My ‘Plein Air’ set up!
I am frequently asked about my plein air set up, when I’m out ‘plein air’ painting. What do I use or recommend?
Most important –
Keep it simple and light weight.
My ‘Plein Air’ set up –
When I began to go out painting many years ago, I was primarily using watercolour. My priority then was for an easel which would be easy to tilt to any chosen angle. Flat for sketching and granulation effects, or tilted to allow washes to run slowly down the paper.
This keeps a bead of water ready for the next sweep of the brush. Additionally I carried my chair over my shoulder and a bag. It contained paper, paints and palette, brushes in a tube, and a sponge. Plus water and a pot, and a couple of pencils pens etc.
I also carried a board and bulldog clips, especially vital for windy days.
This is my plein air set up!
Here is a photo taken in Albion place Ramsgate showing my watercolour kit. Note the ‘frame’ made with two pieces of mountboard, one each side of a plywood board, and the bulldog clips in use.
With this plein air set up, I can make two paintings at once. As one dries, I can turn over the board and work on the other side, perhaps using warmer or cooler colours? No need for masking tape!
I forgot to mention my Hat and sun cream, don’t forget your hat!
Oil painting needs different kit. I chose to use a ‘pochade’ box, because it is light weight. The one I use is made by Artcoe and is 12″ x 10″ with slots for 2 wet panels and a sliding tray palette. It has space for small (37mm approx.) tubes of paint, brushes and palette knives. The slots don’t work with some canvas boards, which are too thick, so I use small bulldog clips. Bungee straps are especially good when using larger size boards up to 18″ x 14″. For smaller boards, I made a panel holder which adjusts to fit different sized panels, seen here.
To fit the tripod, I strengthened the base of the box with plywood, to which I fitted a metal plate. This fits the quick release catch on the tripod. It is a bit wobbly, but probably helps with the looseness in my painting, ha ha!
All this fits in my Tesco ‘bag for life’ along with a brush washer and a bottle of medium. I use ‘zest it’, which doesn’t stink out the studio if indoors.
Other useful items are kitchen roll, and don’t forget the sun cream and hat. I keep all this equipment in the back of the car, so I can stop and paint anywhere, unplanned. I also have an old paint spattered jacket for cold or wet weather and an umbrella which fits to the chair arm and keeps the bright sun off my board while painting.
Here I am in the garden during lockdown, with my sun shade, pochade box and panel holder with a 14″ x 10″ panel.
For walking longer distances, some people prefer a rucksack or 2 wheel shopping trolley.
Others prefer to use a french box easel, which is heavy, but can accommodate larger panels or canvases. Many other types of pochade are made in the USA, such as Open Box M or Strada. Also in Italy, by Mabef, but I’ve not tried these yet.
I’ll leave you with a treat, a short time-lapse oil demo of a Venetian scene.