You know that moment when you’re sitting in a cafe in Lisbon, or watching the sunset from a Greek island, and you think “I want to remember this feeling, not just take another photo”?
And phone cameras are so good these days, but somehow scrolling through 500 almost identical photos of this temple doesn’t bring back the smell of street food or the sound of scooters whizzing past.
This is where a simple watercolor travel journal comes in. It’s not about creating gallery-worthy works of art, it’s about slowing down for ten minutes and really noticing the place you’re in. The crooked shutters. The specific shade of blue on this door. The way the light hits your cup of coffee.
And the best part is, you don’t have to be “good at drawing” for this to work. You just need a small paint kit, ten minutes and the willingness to try your hand at painting something that looks more like a memory than a photograph.
Why Watercolor Journaling is Perfect for Travel
Honestly, watercolors are one of best creative hobbies for people who actually travel (not just people who post #vanlife content from their driveway). Setup takes approximately 30 seconds. Cleaning involves rinsing a brush. Your entire kit fits in a ziplock bag.
More importantly, it transforms downtime into something calming. Are you waiting for your Airbnb host? Paint the street corner. A long train ride? Paint the view. Jet lag at 5 a.m.? Paint the sunrise.
And unlike buying another magnet or shot glass, your journal weighs nothing, takes up no suitcase space, and gets better the messier and more personal it gets.
Once you have a proper travel setup, you’ll find yourself using it in situations you didn’t expect, like airport layovers, beach days, even rainy afternoons when outdoor plans fall through.
The Screen Detox You Didn’t Know You Needed
If you are a digital nomad or remote worker, chances are you spend most of your day staring at screens. You work on a laptop, relax on your phone, and often discover new places with a camera app. Traveling is supposed to be liberating, but blue light tends to stay with you.
Watercolor journaling offers a real mental reset. No notifications, no algorithms, no temptation to “just check one thing.” It’s just you, the pigment, the water and everything in front of you.
The change is noticeable. Mixing a color to match the terracotta of a roof brings your brain into a calmer, more focused state. Psychologists call it “flow state”, but what you will notice is quieter mental noise and less physical tension.
For remote workersthis contrast matters. After hours of solving problems in documents and spreadsheets, switching to a fully analog, tactile activity isn’t just relaxing: it’s restorative. You come back to work clearer and more focused.
This creates a boundary between “work mode” and “travel mode” that is otherwise difficult to maintain when your desk is where you open your laptop.
Integrate it into your remote working rhythm
For those who work while traveling, watercolor journaling can also serve as a productivity tool. A clear transition ritual makes work and exploration more satisfying.
Imagine completing a four-hour deep work session in a coworking space in Chiang Mai. Your eyes are tired, your brain is foggy, and the evening is wide open. You can browse social media or grab your paint kit, walk to a nearby temple, and spend fifteen minutes painting the front door.
This second option actually resets your brain. It takes you out, grounds you in the place you are, and creates a real memory instead of another blur of coffee shops and laptop screens. He draws a line between work in Thailand and experiment Thailand.
Over time, many remote workers find their days blending together. You’re in amazing places, but most of your memories are Slack DMs and video calls. A watercolor journal becomes proof that you were there, not only geographically, but also mentally.
The 10 Minute Routine (do it on any trip)
Here’s the routine that works even when you’re tired, in a hurry, or sitting on a wobbly plastic chair somewhere in a Mexico back street while waiting for your favorite taco stand to open.
Step 1 (60 seconds): Make a small thumbnail sketch. Don’t draw details, just capture the basic shapes. A rectangle for a building. A curve for a mountain. A blob for a tree. Seriously, it’s that simple.
Step 2 (2 minutes): Add a light pop of color to large shapes. Sky = light blue. Building = light ocher. Don’t worry about standing in queues.
Step 3 (4 minutes): Choose 1-2 focal details to paint. Maybe it’s the cafe’s sign. Maybe it’s an ornate window. Maybe it’s the silhouette of the mountain. Not everything, just the things your eyes rest on.
