Plein Air Oil Painting Kit
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Painting en plein air with oils requires planning to ensure you have what you need, but not so much that your backpack is too heavy to hike with.
- Pochade Box. I use an Alla Prima Pochade, but there are many good ones on the market.
- Canvas Panels
- Brushes and palette knife in brush holder – carried in a bamboo brush roll
- Small Sketch book and mechanical pencil
- View Catcher
- Mineral Spirits and Air Tight Brush Washer
- Tripod to set pochade box on
- Mirror and compass**
- Hand Wipes
- Paints
- Paper Towels and Plastic bag for trash
- Water bottle
- Miscellaneous
- Sun screen, sun umbrella
- Hat or visor
- Insect Repellant
- Small Camera
- Hand Warmers
- Fingerless Gloves
**Available at most sporting goods stores, I use this for two purposes. First, I use the compass to determine which way I am facing, to understand how the sun’s movement will affect my subject. Second, I use the mirror to view my painting and subject together in reverse. This helps me to understand what changes I need to make while painting. The lanyard allows me to hang it on my neck so I don’t lose it.
Painting en plein air is one of the most exhilarating joys I have ever experienced, in particular, when I have the opportunity to hike into an especially beautiful location. It is important to take everything you need, but no more than that. The basics are generally enough to see you through any painting session; any more than that and you will be so exhausted from hauling too much gear you won’t have the energy to paint! This is my basic pack. If I know I will be hiking a steep climb or a long distance, I will charge my palette with paint and carry only a tube of white along. This reduces the weight of my pack substantially. I also carry a fairly small back pack to conserve weight, even though the tripod sticks out of the top.
Prepared by Jan Albach Jewell