Just received this mini easel the other day and it has a great built quality with many options for an artist in the studio or for pleinair painting. I started a detailed pencil drawing with an arches hot press water block of a hummingbird and found that it works great just sitting on the drafting table. It can take many different sized paper and blocks for just a small easel. Great to put in a purse or tote with your other art supplies and go pleinair painting. It features many customable ways of using this mini ease.

The screws for the lid were already put in when I got it- When putting in the screw studs, please make sure the hole is clear of any part of the wood to prevent splintering when the screw is used. I opened the paintbox and where the screw went through the stud, the wood was chipped. (You'll see another hole where a screw went through right above it.)Also, the larger water well hole was drilled at an angle, As shown in the photo, I sanded it to a true 90 degrees, to fit the water well. The screws themselves would be more beneficial for long term use if each had a small rubber grommet, not just two. The screws that were put in the lid did not have the grommet, and at first, I could keep the lid at an angle. I changed the screws for one with grommets to get it to stay open and at an angle.The more I worked on fixing this thing, valued at &95.00 at the time, the lower the score got. If future customers are still interested, please have woodworking tools at the ready.Now that I have fixed the chip, the hole and well hole angle, I will wax with Osmos wax to ensure a waterproofness to the work.I'm not sending it back, as I have an old Cohiba box, and very well may cannibalize the hardware to make another paint box altogether.

I was a bit nervous after reading some of the reviews, but I decided to give it a shot—and to my surprise, I really like this product! This Portable Sketchbox is compact yet highly functional. The water cup hole and cup size are a perfect match, making it easy to place and remove. The walnut wood is smoothly polished, giving it a premium look and feel. It’s clearly designed as a Travel Watercolor Palette for plein air painting, so if you mainly work on larger indoor pieces, this might not be the best choice.I tested it with two of my watercolor sketchbooks (both under 10 inches), and they fit just fine. I’d guess that anything bigger might require some adjustments following the instructions. The mixing palette is a bit small, and the edges aren’t deep enough, so paint can run off easily. It’s totally fine for smaller paintings, but if you're working on something larger, using a separate palette would be a better option. The watercolor box itself has some weight to it—handheld use might work for quick sketches, but for longer painting sessions, using a Plein Air Easel or tripod would definitely be a better choice.Overall, this is a really convenient Travel Watercolor Palette, and I plan to keep using it.

I was so very excited to receive this pochade box. Very disappointed. This first box I ordered came with a warped lid. I ordered another. I haven’t even used it yet and the handle came off. I’m not going to order it a third time.

Although there were few reviews on this pochade box, I decided to take a chance on it. I'm glad I did!The pochade is lightweight, but sturdy. It can be configured in many ways depending on how you paint. I like to take a ceramic palette for my washes out in the field, but a flat gurney style easel always left me worried I'd break my palette. This one keeps the delicate palette in there securely with its raised sides. I have used it with my smaller ceramic palette with its protective tin, but I also tried my favorite Meeden 9-well rectangle palette and it fits inside perfectly. Due to its lightweight, it should be easy to take on flights when I travel and I found its small size comfortable to bring in my bag when I went out painting. The tripod connection point is secure and worked with my tripod.My small watercolor tin fits on the larger side panel. The panel is sturdy and thick. The included screws secure it well. I like that I have the option of putting up two side panels if I need them. You only get four screws. I have placed mine into a plastic box for storage to prevent losing them. Not sure if you can order replacements or not.The two holes meant for the metal water cups fit the accessories, but the larger of the two also fits my 2oz Nalgene water jar. The Nalgene jar is lighter than the included metal cups and I can seal my paint water for disposal at home. I did try the plastic water cup that comes with the kit and it fits on the side bar securely and is of a useful size. The bar is on the right side and can't be moved. If you are right handed, this is okay.Two metal sheets with a printed wood pattern come with the pochade. The smaller one covers the included watercolor wells and the larger one fills the bottom inside of the box, covering the wells and the two "thumbholes". I find both to be useful. They seem to stick to the pochade magnetically.The only con to this box was the metal attachments to keep your journal on the box. If I worked with a larger sketch journal, I feel it would be okay with the addition of a larger clamp. I ended up propping my sketchbook on the bottom holders with my watercolor tin and palette tin helping to keep it in place. In the future, I will need to find a bigger clamp to work with the thicker upper part of the box and my book. My usual clamps were not big enough. However, my typical small clamps worked with the two side shelves to secure my paper towel and other misc items.My final verdict is I like the box and look forward to taking it out for urban sketching. It has made my painting experience easier and protects my favored ceramic palettes while outside. I've had other easels in the past, but they were all larger. This one is small and light, easy to tuck into a bag or to wear with your own purse straps. I will bring it with me more often due to this. If a small pochade easel is something you are looking for, I can recommend this one to you.

My easel came and the holes were not cut correctly and the cups don’t fit in the holes. It also says canvas, which I bought in anticipation and now find out it’s panels not canvas. With the holes not cut right it doesn’t function properly.