I got a bundled watercolor set I couldn't wait to try out.
I wanted to try different watercolor paints and came across an Amazon.com listing for SCHPIRERR FARBEN Travel Watercolor Kit, but I ended up getting the SCHPIRERR FARBEN Art Supplies Bundle. It wasn't cheap, but I have no regrets.
NOTE: While I share some of my personal thoughts and experience using the items included in this bundled set, please keep in mind that I'm not a professional. This is not a professional review of the products. I'm simply a beginner who paints for fun and got new 'toys' to paint with. I'm still learning a lot about watercolor painting and paint accessories.
Why I Got New Watercolors
I wanted to leave my Royal Langnickel Essentials portable fan-flip watercolor travel kit in my car. Its small size was perfect for storing in the map pocket on the driver side car door.
The only other watercolors I owned were pencils and markers. While they're OK to use, I've come to love using watercolor pans while painting. Since I decided to leave my portable kit in my car, I wanted decent watercolor pan paints for use at home.
I originally intended to buy more Royal Langnickel brand watercolor paints for use at home. It made sense to stick with what I knew well. It was also cheaper than other brands available at my local Wal-Mart.
However, my Dad convinced me to try something new for comparison. He's an Amazon.com addict (not officially) and found some products he wanted me to research.
After reading and watching several product reviews, I figured it wouldn't physically hurt me to get the SCHPIRERR FARBEN watercolor bundle set. As a cheapskate, the purchase hurt me emotionally.
The bundle consisted of three separate products: two porcelain flower mixing palettes, one pack of ten synthetic hair round paintbrushes, and the watercolor travel case paired with a watercolor paper pad.
Porcelain Flower Mixing Palettes
Before I saw this bundle online, I didn't know porcelain mixing palettes were a thing. However, this bundle included two of them.
Online research (a.k.a. "Google Search") suggested the following benefits for using a porcelain ceramic mixing palette:
Paint appears true to its color.
Paint wells are deep enough to hold more fluid paints and allows for pooling.
Easy to clean with no staining.
Generally small and easy to store.
Sturdy and doesn't slide around on a work surface.
I've only used it once since my package arrived late last week. I currently feel indifferent to using these porcelain mixing palettes. I likely need to use these more often to develop my own thoughts and opinions about it.
So far, I've learned from experience that it doesn't slide around on my desktop when I dipped my paintbrush into a well to mix or collect colors.
I don't see myself traveling with these porcelain mixing palettes. I don't want to risk them crack or break while I'm on the road. Perhaps they won't since they're quite weighted and sturdy, but I'll stick with a flat plastic palette when traveling.
Round Paintbrushes
The pack of ten synthetic hair paintbrushes included the following sizes: #2, #4, #6, #8, #10, #12, #14, #16, #18, and #20.
I wished the bundle included smaller paintbrushes for finer details. I could've bought a separate pack of detail paintbrushes by the same company, but I already have a great set of Golden Maple Detail Paintbrushes I use regularly.
Some of the hairs were bent under the plastic case thing-y that helps keep the bristles in shape. Otherwise, the paintbrushes were good. They held a lot of water and color. I didn't need to dip my paintbrush into paint or water as often as the cheaper paintbrushes I've used before.
I'll use these for future watercolor paintings since my old, cheap paintbrushes are essentially crap.
Watercolor Paper Pad
The watercolor paper pad was wrapped with the watercolor travel case. It's 5"x9" in size and contains twenty sheets.
The cover can be folded behind the pad and out of the way. I may leave this in the map pocket on the driver side car door and use a larger watercolor paper pad at home.
I didn't realize all four edges or sides of the watercolor paper pad were glued. I couldn't understand why since paper pads are typically glued along one edge/side. I started to carefully separate the sheets with a craft knife, but then I decided not to do so.
I later decided that having all four edges/sides proved beneficial. The sheet didn't warp as I laid layers of water and wet paint over it. I finally used a craft knife to detach the top sheet I painted over.
Knowing where to insert my craft knife was tricky. It was hard for me to see the individual sheets. The thick sheets were glued and packed in tightly.
I worried about slicing into a sheet instead of in between two sheets. Making a few gentle slices down one corner made it easier for me to see where to run my craft knife to detach an individual sheet.
