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En plein air.
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Message
Posted
Decided to have a go at'en plein air', being an avid hiker and past climber, know many spots around North Wales that I would like to paint. Would like some advice on whether to invest in either a Pochade box with tri pod fittings or a French easel.. I'm sure many of you have tried both, what's the pros and cons of both.
Posted
Just looked up French easel and it looks just like what I call a pochade. I have a Jullien Pochade /French easel and it weighs a ton. So it's now covered in spiders and their webs.
Apparently there is an American metal Pochade box on legs which I have seen used and is very sturdy and light weight. Probably a good suggestion if you are contemplating painting out side.
I sketch and paint outside and have my little foldy stool ...very light weight , a bag of stuff to make colours with , paints ,crayons and coloured pencil. A very sturdy good quality sketchbook and the usual rain gear ( I also do n Wales outdoors ) plus something to nibble. Away I go.
There are very light weight Pochades out there but my carting large weighty gear around are all done.
Posted
I use a French easel to paint outdoors Andre, you can get lots of gear in it, yes it can be a little on the weighty side but it holds everything you'll need. Leg heights are adjustable so works on uneven ground okay, I fitted a longer strap on it (actually a mens leather bet) so I can carry it across my shoulders/back which leaves hands free for gates, walls and carrying larger canvas etc. Bought it secondhand on eBay for £12 plus £8 postage. There are one or two listed at the moment from £24-ish.
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Posted
The drawbacks to painting outside with a conventional easel are that It takes a lot of time to set it up on uneven ground, and the whole kit is cumbersome if you have to walk any distance. The easel can be blown over on windy days unless you hang something heavy below the top of the tripod.
On the other hand you can get a better viewpoint standing up at the easel, whereas with a pochade box you need to sit down.
I no longer use an easel when painting outside, I take a pochade box instead and sit on a folding aluminium chair. I've recently replaced a twenty year old pochade box with a 10" x 12" box from:
http://www.abbeyseasels.co.uk/products/01.html
It's good value for money, and there's space for three panels. The box is a little bit bigger than my previous one, which means I don't need to shorten paint brush handles to store them in the box. I like to paint three panels in a session, spending no more than an hour on each one. I considered buying a more expensive pochade from the big art retailers, but after reading user comments I decided to buy a pochade from abbey easels.
You'll need to check that the painting panels can slide into the slots in the lid of the pochade box - a 10" x 12" panel from different makers might not have the same dimensions. I use to cut panels from MDF and prime them, but really it takes too long. I now use mainly cheap canvas coated panels from Great Art. or Jacksons (Belle arti)
I used to think that pochade meant it was an item that could be put in your pocket (poche in French), but the word just means a quick sketch in paint, or an account written quickly by an author.
Posted
When painting outside, 60 ml tubes of paint are heavy and take up too much space in a compact pochade. It's better buying a brand that offers 40 ml tubes. It helps to use a quick drying paint. For years I used W & N Griffin Alkyds, identical to normal oils except they are touch dry in about 8 hours, and dry even quicker if you're painting outside if it's hot and sunny.
http://www.winsornewton.com/uk/discover/resources/colour-charts/griffin-fast-drying-oil-colour
Or you could use normal oils and replace the white with a tube of Griffin alkyd, as white will probably be used in many of the colour mixes. A further option is to use W & N Liquin original as a fast drying medium.
Posted
U.S. Art Supply is great. Sturdy and simple to construct. If you get stuck, there are tutorials on YouTube that will show you precisely how to get it up and running. You may also use it to paint on a table, which is equally beneficial. Simple to adapt to your size/height/painting style/comfort level. If you're searching for a French Style Easel, I think this is a nice one. It's everything right here. My main concern before purchasing would be the durability of the legs. I am pleased with my purchase.
Edited
by noah enholm
Posted
Personally, I use the Richeson Sienna pochade which is fairly small and light weight. I can get all of my kit (including tripod) in my old laptop backpack and is easy to carry when off the beaten track. I find the glass palette easy to clean and it holds many of the panel sizes I use. I use home-made wet panel carriers for 8x10 and 12x16 panels.
Depending upon how handy you are with DIY, I have used an old (gutted) laptop as an easel, since it already has good resistance hinges and with the addition of a tripod plate it works a treat. Not long ago I also came across a very sturdy home-made box used by the New Zealand artist John Crump, who has been using it for many years and withstands most winds which would come in handy in Wales. There is a YouTube video on the box and its construction. John is also very helpful and happy to answer emails about the box.
Posted
Yes. I’ve got that same box Ron, I bought it a short while ago although I haven’t been far with it as yet… hopefully that will change! They aren’t cheap but it’s a quality product.
French or box easels are useful, a bit fiddly to put up but the downside is they can be heavy, particularly if you pack all your paints and medium inside.
I prefer a good pochade box these days, but you do need a sturdy tripod to go with it.
Posted
I’ve also got the same set up Ron, it’s the best kit I’ve ever had for painting outdoors, or indoors come to that. I sometimes use it for studio work instead of my large easel. It’s all there in one place, I use it for oils, watercolour and mixed media stuff.
I carry it, along with tripod, and all my other stuff in a rucksack, which leaves me a spare hand for wet canvas and opening gates etc.
My old French easel started to get a bit shoogly and far too heavy to carry.
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