Is This Popular Watercolour Kit Worth the Money?! Splatter & Bloom watercolor painting kit review

​Let’s review this premium watercolour kit from Splatter and Bloom. Backed by watercolour artist Kate Talcotte, this kit boasts professional level paints and paper, cute themed prints, and online instruction. Is it worth your investment?

​​Why art or craft kits?

​I love a good art kit around here! Art kits are a streamlined and often affordable way to try out a hobby. However, not all art kits are created equal. If you’re a crafty person, you’ve undoubtedly tried an art or craft kit that has left you dissappointed. Either the contents are garbage, or the final product leaves much to be desired.
My hack for success with art and craft kits is to buy from a small business. Small business kit creators really want you to be successful with your kit! They often offer video tutorials, better supplies, and great customer support. The supplier of our kit today, Splatter and Bloom, is a small family-owned business run by my online friend, Kate. You should know that Kate provided me the kit at no charge, but she hasn’t paid me to do this review.

Unboxing the Splatter and Bloom Kit

I received Splatter and Bloom’s “Plant Zen” kit. I’m a plant collector, so these designs really appealed to me. The package arrived a bit scuffed, courtesy of Canada Post, but the contents were perfectly intact. Inside the shipping envelope the kit was in a protective sleeve, and the art materials were tucked safe inside two illustrated cards.

What's Inside?

• 6 Paint Dots: Kate has curated 6 artist-quality watercolour paints for this kit. Each dot is labeled with both the brand and colour, making it easy to repurchase your favorites.
• Line Drawings: The kit includes three beautiful plant-themed line drawings on thick, sturdy Arches paper. Arches paper is famously a favourite among watercolourists.
• Brushes: A sealed pack of three fine-tipped multi-sized brushes is included. Having different brush sizes is great and the fine tips are great for tiny details.

---

Screenshot from Splatter and Bloom's video tutorial wherein Kate uses the kit's palette to make a colour array

Getting Started
​
The package has a QR code you can handily follow to access a video playlist. The playlist includes some short introductory videos and three longer video tutorials that walk you through completing each painting. The introductory videos are definitely worth watching. I was really interested in the portion where Kate creates a colour array with the 6 paint dots. You can really see how many colours are available from mixing the 6 included paints.  
I set up my workspace with a vase of water, a few papertowels, and a plastic placemat as a mixing palette. 

---

Painting Experience
​
First Painting: Geometric Terrarium
​
I followed Kate’s tutorial closely, applying her layering techniques to build up shades and tones. I added my touch by filling in some white spaces with a subtle blue wash, giving the terrarium a more cohesive look. The final painting turned out beautifully.

---

Second Painting: Potted Plant
​
This painting taught me new techniques and allowed me to zone in and quiet my mind. The colors were rich and saturated, unlike the chalky finish I’d experienced with cheaper watercolors. The indigo pot, in particular, stood out with its vibrant hue.

---

Third Painting: Bookcase with Plants

This one was the most challenging due to its intricate details. It took the longest, but I enjoyed focusing on each tiny element. My version ended up moodier than the sample, which I loved. The process was therapeutic, and the final result was stunning.

---

Bonus Painting: Spooky Plant

Inspired by the kit, I decided to create my own line drawing of a spooky plant to apply what I had learned. After painting my three kit paintings and transitioning to the cheaper watercolour paper I had at home, It was quite obvious why Arches paper is a fan favorite. My self-supplied paper didn’t absorb the paint as nicely. The results were much streaker and less vivid. However, I persevered and the techniques I learned from Kate's tutorials helped me achieve a level of detail and depth I hadn't been able to before.
If you’re interested in painting your own spooky plant, I’ll leave the line drawing as a pdf you can download over on Patreon.

---

Final Thoughts
​
So, is the Splatter and Bloom kit worth it? Absolutely! For the price, you get high-quality materials, excellent tutorials, and a rewarding creative experience.  The supplies are top-notch, from the Arches paper to the professional-grade paints and well-made brushes.Each painting took about two hours, providing six hours of entertainment and three frame-worthy paintings. Splatter and Bloom had lots of great options on a variety of themes. I also love the Witchy Vibes and Fall Harvest kits. You can check out their full range at splatterandbloom.com.