Watercolor Travel Kit/Case
The watercolor travel case is housed in a hard, plastic carrying case. The plastic case is sturdy and not flimsy.
On the bottom of the case was a ring for sliding a big finger or a couple skinny fingers into. This would allow one hand to hold the palette securely while the other hand was busy painting. This may be helpful for anyone who does plein air painting while standing.
A "thank you" card was included in the travel case. It was a nice, generic sentiment that included a QR code for a discount on another purchase.
A large swatch card was also included. It was printed on watercolor paper in the order of the colors as they appear in the case.
The included swatch card saved me time in making my own swatch card, especially since I didn't know what colors were included as part of the case. I taped it to the inside lid for reference no matter where I was.
A plastic mixing palette with 'legs' that slotted into the bottom of the case above the paints and other accessories. This was a large size compared to the porcelain flower mixing palettes. This would be perfect for traveling or using at the park where space wasn't limited.
The forty-eight half pan of watercolor paints were impressive to see. I've never owned so many watercolors before! My other watercolor travel kit, watercolor markers set, and watercolor pencils set included far less colors for me to choose from. This was amazing compared to those!
Titanium White gouache was included in a slot on the left of the case. This was helpful when I decided to add highlights after completing my painting. I didn't need to reach for my white gel pen.
A foam sponge was included in a slot to the right of the case. This is meant for cleaning off and drying a paintbrush. Personally, I always have a roll of shop towels in my trunk, so I have a habit of using a sheet for my paintbrushes.
The case also included two disassembled water brushes in a long slot along the bottom of the case. Each water brush has three physical parts or pieces: bristles paired with a water feed, reservoir for holding/storing water, and a cap.
Assembly was as easy as twisting the two halves of one brush together after filling the reservoir with water.
One assembled water brush would fit in the slot at the bottom with the case closed, but I wasn't able to close the case completely with both assembled water brushes in the slot.
There were forty-eight half pans of watercolor paints. I've never used removable or reusable pans before, but I can see the benefit of having these.
Detachable pans would make it possible and easier for me to fill with new watercolor paints, even if I decided to try another brand in the future.
I can also imagine a scenario where I may want to transfer only some of the pans into another, smaller travel case. I could take out the colors I believed I'd use most into an old candy tin or something.
I don't see myself needing to transfer the pans into a smaller case unless I went on a road trip with my Mom and other family members. I must pack light on those trips because Mom packs the entire house and fills up my trunk and part of the back seat. Then I listen to Mom yell at my old dog, Shadow, because he decided to open and go through the bags in the back seat.
My Thoughts
As a beginner who's only used cheap or gifted watercolors in the past, the SCHPIRERR FARBEN watercolor bundle set is amazing! It came with almost everything I'd need to make a watercolor painting at home or on a trip. I just needed to add my own water.
I first used the watercolor paints while waiting in my car. The case was large over center console and covered the dual cup holders. I moved my bottle of water to the bottle holder located with the map pocket on the driver side door.
I could've placed the case on the center armrest, but that's where I place a bowl of water for my dogs since they always wait with me. I never leave them home when I don't have to.
Because I had so many colors to choose from, I didn't need to mix my own colors for my first painting.
Since I didn't need to fan out the watercolors as I did with my other travel kit, the colors laid out flat in rows and grouped in color families made it more accessible.
Referring to the swatch card I taped inside the lid made selecting colors easier. I didn't have to worry about accidentally applying the wrong color to my painting as I've done with my other kit a few times.
I finished the painting back at home using the round synthetic hair paintbrushes. The larger round paintbrushes made it quicker and easier for me to complete a wet-on-wet background.
I also used the Titanium White gouache paint in a porcelain mixing palette at home. The gouache was perfect for adding highlights after I completed the painting since it was an afterthought. Again, I'm indifferent about using the porcelain mixing palette. I need to use it more to develop an opinion about it.
What's Next?
Perhaps it's the excitement of having new stuff, but I've felt motivated to create more watercolor paintings. I don't know if I'll share all my completed paintings done with this kit, but I'll share the decent looking ones through my Instagram account.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam