Everyone has their own skill. My mom’s the artist. I’m the word nerd. But lately, I’ve become fascinated with replicating hues on my travels. I don’t need to make images—just staring at the sunset and trying to find the same colors in a box of watercolor paint makes me happy.
When I discovered the Case for Making 8 Color Travel Set, I started incorporating that fascination into my travels.
The San Francisco-based company makes all their colors by hand in their shop using the highest quality earth and synthetic pigments and natural watercolor binding medium made from gum Arabic (sap from acacia trees), honey, glycerine, and distilled water.
The travel sets are small boxes of 8 colors that measure about 2.5 inches by 3.25 inches—less than half the size of an iPhone 13 Pro Max. You can fit it in your pocket on a hike, and take some creative time on a hike. You can tuck it into a clutch and paint the sunset during happy hour. You can even bust it out on a flight to pass the time.
If you feel limited using 8 colors and all the blends that they make, the cases can fit four more half-pans. Shop around on the CFM site for the hues you think you’re missing, and add them (for about $9.50-$20 each, depending on the color).
Case for Making has a variety of 8 color travel sets: combo (pictured), custom feels, fluorescent, cool, warm, primary palette, jewel tone palette, monochromatic red/pink, monochromatic yellow/orange, monochromatic green/earth, monochromatic blue/violet, and monochromatic black/white/metallic. All (except custom feels and jewel tone palette) list for $106. The custom feels and jewel tone palette list for $126.
Use your own brushes, or snag the Case for Making Matte Gold Travel Brushes, which take up far less room in your bag.