Tom's Studio have been one of my favourite brands since starting out as an illustrator and I was excited to become an ambassador a couple of years ago. So for full transparency you could say I’m biased. However I was biased before I became an ambassador because I LOVE what they create. Their values and ethos closely align with my own and I really appreciate brands who are so forward thinking in their approach, but at the same time transparent in their journey.
I have followed Tom’s Studio for years, using their pens and pencil for illustration and calligraphy for pleasure and my illustration work. However I’ve always had to source paints and brushes elsewhere, secretly wishing they made paints and I could complete the set… and THEY’RE HERE!
I was very excited to have a couple of behind the scenes insights into the creation of these products and I have been completely blown away with the amount of work the team has put into developing this product. Navigating the complex and often somewhat secretive world of art materials manufacture sounds like a huge amount of work.
For me as an artist, I’ve found it frustrating how few companies are transparent about their materials, manufacture and processes. I’m conscious in my business to work as sustainably as possible, but paints are the area I’ve found trickiest to get right. Sustainability and impact are incredibly important to Tom’s Studio and so I’m really grateful to them for all this work making this product the best they can.
Please note, as I said I am a Tom’s Studio Ambassador and this post contains affiliate code, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you would like to make the most of this you can use code ‘IMOGENPARTRIDGE’ for 10% off orders over £30.
The Tom’s Studio team have hand poured these artist-quality watercolour paints into beautiful turquoise plastic half pans which have been made from ghost nets recovered from the Cornish coast. They have had to get to grips with the fact that different paints and pigment mixes (I barely even know the terminology for this I know so little about mixing your own paints) require different temperatures to set and finding the right consistency for watercolours with such different properties.
The paints have the highest lightfastness rating (excellent) and they've got a beautifully rich pigment. They have curated the watercolours into wonderful sets with different subjects in mind (Landscape, Seascape, Naturescape or Signature which has the classic primary colours).
The metal travel tins are beautiful and come in light green, light blue and lilac (I have the green with the Landscape set). The travel size tins have space for mixing colours on the go and extra space if you wanted to add more paints. You can buy the half pans in all colours on the Tom’s Studio website as well as the empty metal tins and I LOVE the flexibility this gives you to curate your own set. I have absolutely struggled in the past buying sets that don’t have the colours or paint styles I want, but I like the tin or vice versa, so this option again reduces potential waste as you can really make it your own.
The paints are easy to use and you can tell the pigment is really rich, a little colour goes a very long way. The paint textures within the pans differ slightly, some may seem slightly wetter or drier than others and you can just adjust your water accordingly. It hasn’t made any difference to how I paint with them and I haven’t really noticed once I’ve got started. It does make me appreciate that these are handcrafted products and I really love that about them.
I think these watercolour sets would make the most wonderful gift. They’re artist quality but perfect for beginners too and feel like a really special piece to have, especially being able to pass on the stories behind them.
If you’re unsure which set to choose, think about what you like to paint, or, if it’s a gift, what the recipient is drawn to or enjoys. If you love flowers, the Naturescape set would be perfect. If you’re gifting a set to someone who loves exploring outdoors, perhaps the Landscape collection is the one. Or if they love spending time by the sea, Seascape would be an obvious choice. However if you’re still not sure, the Signature collection is a great all-rounder, as you can mix almost any colour from the core selection it includes.
Tom’s Studio Studio Paintbrushes Review
The studio paintbrushes have anodised aluminium handles which are beautifully weighted and balanced. The brush heads come in five different sizes and are handmade in the UK and are synthetic sable. The heads can be removed and cleaned thoroughly, adding to the lifespan of the brushes. They can also be replaced, so once your brush has worn out or is past its best and you would usually need to buy a replacement brush, you can just buy the head.
This might feel small but it’s GENIUS! I have often been frustrated having to pass on (usually to my children) my brushes, when such a small part of it isn’t up to scratch. These small changes to reduce waste that add up to make a difference and I’m so glad to have companies like Tom’s Studio putting in the work to develop products like these to change the way we think about everyday (well for me anyway) items like paint brushes!
They are really lovely to use, have great water retention and can work with larger washes and smaller details. The combination of sizes is really useful and would suit a range of different styles. My most used are the smallest two, the round 2 and the round 4, because of the style of my work, but I’ve had great fun playing with the whole range.
Again, I think these would be a really perfect gift for someone new to watercolour or any artist. I love that it is a set that would last you a lifetime, because you can just keep changing out the heads when you need to. So it’s a really thoughtful gift that will be treasured for many years to come.
Tom’s Studio Studio Palette Review
The studio palette is a metal modular palette made from anodised aluminium available in three colours, sage, rose madder or cerulean blue. It's stackable and slots together in a very satisfying way. There are two individual pieces one with larger and one with smaller wells, which can be turned over to provide a brush rest.
One thing I was a little wary about with the palette was being able to see the colours as I mix them. However when I paint I am always mixing and testing quickly. I paint tests on a scrap of paper to the side of my painting or the bottom of my page in my sketchbook, so I realise I’m always checking the colours anyway and actually rely very little on what it looks like on the palette.
It feels lovely to use and I love that It has weight to it (always a frustration of mine with plastic palettes was how easily they slip around on the table). The flexibility is really helpful and the brushes rolling around or off the table is something I am very familiar with, so this is a clever option to be able to hold them together in the grooved brush rests.
If you’re after something paler though there is also the write off artists palette from Tom’s Studio. This is designed around the colour wheel and is made from recycled plastic collected from schools. Or the beautiful ceramic palette created by artist Wendy Tournay with a design inspired by water and even has a neat little ceramic water pot and brush rest that can sit in the centre! You are spoiled for choice!
Should You Buy the Tom’s Studio Artist’s Series?
The short answer is yes. You should buy it and use my code ‘IMOGENPARTRIDGE’ to get 10% off (orders over £30), but I’ll give you a longer answer too.
If you have a paint or brush set already you do not NEED to buy them. HOWEVER if you aren’t happy with your paints or brushes, they don’t feel good to use, you’re not excited to get them out and you’re not actually using them that much, then is it worth having them?
Wouldn’t it be better to have a set that you can carry around, keep out, that actually feels like a special treat to open, get out and use? Knowing the craftsmanship that has gone into making them and the story behind them?
I have collected lovely tools over the years my Tom’s Studio mechanical pencil and refillable Lumos pen are things I use all the time. I don’t need another pen or pencil and they are like my trusty companions. They feel wonderful to use and I truly appreciate how they look and feel every single time I get them out. This feeling has not waned over the years, if anything I am ever more fond of them. They make me want to draw and it means I don’t have to have a pencil case with everything under the sun in it, I can have my curated set and stick to those.
The Artists Series is just like that. It feels special to use. It’s not just any paints, or any brushes and it makes you want to create, then appreciate it more while you’re doing it.
I highly recommend considering these for a gift to a creative friend or to yourself, you deserve it! (And you can always pass on your old paints or brushes to a nearby child like I do. Who are probably equally excited by the new-to-them art equipment and may just be spurred into taking more time for creating art, which is what we need in this world).
Checkout the Tom’s Studio Artists Series here
Use code IMOGENPARTRIDGE for 10% off orders over £30
