Best Travel Watercolor Sets: 5 Pocket Boxes Compared

The best travel watercolor sets all look alike from the outside: a small box, twelve half pans, a little brush. The difference is in the color list. Some give you a warm and a cool version of every primary, so you can mix almost anything on a park bench. Others hand you three greens and no brown at all.

I compared five widely sold pocket boxes on what their makers and retailers publish: which twelve colors are in the box, what else is included, the paint grade and the size. I haven't field-tested these sets side by side, so the comparison stays with specifications.

In short: For most painters the Winsor & Newton Professional Field Box is the most complete kit: 12 artist-grade half pans with a split-primary palette, plus a water bottle, water pot, sponge and brush. Schmincke's Horadam metal box has an equally well-planned palette. The Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box is the budget pick. Check the color list before you buy, because it decides what you can mix.

What are the best travel watercolor sets? (quick answer)

The Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Field Box is the best all-in-one travel set, with a balanced 12-color palette and its own water supply. Schmincke Horadam's 12-pan metal box is the best paint-first choice. For a low-cost start, buy the Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box and refill it later.

Key Takeaways

• Best complete kit: Winsor & Newton Professional Field Box, 12 half pans, water bottle, water pot, sponge and pocket brush.
• Best paint box: Schmincke Horadam 12 half pans in a metal box, with a warm and cool of each primary.
• Best budget: Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box, student-grade, about 130 x 65 x 20 mm.
• Check the colors: Van Gogh's Vibrant pocket box has no earth colors at all, which changes what you can paint.
• Pans for travel: dry pans don't leak and are ready in seconds.

Overview: How These Travel Sets Were Compared

A travel watercolor set has to do three things: carry enough colors to mix what you see, stay small and leak-proof in a bag, and give you somewhere to mix. Pans handle the leak-proof part. Winsor & Newton describes pans as "very useful when working outside," which is why every set here uses them, as the pans vs tubes guide explains in more detail.

The color list matters most. Twelve colors can cover a lot if six of them are a warm and a cool of each primary, the split-primary arrangement. The rest are best spent on an earth or two and a dark, which you need for buildings, shadows and trees. A set with three greens and no earths makes you mix every brown from scratch.

I chose five sets that are sold widely, cover artist and student grades, and publish a color list. Where a maker doesn't publish a spec, such as box size, I say whose figure it is.

A 12-pan Sakura Koi pocket box, not one of the five below, showing the layout most travel sets share: pans on one side, a mixing area, and room for a water brush and sponge in the lid. Photo: goblinbox, Flickr, CC BY 2.0.

Analysis: The Best Travel Watercolor Sets by Use

Each of the best travel watercolor sets below has a best use and a catch. The color list is quoted from the maker or a named retailer, and boxes can change between editions, so check the box you buy.

1. Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Field Box

What it is: 12 half pans of Winsor & Newton Professional (artist-grade) watercolor in a pocket box with its own water supply.

Why it made the list: the palette and the extras. Utrecht lists the colors as Winsor Lemon, Cadmium-Free Yellow, Cadmium-Free Red, Alizarin Crimson, French Ultramarine, Winsor Blue (Green Shade), Permanent Sap Green, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Payne's Gray and Ivory Black. That's a warm and a cool of each primary, three earths, a green and two darks. Retailers list a pocket brush, an artists' sponge, a 35 ml water bottle and a water container in the box, and describe several mixing areas.

Best for: painting anywhere without carrying anything else but paper.

One caveat: two of the twelve slots are darks (Payne's Gray and Ivory Black). If you'd rather have another earth or a violet, swap one of them for a half pan of your choice.

2. Schmincke Horadam 12 Half Pans, Metal Box

What it is: 12 half pans of Schmincke's artist-grade Horadam watercolor in an enameled metal box.

Why it made the list: the color selection is as well planned as Winsor & Newton's. Retailers list 215 Lemon Yellow, 224 Cadmium Yellow Light, 349 Cadmium Red Light, 353 Permanent Carmine, 494 Ultramarine Finest, 492 Prussian Blue, 519 Phthalo Green, 534 Permanent Olive Green, 655 Yellow Ochre, 649 English Venetian Red, 663 Sepia Brown and 780 Ivory Black. Again, that's a warm and a cool of each primary plus earths. Schmincke uses a gum arabic binder, and retailers note the metal lid folds out into mixing surfaces.

Best for: painters who care most about the paint and already carry their own water.

One caveat: editions differ. Some listings include a travel brush and room for extra pans; others don't. Read the item number on the listing.

3. Sennelier l'Aquarelle 12 Half Pans, Metal Tin

What it is: 12 half pans of Sennelier's artist-grade watercolor in a metal tin.

Why it made the list: the binder. Sennelier uses gum arabic with honey, and retailers report the company has recently increased the honey in its formula. The tin also has room for six more half pans, so it can grow into an 18-color palette.

Best for: painters who want a honey-based paint and room to add colors later.

One caveat: the color list varies by edition, so check it before buying.

4. Royal Talens Van Gogh Watercolour Pocket Box

What it is: 12 half pans of student-grade Van Gogh watercolor in a plastic pocket box, with a size 6 synthetic round and a mixing tray, according to Royal Talens.

