- Do you have a retail shop to visit?
Yes! Our workshop is located in Port Townsend, WA. See our hours on the contact page.
The Art Toolkit Shop
- How soon will my order arrive?
Our supplies are hand-assembled in our shop and we do our best to ship orders within 2-3 business days. We ship via USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL, and orders typically arrive within a week in the United States, if not sooner. International orders typically take 1-2 weeks to arrive, but on occasion take up to a month if they are held up in customs. When you place your order, you will receive an order confirmation email. As soon as your order has shipped, we’ll send you shipping confirmation including a link to the tracking page for your package. We are happy to offer shipping quotes for carriers other than the USPS, or for expedited shipping. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Carrier shipping times are estimates, and are often longer due to the pandemic.
- Do you ship internationally?
- Yes! International shipments are mailed via USPS First Class International, and typically take 1-2 weeks to arrive, but can take up to a month if they are held up in customs. If you would like a quote for another carrier, please contact us.
- Will I have to pay duties/customs fees?
If you live outside of the U.S., your order will likely be subject to import duties imposed by your country. You will be responsible for paying any assessed customs fees upon receipt. Laws vary by country, but here is a great resource for estimating customs fees. We are in the process of setting up resellers around the world to ease the burden of customs on our customers.
If you live near one of our international retailers, you might be able to save on shipping and fees if they have your item in stock.
Important: if your order is not delivered to you because you refuse to pay customs fees, you will not be eligible for a refund.
- Do you offer local pickup?
- We do! If you live nearby, you should see an option at checkout for local pickup. If you’re visiting from out of town, email us and we can make sure your order is ready when you’re here.
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- We accept all major credit cards, as well as PayPal payments. If you prefer to pay over the phone, please contact us.
- My order tracking page shows the package as delivered but it is not here!
- If your order tracking page shows your package as delivered, but you have not received it, please contact your local post office to find out if your package is awaiting pickup, or will be redelivered. In addition, you can print out a copy of the tracking page and leave a note in your mailbox for your local carrier stating that you haven’t received your order and ask them to deliver it to you. They may have delivered it to the wrong address and know the whereabouts. Packages do not usually stay lost!
- What can I do if my order was damaged in shipment?
- We aim to pack every order to not only survive shipping across the world, but to be a treat to open when you receive your package! If your order was damaged in shipment, please contact us to arrange a replacement.
Orders and shipping
- Are Art Toolkit supplies available in any retail stores?
- Yes! Our goal is to make it easy for anyone around the world to find Art Toolkit supplies. Find a retailer near you on our retailers page.
- Can I become a reseller?
- If you think our supplies would be a good fit for your customers, we want to talk to you! Please see our wholesale page for details.
- Do you sell pans in bulk?
- Our stainless steel watercolor pans are available in bulk. Check prices here.
Retailers and Wholesale Orders
- What material do you use for the mixing surface?
- Our mixing surfaces are a durable plastic that holds watercolor well, while preventing beading. Some customers have had great results enameling their own pans, which you can read about in a post on Maria’s blog.
Art Toolkit Supplies
- What are Art Toolkit Workshops?
- Art Toolkit Workshops are live, limited-seat virtual sessions that let you learn valuable lessons directly from professional artists in the Art Toolkit community. During our workshops, you will have the chance to engage with the instructor and ask questions. You will also have the opportunity to join an optional private workshop group on Facebook.
- What if the workshop I want to attend is full?
- Get in touch with us, and we’ll put you on a waitlist. If there is enough interest, we may schedule an additional workshop!
- Are workshops pre-recorded or live?
- Our workshops are live, and you’ll have the opportunity to ask the instructor questions and connect with your fellow classmates. After the workshop, we’ll provide you with a recording to review on your own time (available for at least six months).
- Can I purchase a workshop as a gift?
- Yes! If you would like to gift a workshop to someone, you can go ahead and check out through our website using your name and email, and then get in touch with us to let us know the name and email of the person who will be attending.
- I can no longer attend a workshop I signed up for–can I get a refund?
- While we’re not able to refund tickets after purchase, we may be able to transfer your ticket to another student if there is a wait list.
Art Toolkit Workshops
- How should I clean my toolkit?
- You can spot clean nylon covers using a gentle liquid soap. Be sure to let the kit dry completely before storing to prevent mildew.
- How should I clean my Pocket Palette?
- You can clean the mixing surface by wetting it down with a brush, and giving it a wipe with a soft cloth. To remove deeper stains, try a Mister Clean Magic Eraser, or a plastic eraser. We recommend conditioning the magnet by applying a light coat of olive or similar oil. Also, Maria made a video about it!
- How do I fix a palette with a loose pin, or a hinge that doesn’t close smoothly?
- Try pushing the hinge pin out with the end of a straightened paperclip, and give the last 1/4" a slight bend using pliers (for loose pins) or straighten it out (for sticky hinges). Carefully push the pin back in using the pliers or a flat piece of metal.
- How do I fix a palette that won’t close easily because the lid rubs against the sides of the tray?
- Try bending the side walls of the tray in or out slightly to remove the friction.
- My palette is to hard to open, or it opens too easily, what can I do?
- The palette clasp can be adjusted by bending it up or down slightly. When it’s too tight, you can bend it up using your thumb, and when it’s too loose, you can bend it back down. It takes a little testing to find the perfect tension for your taste.
- How do I fill my palette pans with paint?
Filling your Pocket Palette pans with watercolor isn’t tricky, but there are a few things you can do to get beautiful results.
Start with a first fill up to the edges of the pan. After the paint dries, top it off with a final layer. You may notice that some paints dry with cracks. A second fill will smooth out the surface.
Some paints may shrink more than others as they dry. If you wet the back of any square that falls out or add a little fresh paint, it will help secure the pan. In the end, your results may be shiny or matte; all paints are unique! If you are preparing for a long trip and are following these steps, we recommend waiting several days for your pans to completely dry.
Check out Maria’s video for a walkthrough of filling your paint pans.
Care and Feeding
- Can I return the items I ordered?
- We accept the return of any unused supplies for an exchange or refund (minus shipping costs). We cannot accept returns of used products, "seconds", or other discounted items. Please contact us to arrange any returns.
- What should I do if there is a problem with my product?
- We’ll gladly replace any of our supplies free of charge if our craftsmanship or materials are flawed. Please contact us so we can assess the issue and its coverage. We cannot replace items damaged due to normal wear and tear, accidents, or improper use or care.
Returns and Exchanges
- How can I be an Art Toolkit Ambassador?
- While we’re not currently seeking new ambassadors, we do♥love♥ to hear about your adventures using our supplies. The best way to share with us is to tag @arttoolkit in your images on Instagram.
Art Toolkit Ambassadors
- Do you offer classroom discounts?
- Yes! We believe in the value of incorporating arts in education, and want to support teachers and students alike in learning using Art Toolkit materials. Please see our education page for details.
- Do you offer student discounts?
- Yes! We offer discounts to qualifying high-school, university, or art class students. Please see our education page for details.