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In today’s post I will be reviewing; Winsor & Newton Field Box.
Winsor & Newton Field Box (closed)
Product Details
- Manufacturer/Brand; Winsor & Newton (mine is Cotman but it is also available with their artist quality paint too)
- Item number; 0390639
- RRP at time of writing: £37
Winsor & Newton Field Box (in use)
Reason For Buying
I’ve had this little gem for about 15 years now, (the new one’s are blue boxes) so this review is a little late but it is only now I have the technology to share my views about this with more people. I wanted to paint anywhere, this is a self-contained kit that allows you to just add a sketchbook and a pencil and off you go. Due to a limited budget mine is the Cotman version (the student quality paints) the same set is available with artist quality paints at a higher price.
Pros/Cons
Pros
- The newer ones have blue boxes, very apt as they really are like little *TARDIS! The small size accommodates 12-14 half pan paints.
- Self storing brush, it takes apart and bristles are protected within the barrel of the brush.
- Has its own water bottle, complete with mixing area.
- The end of the box pulls off to create your water pot
- In addition to the smooth face of the water bottle, you have two, fold out mixing pallets.
- Compact and not too heavy to just slip in your pocket.
- Robust and durable
- Includes 12 half pan paints, but you can squeeze in a couple more at the top end 😉
- Lift up centre section, allowing you to remove/replace pans as required.
Cons
On my box, I find pulling the water pot off the end of the closed box difficult, but I do have limited dexterity and it has meant that the box has never fallen open by mistake in transit.
Build Quality
Superb, I’ve had mine nearly 15 years and it’s still good as new. It’s not too heavy but still remains robust and sturdy.
Value for Money
Fantastic! As a newbie go for the Cotman (student paint) version for affordability, you can buy individual half pan paints to change the colours to your own prefered pallet should you wish to and to replace colours as you use them up. Over time, as you progress to the artist quality paint, simply change the paint pans to those as you go.
Would I buy it Again?
Yes! The latest ones are blue and very smart 🙂 It’s amazing how much kit this little box holds.
Summing up
I have a tendency to carry far too much kit. I have collected lots of variations of paint boxes over the years but come back to this one for travel, every time. I now add a water brush, sketch book and pencil to my pocket and it takes up minimal space in your coat or bag. Great to keep with you in case inspiration strikes-even when you weren’t out intending to sketch. It is fairly priced and very reliable. A must have for your travel kit!
Links
- Winsor & Newton Manufacturers website. This links to UK site, but there are links off to other countries sites from here too.
- Cotman Field Box
- Artists Field Box As above but with the artist quality paint, instead of the Cotman student quality ones.
Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon
Billie 🙂
PS: *TARDIS is a Doctor Who reference. His Time and relative Dimensions in Space or TARDIS as its know, has always been renowned for being bigger on the inside than the outside 🙂 See Doctor Who Ok so I’m a closet nerd/anorack…bovered! hehehe
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My first box of watercolours was a tiny travel set of Cotmans without the water bottle. I had it for years and it got used for all my watercolour work. A really brilliant little set.
Hi Gillian
Me too, W&N make some superb boxes, shame they don’t sell empty ones you can fill with your own choice of colours. I like the Field box because it has so many options. Had to giggle that it comes with the weeniest piece of natural sponge you’ll ever see! Didn’t find it useful so not using it gave me space for two more colours 😉
Best wishes
Billie 🙂
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Hi! Can you tell me the colours included in your set? Thank you and great blog! 🙂
Hi Thomas
Winsor and Newton vary the colours they include in their sets from time to time. It might also be that if you buy them outside of the UK that the colours allowed into other countries may vary too.
Let me know if you still want details of the ones pictured and I’ll happily list them for you, but bear in mind they may not be the ones you get when you purchase a box.
Best wishes
Billie 🙂
Im still interested. I got found one the same as the one in your pictures but I don’t know what colours they are (still new at painting! :D)
If you bought it new, the paints should still be in paper wrappers with the names on the wrapper. If you bought one that had already had the individual paints wrappers removed, lift the latch and carefully lift up the centre panel of the paint box. Slide out one of the paints, holding the block of colour in place, turn the pan over and if it has been made in the last few years there is likely to be the paint names printed on the base of the little white plastic pan the paint sits in.
Another option would be to paint a colour palette like this then take that to an art store if you have one near you. Its hard for retailers to tell you in advance what colours will be in a box set, as the sets are often sealed and the makers change the colours included from time to time.
I prefer the light grey colour (“the grass is always greener on the other side”) – as my eyes age, dark corners & surfaces hide to many things. If you shop around, you can get the Cotman set for about ~£19 & the artists/professional set for ~£32 inc. shipping now (Oct 2016) – cheaper than they were 27 years ago when I first encounter one!
I like the selection of colors in the Cotman box – same as the £7 box I started with and still use most often (despite owning many fancier alternative). Some of the Professional box’s colours are odd (white & black) & some classic favourites (burnt umber) are missing – I suspect W&N might have used artists quality paints with cheap pigments to keep the price down. I find Cotman colours good, some are very strong (Viridian!) others seem the same as artist quality to me (e.g. ochre) – I still frequently use Cotman even though I now own many artist quality paints (W&N, Daniel Smith, Daler Rowney).
The Cotman range is their student quality paint. I have now tried both and there is a lot more pigment in the artist quality paints so if you have the pennies or can get good deals they are worth the price but when finds are tight the Cotman rage is perfectly good especially when you are just starting out or are using them in things like the mindfulness colouring books.
Bear in mind it depends on how your finished work will be stored or viewed. the artist quality paint is much more lightfast than the Cotman range, so if you are painting a picture that will be on a wall, then bear in mind that over time it will fade more quickly with those paints.
Still love them though and I use them most as I’m usually using them in sketchbooks or journals.