This is for the artist interested in dedicating themselves to the art of painting outside, on location, rather than using photos as your reference in traditional landscape painting. There are many products out there and I do recommend joining a local plain air group to be able to scope out what others have and to "learn the ropes”. Ask your local art store, galleries, go online, or look for local landscape artists and ask them. This is likely to be a several hundred dollar investment, so you will want to choose wisely.
“En Plein Air” basically means "in fresh air". It is what the impressionists did, especially after the tube was invented to carry oil paints (instead of animal bladders…!). I am showing you one of the many ways to paint outside and the products needed to do so. While this is about oil painting, there are other means of painting on location using watercolor, acrylic or pastel. There is some cross-over, but many plein air products are unique to particular mediums. As with anything, do your research before investing. Consider what functions work best for you. First, you should try to limit yourself to what you truly deem necessary, as too many items weigh you down, limit your ability to get around and can actually cause accidents when getting to that great scene. Trust me, those “just in case” items will be a burden! All group painters are pretty understanding, as we have all spilled something or left something behind and are generally good about sharing. This leads to the first thing to have before you leave the house- HAVE A CHECKLIST (and use it)!! I can fit everything into a backpack, which weighs around 10-15 pounds, depending on my accessories, especially how many paints I think I will need… more on that later.

Supplies

A checklist of my equipment -

Backpack

Pochade box

Tripod

Paints

Art panels

Wet panel carrier

Brushes/palette knife

Odorless mineral spirits

Paper towels

Trash bag

Cell phone/camera/viewcatcher

Drinking water/snack

Appropriate shoes/clothing/hat

Optional-

Latex gloves

Sunscreen/bug spray

Umbrella

Small sketch pad/pencil

Lastly, bring a good attitude and leave your worries behind!

Step 1: BACKPACK

Decide on the other equipment first to know the dimensions you’ll need. I have tried a few backpacks to go with my setup and they all seem to have their advantages and disadvantages, so I haven’t found the perfect fit just yet. Camera backpacks have a lot of compartments, which may actual be too much. I currently use a Patagonia for durability and comfort. I like having two side pockets. One, for my water bottle and the other for my mineral spirit container. If you can get all your stuff into one backpack, it is really helpful in order to have your hands and arms free when getting to your painting location.

Step 2: POCHADE BOX

I am all about durability. I want my equipment to last. For that reason. I chose the Strada easel (a.k.a. pochade box). It is made of durable aluminum and will last a lifetime. Most are constructed in wood in order to be lightweight. There are many pochade boxes that attach to a camera tripod, as the Strada does, but some are equipped as one piece, including the legs. Some popular brands include Alla Prima, New Wave U Go, EasyL, Open Box M, and Soltek (which is a one-piece easel).

These pretty much all have gizmos and gadgets that you can use. I purchased two side panels for my Strada that clamshell together, which keeps my puddles of wet paint contained in transport.

I do not care for the old-fashioned french easel. They are heavy and cumbersome. If you don't plan to walk far from your vehicle or go out painting very often and someone gives you one, then that would be awesome! Otherwise, look for something more modern. Just my two cents. :-)

Step 3: TRIPOD

The tripod I chose is made of lightweight carbon fiber and has flip closures on the legs, instead of screws. IMHO, the flip closure is faster to set up/tear down and dirt and sand don’t clog it up as easy, but there are more choices with the screw closures. It is nice to have one with a hook underneath the head to hang your backpack on to stabilize it in windy conditions. Also, I chose one that slides closed in three sections in order for it to fit into a short backpack. A two-sectioned one will be skinnier, but obviously will need a tall backpack, or be carried separately.

Step 4: PAINTS and PANELS

If you are serious about this, do not not spend your money on student grade paints. Other than that, there are many great oil paint manufacturers. I like Gamblin foremost, but have used Rembrandt, Vasari, Michael Harding and M.Graham. Local art stores often carry M. Graham and perhaps Gamblin, but you will find a lot of what you want will have to be ordered online, either direct or through art supply websites. I like to keep my paints separate, in a zipper pouch, in case of leaks. I always carry a big tube of titanium white. The rest can be small tubes. You can paint with as few as 4 colors, but might want other paint colors, depending on your destination. I carry white, a cool and warm each of red, blue and yellow and a few others I like to use. Scene colors do vary in different climates!

ART PANELS - Plein air is often painted faster (within a few hours) and smaller than what you might be painting in the studio. Sizes are generally anywhere from 5x7" to 14x18". The size shown is 8x10". Panels are made from wood or hardboard covered in linen or plain wood, like birch, that may need a coat of gesso before heading out. A panel is about 1/8” thick. You can cut and gesso your own, or cover with linen. I like the ease and reliability of the Centurion oil-primed linen panel (available through Jerry’s Artarama), but am always learning from other artists what is available and experiment with those to see what is best for me.

