May 2010--Drawing & Painting in Plein Air

Someday we will have nice weather again (please!), so I'd like to talk about what to take with you when painting or drawing outdoors--or en plein air (the French way of saying "in open air").

To begin, it's important to think of traveling light. One of the biggest mistakes I made when first going outdoors to paint was that I  thought I had to bring everything. I quickly learned that a lot of stuff becomes a big burden when you're hiking through a park or city street, and it's also unnecessary. I brought things I just didn't need.

If you plan on just drawing, a simple sketchbook and pencil will do. Mechanical pencils are great as you don't have to worry about sharpening a point or go searching for an eraser. If you want to be more elaborate in your drawing, you can always add a permanent pen, some watercolors and a waterbrush. My kit shown below can fit into any purse or small satchel. I would also suggest taking a small camera--to capture the scenery you can't draw right then and there.

For painting, I favor the same type of watercolor kit with a small amount of watercolor paper. For acrylics I use a French half-easel. They are small, not too heavy, can carry a lot of my supplies, and it comes with an easel already to go. I find the guerrilla boxes are a bit bothersome for me as I also have to take along a tripod. Here's mine (click on the picture to get a larger view):

As you can see I store my acrylics in a
variety of ways, preferring capped bottles the most.

Okay so now we've covered the materials, here are some other items you can take on your outings:

 Canvas bag/backpack Camera Jacket, wide-brim hat, sunglasses,  Light clothing, good shoes Sunscreen, bug repellant, Chapstick Bottle of water for drinking Zip lock bags (for storing and cleanup) Wet cloth or sponge in baggie (cleanup) Toilet paper roll First-aid kit, compass A few snacks: fruit, candy bar, granola, etc.

Until next month...