Review: Meeden 42-Colour Travel Watercolour Palette: A Must-Have for Illustrators or a quirky gimmick?

Meeden 42-Colour Travel Watercolour Palette

As an illustrator, I’m always on the hunt for tools that enhance creativity without compromising on quality. Whether working at home or sketching on the go, having a reliable watercolour set is essential for me, so when I saw the Meeden 42-Colour Travel Watercolour Palette on Amazon; (a compact, budget-friendly set that promises vibrant pigments and portability), I just had to try it.

My First Impressions

Right out of the box, the Meeden 42-Colour Palette makes an excellent first impression. It’s sleek, lightweight, and compact enough to slip into a travel bag or even a large pocket. The set includes:

• 42 half-pans of watercolour paint

• Two built-in mixing trays

• A water brush and sponge

For illustrators who enjoy sketching outdoors or painting while travelling, this set ticks a lot of boxes. It’s designed to be completely self-contained and there is no need to carry extra mixing palettes or water jars. But while the packaging is convenient, the real test was in the quality of the pigments.

My thoughts on Pigment Performance

The colours in this set activated quickly, which made it easy to get straight into painting without excessive scrubbing. The variety of colours was impressive and there’s a balanced mix of primaries, earth tones, and pastels, which offers great flexibility for both loose sketches and more detailed pieces. However, when it comes to professional-grade quality, there are a few compromises that have been made with this set. Some of the darker pigments, particularly ultramarine blue and burnt umber, dry with a slightly chalky finish. While this won’t be a dealbreaker for quick sketches or casual studies, those working professionally, and those of you that prefer ultra-smooth washes may need to work around this by layering carefully or incorporating other professional-grade pigments into your workflow. Or just using this set as a study, rather than for final images.

My thoughts on Mixing & Layering

One of my favourite aspects of watercolour is its ability to layer and blend. The Meeden set performs well in mixing and most colours combine cleanly without becoming muddy, but I found that the more opaque colours kind of resisted layering. This meant that my attempt at some delicate transitions required a bit more patience and a lot more practice for me to get right. The built-in mixing trays of this set were a great touch, and they provided a modest amount of space to experiment with colour blends. If you work in mixed media or like to fine-tune your palettes before committing to a final illustration, this feature is a definite plus. I must admit though that my tendency to want to try everything at once meant that this set got very messy very quickly and it was difficult to balance the different layers at times.

My thoughts on Usability & Portability

For illustrators who love working outside of their studio, this set is a dream for portability if you can get over the fact that you are probably going to make more mess than you thought you would with it. The set is very light, reasonably sturdy (when it is dry), and the inclusion of a water brush means you can paint anywhere without the hassle of carrying a separate brush roll and water container. That said, the water brush itself is fairly basic. It works well enough for casual sketches but lacks the precision needed for detailed line work. If you prefer more control over your brushstrokes, I’d recommend using your favourite travel brushes instead. My set came with a few additional water brushes which were a step up from the one in the set, but I'd still recommend if you have a favourite, use that.

Who Is This Palette For?

So, should you add the Meeden 42-Colour Travel Watercolour Palette to your kit? Here’s my breakdown:

I think it is great for:

• Illustrators who love to sketch and paint outdoors or while travelling

• Artists looking for a budget-friendly, portable set

• Those who enjoy exploring different mediums and don’t mind some pigment variation

• Beginners or hobbyists who want a versatile colour range without investing in individual pans

  
  

This set is Not ideal for:

• Illustrators who need highly granulating or ultra-transparent pigments

• Those looking for professional-grade layering and smooth colour transitions

• Artists who rely on high-precision brushes rather than washes and looser techniques

  
  

My Final Thoughts

While this isn’t a replacement for top-tier professional paints, it’s an excellent companion for illustrators who want a reliable, portable set for travel and quick studies. The colour variety, affordability, and convenience make it a solid addition to an illustrator’s toolkit, particularly for those who enjoy experimenting with different materials and techniques, but I really wouldnt recommend it for final rendering, unless you didnt have anything more reliable

Would I personally use it for finished commissions? Probably not. But for on-the-go sketching, colour studies, and creative exploration? Absolutely.

What’s Your Go-To Travel Palette?

If you’ve tried the Meeden 42-Colour Palette, I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. (Did you make as much of a mess with it as I did?). How do you think it compares to your favourite sets? Drop a comment below or share your sketches with me on social media. I love seeing how different illustrators use the same materials in unique ways!

Note: This is not a paid review and all opinions are my own, espcailly my opinion that you should wait for this set to dry before trying to pack it up.