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The Tobios kit is the most complete beginner watercolor bundle at its price — consistent paints, a wooden palette, an included sketchbook, and everything you need to start painting the day it arrives.
The Tobios watercolor kit has built a following among beginners looking for an all-in-one starter set. It shows up regularly in beginner forums and YouTube unboxings, which raises the obvious question: does the kit actually deliver, or is it marketing doing the heavy lifting? I've been painting with watercolors for over a decade out of Portland, and I put the Tobios kit through its paces on multiple paper types and project scales.
If you're also comparing complete beginner packages, see our guide to best watercolor sets and our guide to watercolor supplies for beginners for a broader look at the category.
Overview
The Tobios watercolor kit is a complete starter bundle aimed at beginners and hobbyists. At its price point — typically between $25 and $40 depending on the variant — it competes directly with Arteza's beginner kits and the lower end of the Paul Rubens range. The appeal is straightforward: one purchase covers everything you need to start painting.
The kit is student grade, not artist grade. That's not a criticism — it's the right tool for the right job. If you're learning, you don't need Daniel Smith pigments. But it does mean the paint won't behave identically to professional-grade materials, and anyone expecting artist-level performance from a $30 bundle will be disappointed.
Where Tobios earns its reputation is consistency. The paints activate reliably, the colors read close to what they appear in the palette, and the set doesn't feel like it's fighting you while you develop basic technique. For its intended audience, that's the most important thing to get right.
What's in the Box
Paints (12 Colors)
12 vibrant paints covering warm and cool primaries, a couple of earth tones, and a few convenience mixes. You squeeze a little of each into the wooden palette wells and rewet as you go. Pigment density is in line with other student-grade sets at this price. Blues and greens perform best; reds and yellows are slightly less vibrant compared to the Winsor & Newton Cotman equivalent. With 12 colors you mix more of your own shades, which is good practice for a beginner.
Water Brush
A single refillable water brush is included — you fill the barrel and gently squeeze to feed water through the tip, so there's no separate water cup to carry. It's the right tool for this kit's travel-and-journaling use case. The tip holds a reasonable point for a beginner brush, though for fine detail or large washes you'll eventually want dedicated round and flat brushes alongside it.
Cotton-Paper Sketchbook
A small cotton-paper sketchbook is included — a useful addition that many competing kits skip entirely. The paper handles light washes without immediate buckling and accepts basic layering, which is plenty for first exercises and color-mixing practice. It won't behave like a heavyweight Arches block, but for the kit's journaling and travel use case it does the job, and the bound format keeps your practice in one place.
Wooden Palette
The kit's standout piece is its compact walnut wood palette. You squeeze the paints into its wells, let them dry, and rewet them like pans — so the tubes effectively become a refillable travel set. It feels far nicer in hand than the plastic trays most starter kits ship with. The wells are on the small side, so for larger washes you'll want a deeper porcelain palette alongside it, but for journaling and travel work it's genuinely pleasant to use.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Who It's Best For
Complete Beginners
If you've never picked up a watercolor brush and want to find out if the medium is for you, the Tobios kit removes all the friction from getting started. One purchase, everything you need, no decisions to make about which brushes or paper to buy separately. That's the strongest case for it.
Students and Young Painters
For students learning in a class setting or younger painters working through exercises, the Tobios kit provides enough color range and enough material to work through months of practice. The low financial commitment also means you won't hesitate to experiment freely.
Gift Buyers
As a gift for someone who's expressed interest in watercolor painting, the Tobios kit presents well and contains everything the recipient needs to get started without any follow-up purchases. Better than buying paints alone and leaving the recipient to figure out the rest.
Not for Intermediate or Advanced Painters
If you've moved past basic exercises and want to develop your palette seriously, the Tobios kit will feel limiting. At that stage, individual artist-grade tube paints or a set like the Daniel Smith Essentials will serve you far better.
How It Compares: Tobios vs Arteza vs Paul Rubens
These three brands compete directly at the beginner-to-hobbyist price point. Here's how they break down in practice:
| Tobios | Arteza | Paul Rubens | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | $25–$40 | $16–$35 | $28–$45 |
| Color count | 12 | 36–60 | 48 |
| Pigment density | Moderate | Low–moderate | Moderate–good |
| Brushes included | 1 water brush | 2–3 (basic) | 1–2 (basic) |
| Paper included | Yes (sketchbook) | No | No |
| Pan consistency | Good | Variable | Good |
| Best for | Complete beginners | Color variety seekers | Advancing hobbyists |
Tobios vs Arteza: Arteza offers more colors at the low end and slightly lower prices, but paint consistency varies more across the set. Some Arteza pans are vibrant; others are chalky. Tobios is more predictable. If starting out, predictability matters more than color count.
Tobios vs Paul Rubens: Paul Rubens punches above its weight in terms of pigment quality — closer to mid-grade artist paint than true student grade. If you have some painting experience and want better paints at a reasonable price, Paul Rubens is worth the slight premium. For a complete beginner, Tobios is the better starting point because it includes more in the box.
Verdict
The Tobios watercolor kit does what it sets out to do: give a complete beginner everything they need in a single purchase, at a price that doesn't make the decision difficult. The paints are consistent, the color range is workable, and the included paper means you can start painting the moment it arrives.
It won't hold up to serious work or replace artist-grade materials, and the palette and brushes will need upgrading once you've developed a practice. But for its audience — curious beginners and gift buyers — it earns a genuine recommendation.
If you're already past the beginner stage, spend the money on Paul Rubens pans or Daniel Smith tubes instead. If you're just starting out and want the easiest possible entry into the medium, the Tobios kit is a solid choice.
Check Current Price on AmazonFrequently Asked Questions
Is the Tobios watercolor kit good for beginners?
Yes. The Tobios kit is well-suited to beginners who want a complete set without buying supplies separately. The included paints are serviceable for learning core techniques, and the palette and brushes are functional enough for the early stages of practice. It won't replace artist-grade materials, but it handles the job it's designed for.
How many colors does the Tobios watercolor kit include?
The standard Tobios kit includes 12 paints. The selection covers warm and cool versions of the primaries, a couple of earth tones, and a few convenience mixes. With 12 colors you mix more of your own shades, which is good practice — and for most beginner and hobbyist purposes the range is plenty.
How does Tobios compare to Arteza watercolors?
Tobios and Arteza sit in the same price bracket and quality tier. Tobios has slightly better pigment density in the blues and greens, while Arteza has a wider color count in their larger sets. Neither is artist grade. If you're deciding between the two, Tobios edges ahead on paint consistency; Arteza offers more variety if color count matters to you.
Can you refill the Tobios paints?
The Tobios kit comes as tube paints that you squeeze into the wooden palette wells and let dry, then rewet like pans — so in effect you refill it yourself from the tubes. When a tube runs low you can top up the same well, or buy Tobios paint refills. It isn't built around drop-in replacement pans the way a Winsor & Newton Cotman tin is, but the squeeze-and-dry approach means you're never locked to a fixed set of colors.