Plein air acrylic painting checklist

Checklist for Plein air painting with acrylics!

Before leaving home!

Paint the substrate (canvas or board) with warm color tinted gesso, cover a small board with freezer paper for mixing paints (or use a disposable palette and place paint plus medium in small plastic tubs with tight lids and gather all your supplies below.

1. Easel with a drawer.

A disposable palette pad or wrapped board with freezer paper, goes in the drawer to mix paints (needs to fit in the drawer of the easel. The drawer holds plastic covered tubs of paint around the mixing board, some are premixed with matte medium added. Open paints as needed when you are painting and cover them with not in use.

2. Favorite brush or brushes. My favorites are angled flat brushes ,that are stiff, a fan bush and small round brush for details and signing.

3. Water bottle with wide mouth, for rinsing brushes . Wipe off the brush on paper towel first, then rinse.

4. Paper towels, rubber gloves, wet wash cloth in a sealed plastic bag, spray bottle of water and alcohol wet ones.

5. Bag for trash, I hang it on the easel.

6. Small Plastic covered tray to carry paint in plastic tubs with tight lids. Add medium and spritz of water to the heavy body paints in your favorite limited palette. Premix favorite colors like sky colors, greens , browns & grays. Carry these separately from your easel , to keep them from spilling.

7. Substrate, canvas or panel, covered with gesso tinted with a warm color works great for landscapes, orange and magenta work well.

8. Snacks & drinking water.

9. Clothing for outdoors, loose light long sleeve shirt (if it is hot - wet the shirt with clean water and squeeze it out, wear it wet to cool you as it dries out, bug repellent, wide brim hat, sunscreen and jacket for colder weather.

10. Large bag to carry paints and everything else - keep the weight down!

When you are finished painting, place it in the sun to dry while you clean up your brushes. Pack out all the trash in a plastic bag and finally use the wet wash cloth to clean up your hands. Wet wipes are nice too.

Now the painting should be dry to touch for carrying back to your car with all your gear.