Plein Air Painting Kit
Over the years I’ve refined my plein air painting setup many times. See this post for the previous iteration of this kit. Some pieces of kit have stayed the same while others have changed or been upgraded but the goal is always to be as compact and convenient as possible while being as fully featured as needed. My goal is always ease of setup and takedown to eliminate any friction in getting out to paint - but also because optimizing and making adjustments to my equipment is fun!
Full kit packed up
Setup in action at a local car show
Easel Setup
Previously I used a sitting setup with a board for a lap desk. Eventually I upgraded to a Gurney-style plein air easel that I designed and assembled myself.
Plans for this easel are available on Gumroad with full assembly instructions, supply list and .svg laser cut files here.
Easel
I designed the easel with interchangeable plates for either a tripod or desktop/lap setup, with or without a hole for my water cup. The flat area has embedded magnets for attaching my palette and I use binder clips to create additional magnetic attachment points for things like my brush holder.
When closed it measures 7” x 12” and on average 3/4” thick, 1” at the hinge and weighs about 1.3lbs (630g). It’s laser cut from 1/4” Baltic birch plywood with adjustable friction hinges and two 1/4-20 attachment points for camera tripod quick release plates.
Tripod
When I use the setup in tripod mode I’m using the SIRUI AM-225 Carbon Fiber Tripod with an Arca Swiss compatible ball-head. The quick-release plate screws into either the top or bottom plate of the easel, depending on preference.
Backpack
I am using a hiking backpack called the REI Rucksack 28L. It’s large enough to fit all my supplies, easel and sketchbook with room to spare if I’m hiking. The tripod straps to the outside of the pack, sitting in one of the water bottle sleeves.
When painting I hang the backpack under the tripod with a carabiner to keep it off the ground and also act as a weight to keep the setup from tipping.
Painting Supplies
Gouache
I use a mix of various different brands, with no real preference. I usually don’t squeeze out every color when painting, I decide on the spot based on the scene. The colors I keep on hand are:
Spectrum Violet
Olive Green
Permanent Green Light
Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna
Payne’s Grey
Titanium/Permanent White
Spectrum Yellow
Marigold Yellow
Pyrrol Red
Yellow Ochre
Cerulean Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Brushes
I have no particular brand preference for brushes either, and 90% of my painting is done with the 3/4” flat + no 8 round.
The storage tube attaches to the side of the easel with magnets to act as an easily accessible brush holder.
I keep the following in my kit:
3/4” Flat
12 Filbert
1/2” Angle Shader
8 Round
2/0 Round
Palette
For a palette I use a fly fishing storage box because it’s relatively watertight, slim, durable and won’t corrode over time. This particular one is from Bassdash.
Inside I’m using a cut up piece of Masterson Sta-Wet palette sponge + palette paper that keeps my paints damp while painting as well as preserves any leftovers for next session.
Water Cup
I use a tightly sealing latching plastic jar for my water as I can be rough with my kit and want to make sure water doesn’t leak or spill.
Misc
A few other items I keep in my kit:
- a pencil
- roll of tape (for masking edges)
- various binder clips
- a spray bottle for keeping paint damp in dry weather
- Wimberly Plamp II + 12” round photography diffuser for protecting my page and palette from direct sun
Sketchbooks
I’ve used various brands and types of sketchbooks over the years, but my favorites are (in no particular order):
- Cottonwood Arts B8 Hot Press Notebook
- Etchr Sketchbook: A6 Landscape (Cold or Hot Press)
Happy painting!