Panel holders on pochade boxes are not made for wrapped canvases. I have done it using a pre-formed bungee cord to strap it down. Carrying it wet back to the vehicle can be a bugger! A Soltek, with wide legs or similar easels are better equipped for large stretched canvases. Their wide legs also keep them from toppling over.

Step 5: WET PANEL CARRIER

It is really difficult to carry a wet canvas around after you’ve painted, so the industry has several “wet panel carriers” on the market. Shown here are two that I often use. The Raymar is made from corrugated plastic that has slot you slide your panel into and the Panel Pak is basically a frame that has inside edges where the panel sandwiches face-in, then held with an oversized rubber band. The limitation on these is you have to commit to the size of panel that fits. These hold 8x10" panels. The Raymar can hold 8x8” or 6x8", as well. The Raymar has to be carried separately, while the PanelPak can fit into the backpack. For other sizes, sometimes, you just have to gingerly carry your painting back to your car. I always have a box lid or something in my vehicle just for that purpose.

Step 6: BRUSHES/Palette Knife

The palette knife is crucial for mixing paint and can be used for painting. It is easy to wipe, so you don’t need to use mineral spirits, as you would for cleaning brushes. They are also good for edges and thin lines. I always carry at least a couple of sizes and shapes of palette knives. These have also come in handy if I leave my washed brushes behind! Please don’t waste your time on cheap brushes. They will lose their bristles, splay out and just make you miserable from the start. A good start to figuring out what different brushes can do, try going to the Rosemary Brush website and read about the different kinds. They also have sets created based on individual professional artists preferences that will really help you decide! I have a few artists that I prefer to style my art similar to and have used similar brushes. Another good brush company is Trekell. I made a tube to keep my brushes in to keep the bristles safe and for not getting residual paint inside my backpack after using them.

Step 7: ODORLESS MINERAL SPIRITS

This is for OIL paint only. Gamsol, made by Gamblin, is the most commonly used solvent in the industry. They have a ton of info on it and everything they sell, on their website. No longer do we have to deal with the stink of turpentine! Use a solvent container that has a good seal and good reviews. There is nothing worse than having your thinner spill out before you arrive to set up. If you don’t want to use solvent, you can try water-based oils, which are thinned, obviously, with water. I hook my can to a carabiner and let it hang on my pochade for easy access. I carry extra in case of spills.

Step 8: Important Extras

PAPER TOWELS - I prefer VIVA Signature Cloth paper towels. They are durable and don’t create a lot of lint. I use the big roll in the studio and when it gets about half way, I save the smaller roll to put in my backpack.

TRASH BAG, for the paper towels - carry in/carry out.

CELL PHONE - for emergencies, but also to take photos of your scene. A smart phone image can be used to crop and to see Notan and values of your scene with some easy filter adjustments. I always bring another camera to take good pics for studio reference and for zoom capabilities. A ViewCatcher is an optional item to to see through and crop your composition in the field. It is small and fits easily in with your gear, as well. There are numbers on it to show you common canvas dimensions. Handy little thing!

Step 9: WATER and Optionals

DRINKING WATER/SNACK - These are crucial. So often, myself and others have lost all track of time when painting in the moment. We must remember to hydrate or risk all sorts of problems, like cramping up. As time goes by, an energy bar is so helpful, especially if you’ve been out for a while and have a long hike back to the car. Keep extra water in the car. It also helps to paint where there is a nearby rest room, as well!

APPROPRIATE CLOTHING - Layers are good for changing conditions. You will be standing and walking back from your painting to eyeball it from a distance, so good, comfortable shoes are a must. A wide-brimmed hat is best to keep the sun off your face.

LATEX GLOVES keep the paint toxins from getting into your bloodstream and keep your hands clean.

I keep SUNSCREEN/BUG SPRAY in the car at all times. I try to cover up pretty well, as I know these wear out after a while.

An UMBRELLA is mainly for keeping your art and palette shaded, not you! It is so difficult to paint in the sun if there is no shade around. Plein air umbrellas can attach to your tripod or stake into the ground. One can topple your setup, the other may be difficult to stake, depending on your ground. That’s why I call it optional!

SKETCH PAD/PENCIL - Many seasoned plein air instructors insist that their students create a simple composition with 3 or less values to eliminate any errors before you touch your canvas.

Step 10: ENJOY!

Lastly, plein air is not a controlled environment, like your studio. Things can go wrong. It happens to all of us! While this is a guide to help you set up to plein air paint in oils, only the experiences of heading out there teaches you everything. Be positive. It may be frustrating at first, but, like playing the piano, repetition reaps rewards. Joining a group helps, because they have a schedule you can stick to and there is safety and camaraderie. I also love groups because they may have “paint-outs” at places I wouldn’t have thought to go. Find a state or local plein air group near you! Another idea is finding workshops, either online or in-person. I hope this helps to keep you from going down the rabbit hole of online searches and gets you out! Happy painting!