You need a hat, a fishing hat, or a wide brimmed sun hat, critical for working outside.

The chair I got is from REI.

on the brushes

California School of watercolors – ie west coast plein air artists, we often use big mottlers, as in house painting brushes. Think about a brush you could use for self defense. I suggest the icon mottlers, they are from jacksons art supplies, from $10-40, and have very strong water moving, slow release, and are relatively soft, though they seem small compared to the other artists here. If you want better I’d look for a Rekab mottler, or if you can find it, they have perla mottlers but they don’t sell them in the USA. Note that big mottlers can be much more expensive, in the $100s.

On the flats, most are horrible, you need a flat with a good cross section, most are rather flat. The Escoda Versatil Jumbo Wash. Lot of other brushes work by other brands, but they have to have a belly. The 1/2″ if you hold it perpendicular is as thick as a #8 round, ergo its a series of maybe three or four #8 rounds all side by side, this is what you want. You don’t want a single #8 round squished flat so its wide, it loses that belly. Note that once you find flats that work, you develop a whole new style using them, they are very cool for blocking in shapes.

Brights means a “short” flat, also generally means it has no belly. See prior. There is no reason to get these in watercolors. A brush that moves water and releases it slowly will give you less blossoms, generally the fibers and stiffness are good for scrubbing.

Riggers are good for long controlled lines – I suggest the #10 Escoda versatil rigger, its actually thick like a round, it looks like a long round. The #6 is thinner, more like what you usually expect. Basically the #10 has a much larger diameter than the #6, it is usable as both a rigger and as a regular brush.

Daggers are good for more expressive strokes, but are for the same job as a rigger. You can get them cheap at sign painting shops. You would use a rigger for a classical symphony, and a dagger for a impromptu jazz performance. Whole different style, but a dagger can do what a rigger does.

Waterbrushes, I like the piston style, ie the caran d’ ache version, though its sold under other brands, its solid and not just a bladder you squeeze, with a button and a piston. This lets you suck up water like a syringe when you run out, plus if you pull back it pulls water in, or if you push it all the way it gives you a much bigger gush than if you push the little button.

You omitted quills.

Here are some pictures of my setup, this is built using hardware ( T-Tracks ) glued to boards I make, which are set up with 1/4″ 20 tpi insert nuts, which cost about a $1, and let you attach a board to an easel. Now I have about 6 boards all different sizes, and I keep making accessories that hook onto the edges.

It isn’t so much the parts, as it is how they all work together.

My suggestions: get a rolling cart, this is a toolbox from home depot, but they have very cheap plastic bins, which have a collapsing handle. Wheels are required if its heavier, so is some sort of handle, but a backpack can work, the ones for tools are pricey but very useful, they sell both backpacks and rolling toolboxes. I also found lots of good stuff at army surplus strores, a medic bag has slots for syringes and the like which hold brushes well. Also look at camping supply stores for the waterholders and other bags. ( if its for artists it is a lot more expensive, so think outside the box and repurpose things you see )

Put your stuff in the box or bag, if you use it at home, pretend you are doing plein air painting, or get a separate kit. A huge problem is forgetting this or that, one time I forgot my paints. I keep them in the bag whenever I am not using them, and the bag resides in the trunk of my car.

For the first time, do plein air in your living room, or front yard, even do it in your kids rooms, or the garage. Someplace close. Actually set up your kit and do a painting. If you forget something you need, go get it and use it, but when you are done, put it in the bag so you don’t forget it again. If you need two, so you have one for the bag, one for your studio, get two.

As you do it over and over, you edit what is in the bag, if you don’t use it, remove it, weight is key. Get a luggage scale, or just pick it up and ask, do I want to carry this up a hill.

Also how fast can you setup, you want to just plop down, put the board on your easel, and start painting. I joke with my buddy that we are combat painters, need to set up and tear down much like we used to take apart our rifles in boot camp.

Less is more…

( And for pencil sharpeners, I swear by the ones by mitsubishi[/url], they are huge, but work like the old fashioned ones with a hand crank, and they hold the pencil for you. They are really good for prismacolors for example, and they give you a long sharp point, or a duller point less likely to break by hitting a button. )

@cliftonprince… OMG, that list is huge!!! But it exactly explains why this year I have decided to let go of PA painting, at least for now. I just don’t get enough enjoyment out of it for all of the work required to be able to do it. I may revisit PA again when I retire and have more time and energy to devote to it.

Over all, my list isn’t, “this is what I must carry,” but rather is the list of, “now, let’s go over this list to see if I left out anything that I’m really going to want, before I leave the house.” I probably WON’T carry half of it, but I want to know how to remind myself of the contents in case I want it. Sunscreen, f.e., we should almost always wear here in New Orleans, and it probably wouldn’t be necessary for me to bring along or re-apply before departing. But I can see myself forgetting something as essential as the paints, or the paper …

The first question, how do you carry it all. I’d say your bag defines your kit. Figure that out first, then figure out what fits in it, and ask does this make it weigh too much. For some the bag is their shoulders, or their pockets, its up to you. A huge reason for an enclosing bag is you generally forget something you needed, if its all in one bag, you tend to not forget critical items.

