Est. 2026 · Price: FreeEditor-at-large: The Hedgehog

Stationery Times

Wet paint, steady hands: a watercolor desk setup

A watercolor desk setup: an Arches cold-press block mid-painting, a 48-color Kuretake Gansai Tambi set, a water brush and a real brush pen, a Pitt artist pen for lines, and a Daniel Smith dot card for trying new colors.

At home · Price range: $–$$$ · 6 items · Updated

The desk and every item on it are original illustrations made for this page and owned by Stationery Times, drawn to real size.

1. Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen: read the guide

Pens · Brush pen

Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen

Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pen Brush explained: lightfast pigmented India ink, 1–5 mm brush line, Soft and Big Brush versions, 138 mm size, 59 colors and origin.

2. Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush: read the guide

Pens · Brush pen

Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush

Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush pen explained: polyester bristle tip, blendable dye ink, color counts and sets, 155 mm size, lightfastness, and origin.

3. Pentel Aquash water brush: read the guide

Accessories · Water brush

Pentel Aquash water brush

Pentel Aquash water brush explained: five nylon tip sizes with exact widths, 7.5 ml barrel, 155 mm capped, filling and cleaning, and its Vistage name in Japan.

4. Arches watercolor block: read the guide

Paper · Sketch & art pad

Arches watercolor block

What sizes does the Arches watercolor block come in? 13 cold-press sizes from 3.9 × 9.8 in to 18 × 24 in, 140 lb or 300 lb, 100% cotton, glued on 4 sides.

5. Kuretake Gansai Tambi: read the guide

Accessories · Watercolor set

Kuretake Gansai Tambi

Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors explained: what gansai is, the 48-color set (MC20/48V), box sizes from 12 to 48 colors, opacity, refills and made in Japan.

6. Daniel Smith dot card: read the guide

Accessories · Watercolor dot cards

Daniel Smith dot card

Daniel Smith Watercolor Dot Cards explained: 266 watercolors and 22 gouache colors as dried dots on five letter-size cards, the 66-dot card and how to use them.

Hover or press Tab on any item to see what it is.Tap a numbered item to see what it is, then use the arrows to step through the desk. Plain props (keyboard, mouse, plants and so on) are scenery. Everything is drawn at roughly the same scale.

What is on this desk?

  1. Pens · Brush pen

    Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen

    Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pen Brush explained: lightfast pigmented India ink, 1–5 mm brush line, Soft and Big Brush versions, 138 mm size, 59 colors and origin.

  2. Pens · Brush pen

    Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush

    Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush pen explained: polyester bristle tip, blendable dye ink, color counts and sets, 155 mm size, lightfastness, and origin.

  3. Accessories · Water brush

    Pentel Aquash water brush

    Pentel Aquash water brush explained: five nylon tip sizes with exact widths, 7.5 ml barrel, 155 mm capped, filling and cleaning, and its Vistage name in Japan.

  4. Paper · Sketch & art pad

    Arches watercolor block

    What sizes does the Arches watercolor block come in? 13 cold-press sizes from 3.9 × 9.8 in to 18 × 24 in, 140 lb or 300 lb, 100% cotton, glued on 4 sides.

  5. Accessories · Watercolor set

    Kuretake Gansai Tambi

    Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors explained: what gansai is, the 48-color set (MC20/48V), box sizes from 12 to 48 colors, opacity, refills and made in Japan.

  6. Accessories · Watercolor dot cards

    Daniel Smith dot card

    Daniel Smith Watercolor Dot Cards explained: 266 watercolors and 22 gouache colors as dried dots on five letter-size cards, the 66-dot card and how to use them.