This very simple trick have triggered the interest of a few people already. So, maybe it’s worth sharing more widely?
To carry water around for my watercolor, I don’t use any fancy pro gear. I use a repurposed… mouthwash bottle.
A plain stupid plastic bottle.
What I like about this one is that it can hold up to 500ml which is more than I have ever needed in a day. It’s real sturdy (it’s after noticing how sturdy it was that I decided to give it a go once it was empty as a mouthwash). It doesn’t leak. It’s also flat-ish, so it doesn’t take too much space in my messenger bag and fits quite nicely in in one of its vertical pockets. Oh, and it’s free, well almost: it doesn’t cost extra ;)
The plastic cap could be used as a water cup. I tried that but did not like it: it’s too cramped, unless one works with a real small brush. It’s also too light and there is a constant danger of spilling it over. That is, unless you put some Velcro on the base of the cap and some more on whatever surface you’re using to prop your sketchbook and palette, to stick the cap to.
It can be used to refill water-brushes too but you will just have a hard time not spilling some water, unless you carry one of those plastic eyedropper.
For anyone asking, this was a ‘Parodontax’ mouthwash bottle (their ‘gum’ version).
No, this is not sponsored content. This the brand we use at home, and we pay for it.
Exactly like I paid for the brush that is visible in the first picture (it’s a Raphael SoftAqua 805 #0) and for all the books visible in the background of the second picture (too many too mention) ;)
Published: 2026 Oct 02