Frazer Price: The Legendary Watercolour Box for Artists on the Move

The Frazer Price Watercolour Palette Box began as one artist’s solution to a personal problem. However, it quickly became an icon for artists around the world.

Designed by Tony Frazer Price, a publisher and frequent traveller, the box was born out of his frustration with the palette options available to watercolourists, especially those painting on the go.

Launched in 1985, the original box was handmade in Shropshire, England. It was crafted from lacquered brass with durable plastic inserts. Compact in size, it was designed to house 18 half pans or tube colours, and included features such as a thumb hole for holding, fold-out mixing trays, a water bottle, and a divided water reservoir for clean and dirty water. Everything a travelling artist needed was built into a single, elegant box.

The palette box quickly gained a reputation for its quality and innovation. It was the only product ever endorsed by Rowland Hilder, one of Britain’s most celebrated watercolourists. It became a collector’s item when production ceased in the early 1990s after selling over 5,000 units worldwide. For years, secondhand Frazer Price boxes were the only ones in circulation, treasured by those lucky enough to own one.

In 2021, to the delight of many, a new edition of the Frazer Price Watercolour Palette Box was released, reintroducing this icon to a new generation of painters.

Fun fact: When the prototype was first completed, Frazer Price offered the design to Winsor & Newton. They initially expressed interest but ultimately declined, branding it as too glamorous. They later introduced their own Cotman box, loosely inspired by Frazer Price’s design - an unintentional legacy that continues to influence travel palettes today.

Today, the Frazer Price Watercolour Palette Box stands as a testament to thoughtful design, practicality, and the enduring spirit of creativity.

‘Its mirror-like brass finish makes the Frazer Price Watercolour Palette Box a truly luxurious watercolour accessory, but it is as functional as it is beautiful. With its ergonomic and comfortable design, ideal for both working in the studio and en plein air, it’s no surprise that it is so highly sought after by artists.’

- Evie Hatch, ‘We Test the New Frazer Price Watercolour Palette Box’, Jackson’s Art Blog