Step 4 (2 minutes): Add a darker wash for shadows or contrast. Mix a darker version of your main color and dab it where the shadows fall. This step alone makes everything 10 times more real.
Step 5 (60 seconds): Write a memory note. The date, the name of the place and a sensory detail. “A smell of lavender everywhere.” “The waiter spoke 6 languages.” “The wind kept blowing my towel away.” These grades matter more than you think.
Quick Tips: Use far fewer colors than you think you need. Three is more than enough. Stop sooner than necessary. Overwork is the number one reason beginner sketches become muddy.
Choose a carry-on-friendly configuration (keep it small)
This is where most beginners overthink it or don’t prepare enough. The truth? Your gear matters less than having everything in one take-home package that you’ll actually use.
What you really need:
- A compact 8-12 color watercolor palette (any more than that and you’ll never use half).
- A quality travel brush that holds water well (or a water brush with a built-in reservoir).
- A travel-sized sketchbook with paper that can handle wet media (this is much more important than expensive paint).
- A small piece of cloth or handkerchief, as well as a small collapsible container of water.
It’s much easier to get a quality setup in place before you leave on your trip. Because gathering supplies from random art stores in different countries is a hassle. You end up with mismatched pieces, missing essentials, or realize halfway through that your paper bows or palette have leaked.
If you prefer not to build your setup piece by piece, a travel watercolor kit by Tobio’s Kits designed specifically for travelers, it may be easier to stick to this habit on the road. The difference between “I should paint today” and actually painting often comes down to whether your supplies are already organized and ready to pick up.
Look for complete kits that include quality paper, an organized palette that works together, and a compact case that protects everything during transport.
Why Complete Watercolor Kits Make Sense for Travelers: Everything is color coordinated and tested to work together (no surprise muddy mix-ups). You know exactly what’s in your backpack before you leave the house and no piece is missing when inspiration strikes from one point of view.
You need better quality paper than most sketchbooks (cheap paper = frustrating results). And the case usually serves as a mixing palette and protective shell.
The ultralight advantage for backpackers
Whether you’re traveling with just a 40-liter backpack or living in a campervan, every gram and every cubic centimeter counts. You’ve already said no to the extra pair of shoes, the “just in case” jacket, and probably half of your toiletries. So why would you add a creative hobby to the mix?
Well, watercolor journaling is probably the most effective creative activity out there. A good travel kit weighs less than a paperback book. It takes up less space than your charging cables. And unlike a camera with multiple lenses or a full drawing setup with pencils, erasers, and markers, there’s almost nothing to do.
For backpackers on long-term tripsthat matters a lot. You can carry your entire art studio in one side pocket. And you don’t have to worry about theft or damage to expensive photo equipment. What more? If your bag gets soaked in a sudden rainstorm, your watercolors will be fine (they’re supposed to be wet, after all).
Why Compact Crafts Work for Vanlifers
Vanlifers have a different but related advantage when it comes to space: limited flat surfaces and storage. A watercolor kit doesn’t need a desktop setup. You can paint while sitting on a beach, perched on the back bumper of your pickup truck, or cross-legged on a picnic blanket.
The self-contained nature of a good travel kit also means you’re not scrambling for a cup of water or spreading out supplies on a table you don’t have.
There is also something philosophically aligned between minimalist travel and a watercolor journal. Both aim to do more with less. Both value experience over accumulation. And both reward people who learn to appreciate simplicity rather than constantly adding material to the pile.
Packing Tips to Avoid Disasters
Just in case, pack your palette in a ziplock bag even if it claims to be waterproof (cabin pressure does weird things). Keep your sketchbook in a separate waterproof pouch if it’s humid or rainy. And use a small pencil case or the kit’s own pencil case for everything to keep it together and easy to grip.
It’s also a good idea to test your setup at home first; make three practical sketches before traveling.
