Amanda Cooper turns packing for a painting holiday into an art form (and without spending a fortune, too)! And don't miss the super useful tick list for what to take.

Plenty of clothing has been sacrificed in the name of art. I have known people fill their entire hold allowance with equipment and bring clothes in hand luggage. Dedicate some time to the planning for your packing. Some airlines are more forgiving than others, so research can come in handy.

Tempting though it is to take that wooden box/easel combo that your grandchildren gave you for Christmas - don't! Or maybe that new set of acrylics you wanted to try. I have seen quite a few people arrive on painting holidays with a brand new medium, unknown to them and often to me. If you discover that you don’t like acrylics, you're absolutely stuck.

Painting holiday suitcase strategy

Bottom of suitcase

Make sure that you have a light drawing board, cut to fit your luggage, with paper to match. If in any doubt at all, be sure to stow anything dubious and sharp in your hold-luggage.

Paper

Paper is worth a little bit of investment, but you rarely need huge sheets. The gummed watercolour pads are good, because you won’t need to stretch them and they don’t blow away in high wind. A sketchbook or travelogue diary is essential. Those nice Moleskine books with an elastic band come in all sizes.

Oil Boards

Always prime these before you go away, as it will save a lot of time and angst the other end. Play safe and wrap in polythene or a plastic bag, which will also be useful for the return journey. I am not a great fan of the oil paper pad, although it is good for quick sketches.

Solvents for oil painting

Turps, linseed oil and the like need to be sealed tightly. You could be clever and take a sort of ready-mixed ‘vinaigrette’ (five part oil two parts turp) in a plastic bottle. Failing that you can buy products, such as Sansodor, in Europe.

Easels

Opt for the light aluminium, telescopic ones, which you can fit into a suitcase or rucksack. Wooden ones only cause trouble! It all depends whether you can face the ‘special’ luggage area in Stansted?

Looking for more painting holiday advice? Check out our collection of handy guides with top tips from artist tutors

Seats

The best ones for an art holiday are those designed for camping or fishing and have adjustable legs. A cheaper option is the folding type with a little pocket in the arm. This can double up for water, turps or gin. These are available from most garages and French supermarkets and have a handy carrying sleeve.

Folding and lightweight the aptly named 'donkey' is a chair and easel comb. This would fit into a large suitcase at a pinch (its 80cm when folded). Use a cushion because it’s quite hard.

Paint Tubes

Note: paint tubes can look like dynamite or bullets when x-ray'd. Their classification is also a gel or liquid.

Flying can have an odd effect on some paints. Don’t pack them near your best dress, and don’t even think about putting them in your hand luggage. You find yourself at the back of the queue re-packing or worse, having them confiscated.

They go nicely in an old ice cream carton or a plastic bag, which can avoid a lot of 'accidents'.

Paint boxes

Don’t overspend – there are some lovely small paint boxes on the market and if there are more than ten colours inside, resist! You can discard black and white for starters.

Please do not go and bin a friendly old metal paint box; they have excellent mixing palettes even if they are a bit small. You will be amazed what restorative powers the hot kettle and a stiff little paint brush can have on an old box. You can always freshen up the colours by refilling from a tube.

Disposable palette pads

Disposable and ‘wet’ palette pads are brilliant for oils and acrylics. You can buy excellent portable plastic palettes with lids for watercolours.

Packing for specific media on your holiday

We have created a super useful guide to give you more information and check lists for travelling with specific media, looking at watercolour, acrylic, pastel and oil.

Painting holiday tick list

Standard equipment 

• Pens – for sketching and also pen and wash techniques 
• Pencils 
• Eraser 
• Pencil sharpener (best to avoid a sharpening knife if travelling abroad) 
• Sketchbook 
• Adjustable viewfinder (a homemade piece of card with a transparent window divided into thirds would be fine) 
• Easel – but only if you are travelling by car and in the UK. A folding version with added storage will be the most useful 
• Brush case or holder 
• A fold up stool (although these will often be provided by the holiday organiser) 
• Foldable or sealable water container 
• Spray bottle 
• If you are working on larger pieces, you will need to consider how best to transport these home safely 

Watercolour 

Watercolour is the most portable medium (apart from sketching, of course). 

• Basic colours in a portable pan 
• Small tubes of preferred colours (for larger works) 
• Closable watercolour palette 
• Watercolour sketch pad 
• Sheets of watercolour paper (with a mode of attachment or a watercolour block) 
• Lightweight drawing board 
• Brushes – perhaps a large sky wash brush, a larger square wash brush, a squirrel mop, a swordliner, a large sable and a rigger 

Order your watercolour supplies

Oil and acrylic 

Oil is not really the ideal medium to use on a painting holiday. All oils will need to be thinned so if you are travelling abroad make sure thinners are available, as solvents are now allowed on aeroplanes. 

It’s also worth being aware that when using acrylics in a warm climate you will need to adopt delaying tactics. Even a gentle, warm breeze can accelerate the drying times. 

• A selection of paints to suit your palette. Store these in a plastic bag or box and packed in your suitcase if you are travelling abroad 
• It is best to pack a variety of brushes to best suit your style 
• A palette knife, or two, would also be an option as well as, or instead of, brushes 
• You should also consider how you can easily clean your brushes through the duration of your trip 

Oil 

• Palette – could be traditional or a tear-off paper version 
• Water-soluble oils are well worth considering 
• Painting board (canvas is not the best support when working remotely) 

Order your oil supplies

Acrylic 

• Gel extender/medium (to slow down the drying time) 
• Tear-off paper palette 

Order your acrylic supplies

Pastel 

The challenge with pastel is that you can never have enough colours so you will have to choose an appropriate selection, based on your location and the overall theme of the holiday. Sadly, a fixative spray will not be acceptable for overseas travel. 

• Pastel paper or card 
• Glassine paper to avoid smudging during transportation 
• Invest in an empty pastel case to help protect your pastels on the journey 
• Blending tool 

Order your pastel supplies

Take your planning further: Visit our Ultimate Guide to Painting Holidays for a complete overview, expert insights, and links to all related articles.

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Learn more about Amanda Cooper, her work, workshops and holidays.