Updated Travel Palette

While I was in Mexico, I used the 6 pans of colour which are currently in my Art Toolkit Demi Palette in my larger Pocket Palette. The colours worked great in Mexico as they included:

• hansa yellow
• gamboge
• opera pink
• perylene red
• manganese blue
• French ultramarine

I used to use ultramarine all the time but don't enjoy using it so much anymore but I had received a free tube from Daniel Smith so I decided to add it. Unfortunately, the Daniel Smith paints didn't hold up well in such a humid environment as they remained sticky the entire week, which meant that I always had paint on everything (I'm a bit of a messy gal) though they're not as sticky as M.Graham.

When we were in England, I used Winsor & Newton exclusively and they worked like a charm in spite of the humidity. So, I decided to re-fill my Pocket Palette with the W&N paints I had used in England which consists of:

• new gamboge (Turner's favourite yellow which has also become mine)
• burnt sienna (a great orange or brown)
• rose madder genuine (can swap in for red or pink with more water)
• manganese blue (I prefer this to cerulean - nice sky blue that reactivates more easily)
• indigo (love a dark blue, especially for mixes & makes a great 'black' mixed with sienna)
• permanent sap green

I've travelled with both palettes at different times but find that I prefer the Demi as it doesn't take up too much room in my shoulder bag or when I paint...it attaches to my sketchbook easily with a butterfly clip. Unfortunately, I ran out of paint on my 16-day trip to England last summer so if I take it next time, I will be sure to pack 6 more prepared pans in a mini mint tin that I can keep in my luggage and then swap out as needed.

I've tried several other brands of paint for travel painting and though I love my Beam Paints to work in my studio, they are a little bulky for travel. My favourite travel watercolours, hands-down, has to be Winsor & Newton. Beautiful, rich colours that dry quickly so I can keep moving.