What to ignore
- Paints in tube luminous (they explode, they dry out, they get dirty).
- More than two brushes (you’ll only use one anyway).
- Giant notepads or heavy boards (A5 or smaller is perfect for travel).
- Sophisticated extras like masking fluid, texture supports or specialty tools.
Easy topics that always work when traveling
If you’re watching a scene and thinking “this is too complicated,” try one of these solutions instead:
Your cup of coffee + the receipt next to it – instant still life. A street sign or a storefront – letters are easier than faces. A door or a window – architecture in miniature. A local snack or fruit – a mango. A pastry shop. Whatever is in front of you.
Rooftops or horizon from your window: the silhouettes are forgiving. A single plant or flower: markets and gardens are everywhere. Your view from the seat of the train or boat: blur the details, it’s all about ambiance.
Rule for beginners: Choose a subject, an angle, a light source. Don’t try to paint the whole place. Paint the fountain. Or the tree. Or the bench. Pick one thing and commit to it.
The great thing about having proper watercolor kits is that you never wonder if you have the right color. A well-designed travel palette gives you enough options to paint anything from tropical beaches to European cobblestone streets without having to search for supplies.
Real-World Travel Painting Problems (And Simple Solutions)
Let’s be honest: travel painting isn’t always serene Instagram watercolor time. Here’s what’s actually wrong and how to fix it.
- Wind at the viewpoints: Use your body as a windbreaker. Sit with your back to the wind. Clip your pages with a binder clip. Or just paint larger, simpler shapes that don’t require precision.
- Humidity or slow drying: Paint with lighter washes so the layers dry faster. Or make two small sketches instead of one detailed page. Use the waiting time to write notes or prepare for the next sketch. This is where quality paper really shows its value. Cheap paper stays wet forever in humid climates.
- Small coffee tables or fragile transports: Simplify everything. Paint the silhouettes with flat washes. Keep your water tank barely full so it doesn’t spill. Accept that wobbly lines seem more authentic. Having a compact kit that doesn’t spread out on the table makes this infinitely easier.
- Muddy colors (the universal beginner’s problem): Rinse your brush more than you think is necessary. Limit color mixtures to 2 pigments maximum. Allow each layer to dry completely before adding the next. Quality watercolor kits usually include colors formulated to mix cleanly, helping to avoid the dreaded “everything turns brown” problem.
But remember, none of these problems mean you’re bad at it. This simply means you travel instead of painting in a controlled studio.
How to maintain this habit (without making it a duty)
The trick is to make it small enough that you can actually do it:
Use the “one page per location” rule. You don’t have to paint every day. Only one page per city, per hike, per beach. Low pressure, high reward.
Choose a theme for the trip. Paint only the doors. Breakfasts only. Only sunsets. Only market scenes. A theme makes decisions easier and gives your journal a cohesive feel.
Plan it like you would plan a museum. Ten minutes after morning coffee. Or during transit days when you have to wait anyway. Treat it like a little date with yourself.
Keep your kit visible. If your supplies are buried in the bottom of your backpack, you won’t use them. Keep them in an outside pocket or at the top of your day bag. Out of sight really means out of mind.
Start before you feel ready
Here’s your challenge: On your next trip, paint a page within the first 24 hours. Not when you’ve found the “perfect” view. Not after practicing. Simply open your kit, choose something in front of you, and spend ten minutes painting on paper.
It won’t be perfect. This could be shaky. But it will be yours, and it will remember this trip better than any photo. That’s the whole point.
Whether you’re a backpacker counting grams, a digital nomad looking for screen-free time, or a casual traveler looking for a souvenir more meaningful than another fridge magnet, the watercolor journal is for you. It requires almost nothing from your luggage and brings back memories that you will actually come back to.
So stop waiting for the right time or the right skill level. Grab a travel kit, pick a trip, and paint something ugly. Then paint something a little less ugly. Before long, you’ll have a journal full of places you actually remember, not just places you took photos.