8×11” Watercoloring Paper 8 Sheets Flower Painting Papers with 16 Paint Water Coloring Pad Paint Stress-Relief Painting Pad for Long-Lasting Art Painting Supplies

I am an artist. I love to do different kinds of paintings. Sometimes, however, life takes a rough turn and it is all I can do just to keep going. I got this kit because I wanted to have some mindless painting that I did not have to plan or set up, but just grab and start working.PAPERSThe papers in this set are a thinner version of Bristol paper. The designs are drawn on in an olive green ink which enables it to disappear more quickly than black would. They will hold watercolor, but too much liquid makes them buckle. Taping the edges helps if you have a board to tape to.KIT BOXThe kit comes in a white slim box which will allow for storage of the parts of the kit for a while, but plan to have another plastic pouch that zips shut handy or something else a bit more protective of this set.BRUSHESThe brushes with this set are pretty thin and narrow so you might want to make sure you have a few other sizes available.PAINTSThe paint cards at first look chalky and cheap to me. I was not even going to use them, but the watercolor palette I had handy did not have some of the colors so I decided to use them anyway. I am glad that I did. They work really well for base colors but they are weak to use only these colors alone. I used them alongside more student or professional grade watercolors. Personally, I think the combination is perfect.DESIGNSThere are reference cards in this set which make for a great way to paint with ease, vs trying to find photos online to paint from. This combination of paint reference and actual paper with outlines saves time and makes this a lot easier to use vs trying to plan an entire composition.PERFORMANCEi did a quick beginning of one of the flowers when I finally got some time to paint. At first I was not sure of the paints, but as I began to mix them with the paints that I have, the results were really great for me. I felt like I had begun to accomplish something nice.WHO MIGHT ENJOY THIS?If you are an ultimate beginner easily intimidated by paint and art, this might seem overwhelming at first. There is everything you need in the kit to make something that might satisfy your first efforst. You might be frustrated if you are expecting high quality results. There is enough in here to keep you practicing, however, and that in itself makes it worth the investment.Younger kids might enjoy this too, as the paints are not heavily staining and are pretty easy to use. I would suggest investing in a slightly bigger brush though as the ones in here are pretty small.THE BOTTOM LINEI really like this kit. It is helping me to relax an do some basic painting while not being overwhelmed with composition and planning.MY RATINGFIVE STARS. In spite of my preference to add my own higher quality paints, the paints in this kit are enough to help get some basic paintings started. I recommend this set- it is one of my favorites that I have gotten in the last few years. [...]