Tobio's vs. Emily Lex: The Definitive Watercolor Guide

Beginner watercolor has quietly become one of the most popular ways to start making art. Social media is full of calm, tidy little painting setups, and two names come up again and again for people who want to begin: Emily Lex and Tobio's. They are often mentioned together, but they are not the same kind of product at all. So do they really stack up for a beginner, and if you love the Emily Lex look, what is the best Emily Lex alternative?

You might have heard of Emily Lex, the queen of soft palettes and flower studies. Her calm “you've got this” voice has encouraged thousands of nervous people to start painting, and she has a following of close to 300k on Instagram. We love her work and truly respect it. Her workbooks are a work of art in themselves. But it is important to know they are not kits. They do not include the things you need to get started: no brushes, no paints, no paper, no water cup. And that is the whole point. She offers gorgeous workbooks, but not the materials.

For beginners, that raises two practical questions we will keep coming back to: how much will it really cost once everything is added together, and will you actually use it, or will it end up in the back of a closet? Below we look at each brand on its own terms, covering what you get, how beginner-friendly it is, and what it costs.

Emily Lex Workbooks

Emily Lex is an author and watercolor artist who grew from a small studio into a watercolor empire. The idea is simple: take away the fear of painting. The prompts are easy to follow, the workbooks guide you step by step, and the illustrations are gorgeous. People love her gentle, patient way of teaching. It is like sitting next to someone patient rather than taking a class. If your dream is to sit at your kitchen table with a matcha latte and follow a calm, guided lesson, she is an amazing option.

What is in an Emily Lex workbook?

An Emily Lex workbook is exactly that: a workbook. You get guided prompts, step-by-step projects, and practice pages, all wrapped in her signature soft, botanical style. What you do not get is any of the materials. There are no paints, no brush, no palette, and no loose paper beyond the practice pages. The instruction is the entire product, which is lovely if you already own supplies, but it is only the first item on a beginner's shopping list.

Are Emily Lex workbooks beginner-friendly?

For the right person, very much so. The workbook takes away the fear of the blank page and hands you a friendly prompt and a bit of structure, which is exactly what many beginners need. The catch is that a workbook cannot teach you much until you have gathered and set up everything else. A true beginner still has to research paper weights, choose paints, and buy a brush and palette before the first lesson can happen. The guidance is excellent; the setup is on you.

Are Emily Lex workbooks affordable?

The workbook costs about $24 at her shop and around $26 to $28 at resellers like Anthropologie, which is reasonable on its own. But you cannot paint with a book. Before your first brushstroke you will need paints, paper, a water cup, brushes, and a palette, typically another $40 to $80. None of that is a knock on Emily Lex; a workbook is supposed to be a workbook. But if you are a beginner comparing prices, the honest full cost is the workbook plus a shopping trip, which usually lands around $65 to $100.

Tobio's Watercolor Kits

Tobio's was founded by Mel and is named after her cat. She created it because she wanted a kit she could bring everywhere: cafes, flower fields, even while commuting. She could not find one small enough, so she made her own, designed to be beginner-friendly, fast to set up, easy to carry, and easy to clean up afterward.

What is in a Tobio's kit?

Tobio's is a full all-in-one kit with everything you need to start the moment you open the box. It comes with a hardcover workbook with an embossed logo (60 sheets of 300 GSM cotton paper that does not buckle), a magnetic walnut wood palette (two halves that clip together with strong magnets, 8 wells plus a mixing plate), 12 tubes of watercolor paint (Venetian Red, Poppy Bloom, Sunset Orange, Lemon Yellow, Green Gold, Forest Green, Twilight Indigo, Glacier Blue, Electric Rose, Royal Plum, Titanium White, and Ivory Black), a refillable water brush so you never need a water cup, a wristband for cleaning the brush, plus a printed manual and a digital step-by-step guide. Nothing else to buy.

Are there different Tobio's options?

The core product is the all-in-one Watercolor Kit, but Tobio's also offers a separate Beginner's Workbook for people who want more guided practice. Much like Emily Lex's, it uses prompts so you never face a blank page: 30 pages carry fine line-drawing motifs (flowers, fruit, insects, birds, plants, and sceneries) to color in, and 30 pages are blank for your own imagination. It is printed on the same 300 GSM cotton paper as the kit, so the two work together as a system.

How beginner-friendly are Tobio's kits?

Beyond being complete, Tobio's has a quiet advantage: its size. The little workbook fits in a pocket, which is great for travel and also far less intimidating when you are starting out. The smaller the page, the smaller a mistake feels. Because everything is included and pre-matched, you never have to decide which paper or paint to buy, and the included workbook gives you the same kind of prompts and starter exercises as Emily Lex's. The whole kit weighs around three-quarters of a pound and the palette stays shut thanks to magnets, so reviewers happily take it to hiking trails, boats, the beach, and even on airplanes. That is something a workbook on your kitchen table simply cannot do.

Are Tobio's kits affordable?

Tobio's costs about $34, and that price includes the entire kit: paints, cotton paper, palette, brush, and workbook. Compare that with Emily Lex at roughly $24 for the workbook plus another $40 to $80 for paints and brushes, or about $65 to $100 before you can paint. Tobio's is the cheaper and simpler way to actually start, since you can begin the day the box arrives. You can check current price and availability on Amazon.

Final thoughts: Is Tobio's the best Emily Lex alternative?

When it comes down to choice, cost, and how quickly a beginner can actually start painting, Tobio's simply has more to offer. Emily Lex makes a genuinely beautiful, warm, guided workbook, and if you already own paints and brushes you love, it is a wonderful investment in your learning. But it is instruction only, and the real cost and setup add up fast for a true beginner.

Tobio's answers the same beginner questions in one box: no guesswork, one price tag, no shopping across multiple stores, and a guided workbook included alongside the materials it teaches on. Add in the portability, and for most people starting from zero it is the best Emily Lex alternative on the market.

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