Why it made the list: weight and lightfastness information. Royal Talens lists one edition at 10 x 14 x 2.5 cm and 160 g, and says most colors are rated +++ for lightfastness (100+ years under museum conditions), with a few at ++.

Best for: sketchers who want the lightest box with a published weight.

One caveat: the Vibrant edition has no earth colors. Its twelve run from Permanent Lemon Yellow to Permanent Yellowish Green, with three greens and no ochre, sienna or umber. Choose the edition by its color list; Royal Talens also sells an earth-toned Shades of Nature box.

5. Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box

What it is: 12 half pans of Cotman student-grade watercolor with a small pocket brush, about 130 x 65 x 20 mm according to retailers.

Why it made the list: price and size. It's one of the cheapest ways to get a proper pocket box, and the pans can be replaced one by one with artist-grade colors later.

Best for: beginners and anyone who wants a box to refill.

One caveat: several colors are hues, cheaper pigments standing in for traditional ones, and student paint is less concentrated. The student vs artist grade comparison covers what that means for mixing.

GODEEPER: A good travel palette is built on split primaries. The palette guide explains why a warm and a cool of each primary mix cleaner than any convenience set. Split-Primary Palette Guide: Mix Any Color with 6 Tubes →

Honorable Mentions

Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Brush Pocket Set: Winsor & Newton's own listing pairs 12 Cotman half pans with a water brush that carries water in its handle, which removes the water jar from the kit. It missed the list because the palette is student-grade and contents are subject to change.

Van Gogh Shades of Nature: the earth-toned counterpart to the Vibrant box. A sensible choice for landscape sketching, but it duplicates entry 4 in format.

Schmincke Horadam Inspiration set: a 12-pan metal box with a porcelain mixing palette and a more unusual color selection. Worth a look once you know which colors you use.

What to Pack With a Travel Watercolor Set

A paint box is only part of a field kit. Pack a small cotton sketchbook, a travel brush or water brush, water, and a cloth.

For paper, a book is easier than loose sheets outdoors. The watercolor sketchbooks guide compares four 100% cotton books by weight and binding. For brushes, a short-handled travel round protects its tip in the bag; the synthetic vs kolinsky sable comparison covers which hair to choose. If you squeeze tube paint into an empty box instead of buying a set, a sealed plastic box keeps it moist, as the ceramic vs plastic palette comparison explains.

Ordinary synthetic rounds next to two water brushes, whose barrels hold water so you can paint without a jar. Photo: vinyleraser, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best travel watercolor set for beginners? For a complete kit, the Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Field Box. Its 12 artist-grade half pans include a warm and cool of each primary, and retailers list a pocket brush, sponge, 35 ml water bottle and water pot in the box. On a tight budget, the Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box is the student-grade option.

How many colors do you need in a travel watercolor set? Twelve is plenty, if they are the right twelve. Six should be a warm and a cool version of each primary, so you can mix clean secondaries. The other six can be earths and a dark. Both the Winsor & Newton Field Box and the Schmincke Horadam 12-pan box follow that pattern.

Are pans or tubes better for plein air painting? Pans. A closed pan box doesn't leak once the paint has dried, and you can start painting seconds after opening it. Winsor & Newton describes pans as very useful when working outside. Tubes suit big studio washes, and many painters refill their travel pans from tubes.

Is artist grade worth it in a travel set? Usually, yes, because a travel set is used for small, quick paintings where strong color matters. Artist-grade sets such as Schmincke Horadam and Winsor & Newton Professional use more pigment per pan. Student sets such as Cotman and Van Gogh cost less and are fine for sketching practice.

What should a travel watercolor kit include besides paint? A water brush or small travel brush, a water container, a cloth or sponge, and a small cotton sketchbook. Some sets include several of these: retailers list the Winsor & Newton Field Box with a pocket brush, sponge, 35 ml water bottle and a water pot that clips to the box.

Can you refill a travel watercolor set? Yes. Half pans can be replaced individually or refilled from tubes and left to dry. Some boxes have spare room: retailers describe Sennelier's metal tin with space for six more half pans, and some Schmincke metal boxes with space for a second row of pans.

Related Reading

• Watercolor for Beginners: Essential Supplies & Buying Guide: the rest of a first kit, from paper to brushes.
• Wet-on-Dry Watercolor Technique: Crisp Edges in 6 Steps: the layering technique most quick outdoor sketches rely on.
• Rough Watercolor Paper: Granulation, Dry Brush and 6 Steps: textured skies and water for landscape work.

References

• Utrecht: Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Field Pocket Set - Color list of the 12-pan field set.
• Cass Art: Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Field Box - Contents, including the 35 ml water bottle.
• Cass Art: Schmincke Horadam Metal Tin, 12 Half Pans - Color list and box.
• Royal Talens: Van Gogh Watercolour Pocket Box, Vibrant Colours - Contents, colors and lightfastness ratings.
• Royal Talens: Van Gogh x Van Gogh Museum Pocket Box - Dimensions and weight.
• Winsor & Newton: Cotman Water Brush Pocket Set - Half pans with a water brush.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: John Singer Sargent, In the Generalife