REVIEW: Masters Touch 48 Half Pan Watercolor in Metal Tin

Hi friends! I came across what I think is a new product in a local big box craft store and I knew people would ask for a review.

The set of 48 watercolors in a metal tin was on sale for $19.99 (regular $39.99) and curiosity got the better of me. I figured even if the paint was bad it was a good price for the tin. It turns out that the half pans fit my (finicky to find half pans that will fit)  Portable Painter so that was a huge bonus for me! I need to note that Hobby Lobby sells other watercolor paints under the Master’s Touch Brand and I am only speaking of the quality of the half pans that come in the metal tin which are different that the other watercolor paints they sell. These are a brand new product and not all of the paint in that brand are created equal as stores will order paints from different factories to sell under their private label so keep that in mind when trying other products. Watch the video for the full in-depth review!

Let’s looks at the pros and cons of this set…

Pros:

• Price: $19.99 for 48 half pans of watercolor in a metal tin (regular $39.99)

• Nice color selection

• You have a nice palette and half pans you can refill after you used up the paint. As I mentioned earlier the half pans fit my portable painter!

Cons

• No pigment info

• The fluorescents and greys/blacks are weak/chalky

• Due to the fillers in the paint mixing colors can be muddy *Unless using the 6 color split primary method (see below)

• The tin is not bright white inside as I would have liked which can make seeing true colors when mixing tough.

• Only available at Hobby Lobby (as far as I know)

Other things to note (as mentioned in the video) These paints are suited to a beginner or crafter who doesn’t want to mix colors. If you are using these as a beginners I highly recommend you pull out the 6 colors from the split primary example (carmine, bright red, gamboge, lemon yellow, ultramarine and prussian blue) and to those add yellow ochre, burnt umber and maybe brilliant green. Learn to paint with those colors and then experiment with the others once you have a good foundation.

This mixing experiment was done with various triads of colors. The stamps are from Waffle Flower and you can find the from Waffle Flower or on Simon Says Stamp.

My swatch for the palette box uses this stamp set from Waffle Flower. I am so loving these swatch stamps right now!

Note, I changed around the paint in my palette to my liking and then make my swatch so I could be sure to grab the right color. These paints remind me most of Koi watercolors and somewhat like Prima watercolor confections but this set is way cheaper if you grab it on a frequent sale or with a coupon. I think it would be a nice option for a cardmaker or stamper/scrapbooker who wants a large variety of colors at their disposal and doesn’t plan to create their own complex mixes. If you love mixing with a limited palette I would suggest a smaller set of better paints such as the Daniel Smith Essential paint set. I also prefer the Shinhan professional $25 set I reviewed last week to the Master’s Touch but you will need to purchase an additional palette. We are all different people with different needs from our craft supplies so that is why I review a large variety because there is something for everyone!

Bottom Line at $20 they are a deal, they are nothing special but they aren’t half bad either. They are cheap and cheerful and there are worst qualities for paint:) I hope you found this review useful and til next time happy crafting!

PS Sketchbook Sunday may be late this week as I am on the road returning from a family fun weekend! Stay tuned and please excuse my tardiness as it may be sketchbook Monday at this point LOL!