Most of the plein air painters who I know, have a rolling plastic collapsible file box, they are 20-40 bucks or so. Its cheap, simple, and its a box, you can adjust your gear in it constantly. ( example is this, https://www.walmart.com/ip/Trolley-Universal-Rolling-Cart-with-Telescoping-Handle-and-Lid-Cover-for-Office/885128476 but that seems expensive )

I have found that tool boxes, tool backpacks, toolbags, are a bit more expensive, but they last longer, are made to be more rugged, and have compartments useful for keeping art supplies organized. Screwdriver slots work for brushes, a pocket for a drill can hold a waterbottle or a palette. There are some very nice rolling toolboxes which are setup to let you snap on other boxes as needed. I will buy a tool box and get rid of the tools, often the sets like that are cheaper than the actual bags. ( I also bought a case for brushes at michaels, and gave a little girl in line the brushes, I just wanted the case. )

For smaller setups, the bags and backpacks for camping, or survivalists, the army surplus stuff is very good. The alice clip slots are great brush holders. Condor outdoor products has some very useful packs, still using the “bug out” bag if I want to go out super light.

How big is it, does everything fit into it, if not, is the rest something you can carry. Is it portable, if you need to change spots, can you do so. I was painting the beach one day and noticed a wave coming at me, even though I was well away – it engulfed me, I had to lift up my entire kit to keep it from being destroyed. ( The picture fell off the easel into the water )

My current bag is waterproof on the bottom, its a feature of toolbags made for construction workers which assumes the ground might flood. The top isn’t, but usually if its the bottom 3 inches are waterproof, and the rest is heavy canvas, the stuff inside won’t get damaged by water.

Another time I ended up next to a big seal who came right up next to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tsyCBclYGU

I have to say the most important feature on my setup is wheels. I had a prior set up where the board would go over my shoulder, backpack, etc. Took the trolley to my location, and was painting late, past midnight. Realized that the trolley no longer runs after 1 am like it used to, and ended up stranded, and walked the 9 miles home. That kit was not that heavy, but wheels on a bigger kit would have been appreciated. Even a dolly of some sort is needed if its got a large drawing board. If its really about hiking and camping to remote areas, it has to all fit into or mount onto a good hiking backpack and has to be light enough to go 9 miles.

The current setup is actually getting very pared down, it looks like a lot since it is my studio, but its a board, a bag, a portable chair, the easel rests on top of the bag which doubles as a table. The whole thing is rather light, most of the setup time is spent setting up the easel or tearing it down. I just added lumecubes, a gopro to record my working, and this just mounts above the board on the sunshade.

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I did the plein air competition at the del mar fair, its hot, on asphalt, basically lacking any shade, its rather draining, lots of long distances you have to carry things, and the sun is merciless. I brought a comfy chair camping chair, umbrella, my bag, my easel, etc. I got there very late since I was not feeling well. I unloaded and started rolling it and just realized it was too much, it was hard to just pull it in the parking lot, probably since I was still feeling bad. My kit was just too heavy, usually I bring a lot knowing I have to bring my own campsite if I am to be comfortable.

I just readjusted what I was bringing to fit the situation. I quickly ditched the big chair and most of the supplies, kept the rolling bag but it was largely empty, and the easel and the board.

I ended up deciding I just didn’t have it in me to “compete”, that I just wanted to relax, so I rolled it to a spot by where people were waiting in line, and I sat down on the ground. I used the top of the bag as a table. I used the easel to actually provide shade, I sat under it – it was either that or heading way back to the car and getting all the rest of the stuff. I just sat there and did sketches of all the people in the line, and ended up capturing some interesting interactions.

All you need is paints, water, paper and a brush. Less is More, you start out with a lot, you kind of have to, its part of learning what you actually need, but you want to reduce it to just what is needed, there is an art to just that. ( ended getting 2nd place which was a surprise )

Love that Wyeth photo. That is definitely more my style of PA.

James Gurney has some great videos about his setup. This is one about accessories for diffusing and reflecting light.

[antv]8pdb0jjgcRk[/antv]

This is the link if you can’t see the embedded video:

https://youtu.be/8pdb0jjgcRk

Jan

My “kit” is more accurately described as urban sketching.

Lots of us are getting older and have several medications we take. I have found the larger prescription bottles make great water containers. And so far in my testing they don’t leak. I have had two different sizes upside down next to my sing for months now and no change in the water level. Plus they come in different sizes so its easy to find a size that fits your needs.