Build Your Own Watercolor Kit (links included)

Have you ever looked into purchasing a set of watercolors, but couldn’t quite find the right fit? Or maybe you’re looking to get into watercolor, but aren’t quite sure where to start. So many options, so many prices, so overwhelming! Either way, you want something that’s of decent quality, but also easy to work with, and you can take it with you anywhere!

I’ve got your back, friend. I’ve found the perfect way to build your own personal watercolor kit totally custom to you that’s not only easy to take on the go, but is also fairly inexpensive without having to invest into a huge, expensive watercolor set. Because what if we don’t even use all of those nifty colors a kit comes with?!

I recently discovered this great brand of watercolor on Blick. With Kuretake watercolor, you have the option to buy preselected pans as a set, but you can also purchase pans individually. I have actually done both. I bought a set of them, and after seeing the other beautiful options available as single pans, I purchased individuals, too. But where and how to store the single pans? They don’t come with a box to store them in like the sets! Gotcha covered there, too.

These little tins can be found on Amazon. I started searching for something like them as a way to organize and store my watercolor, and came across these. One reviewer actually stated that they used them specifically for their Kuretake watercolor pans. Say less.. SOLD! These come in a pack of six.

If you wanted to take it a step further, you could adhere magnets to the bottom of the pans so that they stay in place in the tin, but I have yet to do so. So far, this works just fine!

I’ll include a photo of my most used pans, and I actually broke mine down into three tins. One is cooler tones, one is warmer tones, and one is more saturated. However, if you’re new to watercolor and aren’t quite sure which colors to include in your kit, you definitely want to start with some shades of primaries, which are red, yellow, and blue. These can be colors such as Cadmium Red, Cadmium Scarlet, Red, Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, and Lemon Yellow. You don’t necessarily need all of these, but you definitely want some set of three! From there, you can include greens, a black and gray, browns, pink, etc. Follow your color intuition and see what you like! 12 pans will fill up one tin, and watercolor usually lasts a long time. A little goes a long way!

If you need a brush recommendation, I generally use a small Royal and Langnickel brush for quick watercoloring. You can also find these on Blick, or at your local art supply store, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be this brand. Any small, round watercolor brush will work.

If you want to include white in your kit, go for a tube of gouache instead of white watercolor paint!

Please comment below and let me know if you found this helpful or plan to build your own kit!

Happy painting, friends!

PS, I am not affiliated with any of these products mentioned. I just really love my kit, and am spreading the word on how you can make one too! I’ll list them below with links included.

Kuretake Watercolor Pans (Blick)

Tins for storing watercolor pans (Amazon)

Royal and Langnickel Brush (Michael’s)

White gouache (Blick)