its nothing serious and easy to manage but it is whh it's 4 stars and not 5

After starting out with a small pallet of this brand, I loved the quality of the paints so I decided to go big! I got the 46 pieces set (40 colors, 5 are duplicates and 1 brush) for $48 used (like new) which the only thing I could see wrong with it was one of the hinges had a burr on it making it hard to open smoothly. I scraped it off with a razor blade and now it works perfectly! I like how the bottom mixing tray is removable. I rearranged the colors in a rainbow from lightest shade to dark. My plan is to add windsors 8 metallic colors to the bottom row and fill it up. I made a swatch to fit in the top mixing tray. I love how the three rows are a solid strip so no extra pieces to pop out, and you can slide them freely. Happy painting! 🎨

Colors are similar to my tubed Cotman. Taking the packaging off each little color took like forever, but maybe that's a necessary evil in keeping the colors fresh.

Definitely a great choice for me. I used it a lot when painting outside because its so easy to take with you.Its a great price because you can use it a lot before it would wear out. I like the paint and since the case is metal is very durable.The paints are great for watercolor painting since they’re transparent but not watered down.