Having a system for packing your art stuff for painting outdoors will help you get outside. This is a good time to pack light!
The simplest way:
Find somewhere undercover or in the shade to paint. Once I found a great spot under a bridge that worked well. Otherwise make sure your canvas is shaded. I often use an art umbrella but watch for gusty winds.
My setup: tripod with camera mount, my homemade palette holder for oils (and sta-wet palette for acrylics). On the side is my umbrella holder.
Here is a list of the gear I packed up to 7,200 feet…
Pack light:
• A light-weight Tripod Easel with canvas holder crossbar OR tripod with camera mount and an attachable palette.
• Paper Palette Pad with thumb hole – if you have a palette holder, you could use a 11 x 14 sta-wet palette for acrylics; for oils use palette paper or the holder.
• Water or Thinner Container
• Medium – if it’s really warm I use glazing medium
• Basic Brushes – I bring 2 or 3 flats and one round. I rinse them well, or wipe off most of the oil, put them in a plastic holder and clean them better at the studio. For acrylics, I try to get them as clean as possible with water and brush cleaner.
• A Limited Palette – Cadmium Yellow Medium and Light, Phthalo Blue Green Shade, Cobalt Blue, Quinacridone Red, Pyrolle Red Light, Titanium White
• Rags, paper towels or blue shop wipes
• Gessoed Canvas cut to standard sizes, plus 4 inches extra, which allows you to stretch onto stretcher bars later. The taping method is great for air travel too.
• 12 x 16 panel on which to tape canvas
• Panels or Canvases if convenient
• Bungy Strap to hold paper towel
• Painter’s Tape
• Plastic Bag for garbage
• Squirt Bottle for acrylic painters
• Camera
I loop my knap sack onto my tripod to weigh it down.
Oil painters:
Bring wax or parchment paper to cover your painting if it’s going into a suitcase later. The paint may get a bit squished, but I usually touch up paintings a bit in the studio anyway. If you use Liquin or Walnut Alkyd Medium your paint will dry more quickly.
More stuff:
If you don’t have shaded area or cover, place your easel in a way that makes your canvas shade your palette. Consider that you have an hour to 90 minutes before the light changes and moves too much. Otherwise you can use a painting umbrella. These are great as long as it’s not windy; they add 3 pounds to your pack. Sometimes there is no shade or cover. I was very glad for the umbrella while painting at the Cannon Beach Plein Air Event.
