I've rapidly become a regular buyer from this company, as both my girls are hooked on the fabulous high quality things they produce. And I am, as usual, bowled over by the amazing attention to producing something that ticks all the boxes. In this case, spectacularly so!
In my humble opinion, as an adult who paints and crafts, this the first paint-your-own kit I've ever bought that's been worth every penny. These kits usually fall short with poor quality content and the ability to disappoint children, because they don't have a cats chance of reproducing anything anywhere near as good as the airbrushed photos on the front on the box. The quality just isn't inside the kit. With this one, it is.
I bought two of these kits, one for each of my girls, and we've had a most productive few days painting them.
So this kit is absolutely EVERYTHING that a painting kit should be, and the complete opposite of every kit we've ever bought before. Girlzone very clearly know all about the problems you usually find in these kits. The person who designed this set out to produce something that actually works, with great quality items included.
The pottery unicorn money bank is designed with simple details and clearly defined lines. It's easy to paint, even for my five year old. No child could come away from painting this without a feeling of accomplishment. Unlike some horrendous things we've painted before today.
The unicorn is finished in a base layer of matt white primer. Paint sticks beautifully to it. Hooray! What a welcome change.
The paints are just the right viscosity. Not too thick, not too runny. The non-metallics are also highly pigmented, a little goes a long way (it's worth pointing this out to your little one before they start loading up the brush). They dry pretty quickly too. If your daughter does need to apply a second coat to remove brushstrokes, you don't need to wait so long before the first layer is dry.
There's more than enough paint to finish the painting we think, as we have loads left over at the end.
You are provided with lots of paints and some very beautiful metallic-pearlescent shades too. I'm stunned with the range provided and the ability to mix your own shades (complete with colour mixing chart on the box). So we even have an educational element that takes this kit beyond being a creative painting task. You will need something to mix paints on though, an old plastic lid or tray is ideal.
There's also a clear glittery gel (I'm not entirely sure if it's paint or glue) but my daughters applied it with a brush to add fine irridescent glitter which hasn't appeared to rub off at all once dry. Sadly, it didn't show up on the photo I took but it looks ace as a finishing touch.
The three provided brushes are real brushes as opposed to those plastic excuses for brushes. The brushes are soft, well made, and in a great choice of shapes. They work very well and my children were able to work with them very easily.
The design is overall very suitable for any age group. Younger children like my five year old can just try to follow the well defined areas. Older children can get more creative. My older girl decided she wanted a galaxy unicorn. It's her artwork I've photographed. I did help out and suggest techniques but I can only say that she's never managed to paint a kit and get such good results before. She did need to put two or three layers with the metallics on the mane and the tail to get them truly opaque. I also gave her my silver acrylic pen to dot the stars on and draw border lines as it was a lot easier to do it that way; she'd really had enough of painting it by then, and the dots were fiddly with a brush.
Talk about value-for-money though, as the project took her many hours and I think she will keep this for ever.
The company have even thoughtfully provided some stick on gems to produce that perfect finishing touch. We have quite a few left over!
And, as usual, it's all beautifully, perfectly packaged with a design that evokes immediate excitement in my children.
Love, love, love this company, it's money well spent as usual.
| Product Dimensions | 14.1 x 19.81 x 21.11 cm; 413.4 g |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recommended age | 3 years and up |
| Item model number | Paint Your Own Unicorn |
| Number of pieces | 15 |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Scale | [TOY-SIZE] or [MINIATURE] |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Material Type(s) | Ceramic |
| Colour | Multicolor |
| ASIN | B07NTNHPQS |
