Plein Air Tips

[bostonartist]

Very good thread.....I am looking forward to the up coming season for Plein Air painting.
Here is my list of equipment that I use.

Full French easel, I customized it so a french mistress attaches to the front so I do not have bring a folding table for the mistress.

Canvas carry bag filled with 200mil tubes. I use a limited pallet so you are talking about 8 tubes max and a can of turps, andbrushes

No canvas carrier, I use my french easel

Long sleeve shirts and pants....I paint 6 mos a year in New England and the other 6 mos in the Philippines. Here in the States I worry about deer ticks so plenty of bug spray and in the PH I look out for the NPA Gorillas and I do not mean the primate type.

Paper towel or rags, perfer rags and always have a trash bag.

Thats about it....usally I will start ether in the early AM or after 3 PM. Will work 4-5 hours on location and then finish up at night. Once I get going I will avg. a painting a day

[IMaybe]

for the last 4 years, I have been plein-air painting in w/c! I love it so much, and as I am new to almost all of this, it was very hard at first. I have found that if you pack a special back-pack, or carring bag with just your plein-air stuff, and keep it together at all times cuts out the possiblity of leaving things home! At first, I tried to take to much stuff of corse, so now I have a set palette of colors that work well for the area I am going to, and may change if I change where I am heading. I think of this before hand. And I use to take a big drawing board for my paper! Not anymore! Both to heavy, and to much to cover. No, now I paint much smaller when I am going out on site-, and use the expriance to gather information. Like the light early in the morning, or pine-trees, or sky, or something, take my digital also and take pictures all around me. And the size I try to paint is small. This helps me with compostion, and leaving things out of the scene. Distilling to the very thing I am after. At least, thats what I tell myself! But it has helped--I use 5x7 and 4x6 if I am hiking a long ways. Nearer to my car, say, I can use bigger papers, and even an easel! And always begin with a value sketch, always. Now I am working more in Pastel, and love it---but need to learn how to take a smaller palette to make things lighter carrying! Its all so fun. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[purple35]

To avoid bugs and especially ants, before I start painting I spray the ground where I will be standing with a natural pesticide. To avoid the gnats and mosquitoes, I also spray a little on my hair. If I am eating lunch, I always make it a point to not eat in the same area where I paint.

[lucas mccaine]

hi everyone ,im not sure if this is the right thread ,so please excuse me ,but my question is ,when is to much stuff? for instance, the easel and whatever you put in it ,tripod (where applicable),paper towel,should be enough right? as you can tell i am a newbie so im looking for some help here ,thanks guys for any help you can give me ,take care

[Yorky]

If you read through the thread Lucas, I think you have it covered.

These days I carry everything in a small washbag - a Cotman Pocket Plus palette, a Pentel waterbrush, pencil, eraser and a 7x5 sketchbook.

Doug

[lucas mccaine]

thanks yorky it took me a while ,but got it thanks again ,im afraid ill be asking a whole bunch more of questions ,be patient ,thanks again

[Rocket Jones]

For those who use weighted items to keep their tripod or easel from tipping in wind or uneven ground, here's a tip that backpackers use: Take along the mesh bags that onions come in, and fill with rocks if needed. Empty they're weightless, they're tough, flexible enough to tie around something if needed, plus it's nice to give a second use to something plastic we too often throw away.

Backpackers? We put a rock in a small piece to throw a line over a tree branch to hang our food out of reach of bears, and scrunched up they make a dandy scrubber for dishes.

[Bibi Snelderwaard]

Great tips! I've just discovered plein air painting this year and I'm loving it. I have all the right equipment (that works for me) but I've run into a little problem. I want to continue throughout the winter and though I have good warm clothes and boots, I can't seem to find gloves that keep my fingers warm. I'm already used to wearing gloves when painting so I don't mind wearing thick gloves, as long as they keep my fingers from freezing, but all the regular fleece and wool gloves, even when wearing my work gloves over neath them, do not do the job. I've read about heated gloves that also keep the fingers warm but the customer reviews aren't very promising. I've tried those grabber warmers but these are far from ideal because when I put them in my gloves the heat doesn't reach my fingers, so I was hoping that somebody on this forum knows of good gloves? I've been looking at glacier gloves and heritage extreme winter gloves but they're pretty expensive and I'd rather hear the experiences from fellow plein air artists.

[CherinHT]

You might want to try using a Bounce Sheet to repel bugs. We use it at Farmer's Markets and they work wonders! Cherin from Canada

[Myah]

I have never seen a box like this. Do you know what it was intended for? That would help me to know where to look for one.

Thanks, Myah

Woops, I put this in the wrong place!

[Jo Reimer]

You might visit a store that sells ski clothing. They'll have warm gloves.

[Yorky]

Incidentally all my plein air kit fits in a 10x6 document case, the sketchbook and palette in the main compartment and the rest in the side pocket. When possible I also carry a McLaren Gadabout folding chair.



Heather Dewick sketch book with clips against the wind,
Cotman Pocket Plus palette,
Pentel waterbrush,
Ruler,
Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's ink,
Signo white gel pen (a new addition),
Propelling pencils,
Pitt pen for when the Lamy runs out.

Doug

[horsthh]

Thanks for posting, very compact.