They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and after searching fruitlessly for an inexpensive pocket-sized watercolor kit, I'm inclined to agree. I found that others solved the problem by making their own watercolor kits, and figured I could try doing the same for myself.
I started with an Altoids tin, stripped off the paint, and sprayed the inside with white enamel. The lid now serves nicely as a mixing well and the rest of the interior won’t rust. Then I took the half pans of paint from another watercolor set and glued small strips of magnets to the bottom, so they can be repositioned at will but won't rattle loosely in the tin. The tin is just large enough to hold 8-12 half pans of paint, a small sponge, a pencil, a bit of kneaded eraser, and a Koi compact water brush. Finally, I decorated the top with a flat metal pendant (set in place with some JB Weld epoxy) I found at Michaels for $1.
The pans are currently stocked with decent-quality cake paint, but I can always refill them with pro-grade tube paint when the time comes. The water brush is my newest discovery - the water is contained in the handle so there is no need to carry along a separate canister of used water to dump later. It was a little strange to paint with at first, but I’m getting the hang of it now.
So there you have it: a delightfully easy and inexpensive craft project for a perfectly pocket-sized watercolor kit. "Homemade" is so often the "best-made!"
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 12:11PM 
