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

Very nice travel set! Bought it last second to take traveling. Really fun to use. Nice colors, very usable. Good neutrals, natural green. Blends well. Nicely pigmented. Easy to clean.

This set is great! I am so glad I bought this paint set as a beginner. So many sets for beginners are low quality. It puts people off painting because their work looks terrible-because the paint is terrible. I just love the ease of use the good quality colors and fast clean up of this kit. Pardon my picture, as I said I am a beginner (I started a week ago) and this photo is to show the great colors in the kit.

These tiny sets pack everything you need to paint on the go - just bring your own paper or canvas.The system to fit and keep everything organized in such a compact form-factor is truly genius. The designers of this product really thought of everything from move-able paint sections, various mixing palates, places for your water, and even a little loop to make it easier to hold in your hand. I highly recommend this to painters and artists of all skill levels, as it will bring you joy to take and use on your adventures.

I have used these amazing Winsor & Newton Cotman Field Pocket Sets for at least 20 years for on the go painting, starting off from beginner to an advanced artist. I have long since replaced the Cotman paints with W&N artist grade paints and I still use my original kit that's in perfect working condition. I recently decided to buy another one (pictured) to start putting my Daniel Smith paints into, so I now have kits with W&N and DS paints. I removed the Cotman paint blocks (which are still high quality paints meant for students/beginners) it came with and my photo shows it with the DS paints. I just filled the 1/2 pans with tube paints, then let them dry. I added 2 additional empty half pans as well, so it can actually hold up to 14 half pans as shown. I plan to add more DS paints as needed.I say stick with the best. I recently made the mistake of trying one of those "Portable Painter" pocket palettes because of the good reviews on Amazon, only to be super disappointed when it broke (at a hinge) shortly after the return window closed. I had used it for less than 2 months! I will only use my tried and tested W&N field kits from now on. They contain everything I need right out of the box, and the palettes will probably last me many years and decades to come.

I have always loved Cotman watercolors. It doesn’t matter if they’re student grade. I’m only a hobbyist anyway. Their pigment is excellent and this little box is perfect for either the studio or plein air. I haven’t used the water container yet, so I can’t comment on that. The only reason for 4 stars is that the paints easily dislodge from the pans and the paint container could be a bit easier to remove for one with arthritic hands. I would recommend this to any water colorist regardless.

A great set for travel and use in field

I was excited when W&N offered this portable kit with the Cotman paint in it, at a very reasonable price. The kit previously had only been available with their Artist Grade pan watercolors, at a much higher price. It’s a very nice travel set. The plastic parts are well-made and the paint is ok, if you wet it first to activate. It’s nice to have a portable set with non-sticky or non-honey type paint. Much less messy. The design is fun, partly just because it’s so intriguing how the “box” comes apart to function, and then the many little parts neatly snap together once again to be a sleekly small, classy, portable art machine! It’s functional and cute. Leaks are better controlled than in simpler travel box designs. The organic sponge unfortunately was so fragile out it partly crumbled away, and the supplied brush is so stiff and tiny that I use another larger and softer portable brush. The Cotman paints in this set give me the impression of being less pigmented than a previous Cotman travel set I’ve used, purchased about ten years ago, when the Cotman paints were made in the UK. Or maybe I’m imagining it… But it’s really cool how they all fit in the classy little box! Haha! Happy travels.

If you're comfortable with color mixing and need a space-saving travel set of higher quality watercolors, this one is a very good bet.