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Plein Air Painting with Acrylic

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Andrea Laud

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Hi, I was wondering if anyone has tried painting Plein Air with acrylic paint and could offer any tips or advice. My main concern is how to keep paint drying out in brushes, especially given the sometimes limited washing facilities often available when painting out and about. Thank you.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Look up the American painter Roger Bansemer, who frequently paints outside with acrylics. The only way to keep the brushes from drying out is to have plenty of water to hand and ensure you keep the brushes wet or at least wash them out frequently. There are interactive acrylics of course, which can be re-wetted: I've never used them, and I don't know if they make it possible to re-wet paint on the brush in order to wash it out properly: frankly I doubt that it would be very satisfactory from that point of view. My only other suggestion would be that you consider using painting knives rather than brushes, which can be wiped clean with a moist bit of kitchen roll.

Alan Bickley

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Well, I've never had any problems, just put them in a jar of water, it's as simple as that. I know the problems associated with painting 'plein air', carrying loads of kit etc., but there isn't any simple answer, unless someone knows differently. This medium is designed to be fast drying, which does have its advantages and also disadvantages, but if you switched over to oil painting all your problems would be solved! Sorry, not a lot of help unfortunately.

Andrea Laud

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Thank you, some very helpful comments here. I have read loads of articles about Plein Air painting with watercolour and oils but I have never seen anything about acrylics. I was starting to think no one used them due to the difficulties of drying.

Keith Orange

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I've used them a few times for plein air painting. To stop the brushes drying out when painting put them in the water container you use for diluting and mixing the acrylic paint. I use a medium size collapsible water lantern hung on the easel with some string. To prevent the acrylic drying too quickly on the palette, spray water on the paint occasionally. I think paper disposable palettes are ideal for acrylics. Alternatives to acrylics, if you want quick drying paint are: Use oil paint and mix the colours with a small amount of liquin gel medium, which speeds up the drying process. Buy a tube of titanium white from the W & N Griffin Alkyd paint range (quick drying) and use it to replace the normal oil paint titanium white you put on the palette. Buy a set of W & N Griffin Alkyd paints. On warm sunny days the paints will be touch dry after about 3 or 4 hours.

Edited
by keora