My ALL TIME Favourite Palette for Watercolour

by Tom Shepherd
December 22, 2025
4 min read

I wanted to share with you one of my absolute favourite objects that I own!

Certainly my favourite piece of art equipment!

These are the wonderful Brass Bugs Boxes painting palette / boxes, handmade by Ray Blundell here in the UK.

See more of Ray’s wonderful creations here:
https://brassbugspaintboxes.co.uk/

I want to talk about these briefly, for a few reasons:

(Below: 2 of my 4 Brass Bug Boxes)

1) Number one, I get asked all the time about my paint boxes.

I travel and teach a lot, and my Doodle Bug Boxes, seen below, literally go everywhere with me — whether I’m at home with the kids, in the studio, travelling in the UK or abroad, teaching, or just painting.

(Below: at home with "The Littles" Painting)

2) Secondly, I only talk about art equipment and materials that I really believe in… and I love everything about these paint boxes.

The handmade yet top-quality nature, how they feel to hold and use, how they look and how practical they are...and so I really feel more people should know about them!

(Below: Painting Deep in the Kenyan Wilderness)

3) Thirdly, I first met Ray some years ago, and not only does he make these wonderful items, he is extremely enthusiastic about them, and rightly so.

A great artist himself, and a very down-to-earth, kind, humble person… and very supportive too.

I really want more people to know about these awesome palettes, and if you feel called to, to investigate one for yourself!

(Below: My Doodle Box in action painting Maasai Dancers live in Kenya)

So, straight off the bat, I absolutely love all of my Brass Bugs paint boxes, and have done from the very moment I first held them!

These are seriously high-quality items that feel lovingly handmade in the very best sense of the word; full of care, intention, and character… and they genuinely bring me a huge amount of joy every time I use them!

I have a smaller Doodle Bug which quite literally goes everywhere with me… well actually I now have three…

...it’s a long story involving thieving baboons, misplaced items, with a healthy dose of coincidence and serendipity… stories for another time, ha!… and I also have the larger Humphrey Box, which has become a real staple of my studio practice.

(Below: Maasai checking to see if I'm up to scratch!)

Now, a beautiful palette isn’t going to magically make you paint better (…well, this one might… ha)...

....but it absolutely gives you that serious feel-good factor.

And whatever your level, there’s something about using it that says to yourself: hey, I’m a watercolourist and I love it, and I deserve to use equipment that I love.

It’s definitely the most satisfying art “thing” I own.

(Below: Demonstrating alongside Mary-Anne in Zambia. Here we are co-tutoring with Art Safari.)

The practical design of these boxes is genuinely genius.

Such a compact, neat, robust little thing.

It folds out to reveal plenty of colour spaces (more than I need 90% of the time), with four fold-out sections including mixing wells and flat areas.

It is sooo simple, yet so versatile!

It stands flat on little rubber pads if you need it to, it’s got a great little thumb ring underneath when you’re on the go, and its robustness allows me to bulldog-clip sponges or cloths to it for cleaning brushes if needed. And it folds away…

...the way it all folds and slots together is actually such a satisfying element in itself. I quite often find myself just opening and closing it for no reason… you know what I mean!

The mixing wells that give these boxes their bug shape are extremely deceptive in how much you can mix in. Even with my little Doodle Bug, which is compact and beautifully neat, I’ve easily painted many, many full-sheet watercolours absolutely no problem.

(Below: 2 maps I painted for House in Wild Safari Lodge in Kenya, whilst out on Safari using my Doodle Bug!! These are Full sheet size, so 56x76cm!)

That box has travelled the world with me — teaching and painting on French streets, wild British beaches, and deep in the Zambian bush — and it is always the first art item I pack. Every time.

I give my palettes an absolute beating, and the funny thing is, the more used they are, the more paint splashed all over them, the better they look and feel.

(Below: The Safari truck become the perfect table out in the Zambian Bush!)

In a world full of cheap, throwaway stuff, this is the complete opposite.

A genuinely beautiful, highly practical, feel-good palette that feels made to be used, abused, and loved for a lifetime.

I’m pretty sure it will outlive me — and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still being used, still carrying paint and memories, long after I’m gone. It’s my absolute go-to for any painting situation.

I also love the depth of colour in the finishes — they look the business and are seriously hard-wearing.

You won’t be disappointed in this artistic investment. Not one bit.

A few more photos below if you keep scrolling :):

LINKS

Brass Bug Painting Boxes by Ray Blundell

Art Safari- Art Holidays with a difference

Adam Bannister Photographer & Wildlife Guide (who took the Kenya Photos)

Thornicroft Safari Lodge Zambia

Thanks for reading!!:)

(Below: All the smaller painting created for House in the Wild whilst out in their Safari Lodges in Kenya. All created for their guidebooks, and using my Doodle Bug Box!)