My 10-year-old daughter is the artistic type and so her favourite gifts to get are always art-related. At her age, it becomes difficult to find new and original art products that can hold her interest. But when I found the Nebulous Stars sets, it was like I hit upon a goldmine for her as they are meant specifically for older children in her age range. We have both greatly enjoyed delving into the world of Nebulous Stars and this watercolour set was yet another hit! The set comes folded into a beautifully illustrated hardcover book-type case with a magnetic closure. The book is pretty small at approximately 7.3” tall x 4.5” wide and is approximately 12” wide when fully extended. Inside the book you will find a paint palette and water-brush as well as a pad filled with colouring pages. Both the palette and the colouring pad are approximately 6.5” tall x 4” wide. The paint palette is made of plastic and contains 8 metallic water-colour paints in various hues. The colouring pad contains 16 pages of beautifully-rendered illustrations done in white ink on black paper. The illustrations include mermaids, pretty girls, magical creatures etc. done in a sort of anime style. The paper is like a very strong construction paper, so the paint will not bleed through. The pages are all easily tearable so your child can hang their art after they have completed it. The water-brush has a handle made of clear plastic that can be filled with water. This allows your child to take their watercolour painting on the road. My daughter really adores this little set, she can throw it in her backpack and take it to daycare or anywhere, really. It's also perfect for long trips, since it's easy for your child to pack, hold onto, and use while traveling. My daughter loves how the watery metallic paints look on the black paper...gauzy, sparkly, and magical. The included paint colours really suit the illustrations, which are magical, mysterious, and beautiful. Just be aware that the water-brush unscrews the opposite way from what we are used to normally. And you will want your child to know that too much water will make a blobby mess. But just like anything, it takes time to get the hang of a new activity and this is a really nice way for kids to learn how to work with watercolours because, not only is this kit comprehensive and easy to use, it's hard for kids to make a mess with it. The paper is good and strong, so that, even when your child gets a little crazy with the water and paint, there is no bleed through and the paper is absorbent and dries quickly, as well. Also, the water-brush makes it so easy for kids to blend colours, which leads to some creative experimentation. This set will inspire your kids to get creative and use their imagination and will also serve to fine-tune their eye-hand coordination as well as their fine motor skills. Also, this is a nice relaxing activity that will have the result of calming your child. And it's a nice first step into the world of watercolour painting for amateur artists. Though this set is quite diminutive, I believe it is worth every penny of the $15.99 asking price. I love that you get everything you need to get started all in one little book that is easy to hold onto and easy to take with you. And just like all of the other sets we've tried from Nebulous Stars, this one is high quality and will instantly pique your child's curiosity as soon as they see it. This would make such a wonderful gift for any child 7 + who has an artistic bent. And the little book it comes in is so beautiful, you could even forego gift-wrap. I hope this review has helped you to make the purchasing decision that is right for you and your child(ren).
