Key Takeaways
- The Emily Lex Watercolor Workbook is worth it for beginners who want a calm, guided way to start painting, though the value shifts depending on whether paints and a brush still need to be purchased separately.
- Each workbook costs $24.00 and includes only 12 themed illustrations on 120lb spiral-bound paper, which some reviewers find runs out faster than expected.
- Paper weight matters: 120lb paper handles light washes well but falls short of the 140lb benchmark many watercolorists prefer for heavy, wet techniques.
- Painters wanting more pages for less money, or a full kit with supplies included, have alternatives worth comparing before buying.
Beginners often stall before they even open a paint set, worried about ruining the page or not knowing where to start. The Emily Lex Watercolor Workbook is built around that exact fear, offering a guided, paint-on-the-page format that removes the guesswork of what to paint and how to begin. Whether that experience earns its price depends on what a buyer already owns and how much direction they want.
The workbook uses 12 themed illustrations printed on lay-flat spiral-bound pages, with 120lb paper that handles light watercolor washes. Reviewers frequently describe the experience as calming, a chance to slow down and make something by hand rather than chase a perfect result.
A detailed comparison of how this workbook stacks up against other guided options is worth reading before buying, and that’s what you’ve got ahead of you.
The $24.00 Workbook: Worth It?
Whether the Emily Lex Watercolor Workbook earns its $24.00 price tag comes down to what a buyer values most: a calm, structured painting experience or a complete setup ready to use right out of the box. For someone who already owns watercolor paints and a brush, the workbook fills a real gap by giving nervous beginners a low-pressure way to build confidence one page at a time.
The catch shows up at checkout. Because $24.00 only covers the printed pages, first-time painters without supplies end up shopping for watercolors and a brush separately, often without knowing which brands or sizes actually work well together. That extra step can turn a simple purchase into a confusing process, especially for someone buying art supplies for the very first time.
Inside the 44 Spiral-Bound Pages
Step-by-Step Guidance and Themes
Each Emily Lex workbook contains 12 beginner-friendly illustrations spread across spiral-bound pages. Every illustration comes with a finished example to reference, a suggested color palette, and simple step-by-step instructions, giving painters direction without locking them into a rigid lesson plan.
The lineup spans a wide range of themes, including Garden, Winter, Woodland, Animals, Birds, Seaside, and Baking. That variety is part of what makes these workbooks popular gifts, since a themed book focused on something a person already loves, like birds or baking, feels personal rather than generic.
Paper Weight: Strengths and Limits
The pages are printed on 120lb paper, noticeably heavier than standard sketchbook paper. That extra weight lets the paper hold up to light watercolor washes without immediately buckling, which matters for beginners still learning how much water to load onto a brush.
That said, 120lb is lighter than the 140lb weight many watercolorists consider the benchmark for heavy, wet techniques. Painters who like to load their brush generously or build up multiple layers of wet paint may notice the paper struggling to keep up, while those sticking to lighter washes should find it performs just fine.
Lay-Flat Spiral Binding
The spiral binding lets each page lie completely flat while painting, solving a common frustration beginners run into with books that spring shut or curl at the edges. A flat page also makes it easier to work across a full spread without holding the book open with one hand while painting with the other.
Because the binding is spiral rather than glued, individual pages can be removed cleanly once finished. That makes it simple to tear out a favorite piece and frame it or give it away, turning a workbook page into a small, finished gift.
Where Reviewers Push Back
Pages Run Out Fast
The most consistent complaint centers on quantity. With only 12 illustrations per workbook, many painters move through the entire book faster than expected, sometimes finishing it in a single sitting or over a weekend. Once the pages are gone, continuing means buying an entirely new themed workbook rather than simply picking up a fresh page.
Some buyers mention that after finishing one workbook, they’ve grasped the basic concept and aren’t eager to spend another $24.00 on a second one. That reaction doesn’t diminish the experience itself, but it does raise a fair question about long-term value for anyone hoping to build a regular painting habit with one book.
Guidance Lighter Than Expected
A second theme in feedback involves how much instruction the workbook actually provides. The step-by-step guidance suits true beginners who just want a gentle nudge in the right direction, but some reviewers expected more detailed technique instruction and found the guidance more open-ended than anticipated. Painters looking for close, page-by-page coaching on brush technique or color mixing may find themselves wanting extra resources beyond what the workbook includes.
Workbook Alone or Full Kit?
Guided Workbooks With More Pages
Painters who like the guided, paint-on-the-page format but want more content for their money have options beyond a single themed workbook. Tobio’s Beginners Workbook, for example, offers 30 pre-sketched illustrations at $13, which works out to more than double the pages for roughly half the Emily Lex price, while keeping the same follow-along approach that removes the pressure of drawing from scratch.
That workbook has built a strong track record too, holding a solid customer rating from several hundred reviews. It also includes 30 additional blank pages alongside the pre-sketched ones, giving painters room to experiment with new techniques and color combinations once they’ve built up some confidence.
Blank-Page Alternatives for Full Freedom
Some beginners prefer deciding what goes on the page themselves rather than following pre-set illustrations. Painters who already have subjects in mind may be better served by a blank watercolor journal.
And ones with heavier paper weight are a strong match for anyone planning to use bolder, wetter techniques than a themed workbook’s lighter paper can comfortably support. The tradeoff is structure: without pre-printed prompts or suggested palettes, this option suits independent painters more than someone who wants a guiding hand on their very first attempt.
The Verdict on Guided Watercolor
Guided watercolor formats work well because they solve the single biggest obstacle for beginners: knowing what to paint and how to start. The Emily Lex Watercolor Workbook delivers that experience through a calm, themed format with lay-flat pages that make finishing a painting feel genuinely achievable, even for someone who has never picked up a brush before.
The two details worth weighing before buying are the higher price per book relative to the page count, and the fact that paints and a brush are sold separately. Beginners who already own supplies and want a focused, giftable painting experience will likely find plenty to like here, while those starting from zero may prefer an option that bundles guidance with the tools needed to use it. For a first attempt that removes as much guesswork as possible, look for watercolor kits for beginners that pair pre-sketched pages with paints and a brush from the very start.
Tobio’s Kits
info@tobioshop.com
+1 (305) 257-6512
3833 Powerline Road
Ste 201
Fort Lauderdale
Florida
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