A number of artists have asked us where we got our special, plein air easel set up. When I tell them that I built it, they all want to see plans. To respond to all those requests, I've put together a PDF, which goes through all the steps or building your own field easel.

This easel requires some basic woodworking and metalworking skills, however, nothing advanced.
You need to be able to measure, saw wood and metal, drill, file and glue with epoxy. The most complicated thing is tapping threads.

This easel works for both oil and acrylic set ups. The instructions are for the acrylic set up. To modify the set up for oil, you don't bother to use the magnets, as your palette will not be metal, and you adjust the length of the hold-down clip to suit your preferred palette.

Also, you need to adjust the large opening in the brush and cleaner flap to fit whatever liquid holder you use.


Click here to download a PDF (2 MB) that has complete instructions to build this set up.




Click here to download a PDF that shows the oil solvent cup holder modification.

We've often been asked what an artist should to bring when going plein air painting. Not that easy to say, as we are all so different, however, I can say what I bring. (This is for acrylic painting.)
First, you need to control your selection of paint. Depending upon how far I expect to walk with my kit, I bring either a bare minimum palette of colours, or a slightly expanded set.
Bare minimum set
Hansa Yellow Medium
Napthol Red Light
Quinacridone Magenta
Burnt Umber
Indanthrene Blue
Titanium White

Expanded set
Hansa Yellow Medium
Napthol Red Light
Quinacridone Magenta
Burnt Umber
Indanthrene Blue
Phthalo Blue (green shade)
Phthalo Green (yellow shade)
Titanium White
Polymer medium
With either of these two paint kits, you can mix almost any colour you come across.

Two brushes: Catalyst by Princeton Polytip bristle 1" & 1/2" Brights (great brushes for plein air, if you like stiff, easy to control brushes)
Palette: Non-stick baking tray
Field easel (I have my own custom-made easel) or pochade box with tripod
Yoghurt tub for cleaning brushes
Rags for cleaning brushes
Viewfinder
Small sketchbook
1 soft pencil
Eraser
Grey-scale markers: black, medium and light non-bleed markers
1 small spritzer bottle for keeping the paint on the palette open
Clamp-on umbrella to shade painting board and palette
3-4, 12x16 (or whichever size you like to work with) painting boards for the day, already primed orange or black
Stool (If you paint sitting down)
Backpack large enough to carry all of the above except the boards, which I carry in a board holder
Water for painting, if you will not be near a water source
Camera to shoot scene and capture progress of your painting

Non-Painting Items
Sun hat
Sunscreen
Insect repellant
Drinking water
Snacks
Sweater or similar in case it turns cool
Rain gear if there's chance of rain
Pliers, for opening stuck paint tubes
Good walking shoes
Cell phone for emergencies

If you are going deep off the regular track, these other items are good to have as well
Compass and/or GPS
Food & more water
Whistle for signalling
Basic first aid kit
Walking pole
Map of area
Space blanket