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DIY Sketchbox Easel: A Fun and Easy Project for Artists
I love sketching and painting outside. Getting out in nature and seeing things up close and in full color is such a great way to learn the colors and perspective in a way you just can’t do with a photo. Having a portable box for my art supplies that can double as an easel has made my sketching adventures even more fun. In this post, I’ll share my tips for making a sketchbox easel, or pochade box as some people call it. I will also highlight some of the features that I find most important.

Check out the companion video of this post here https://youtu.be/vs1jEvxsVOw

I’ve provided a list of suggested materials below. Some of them have a link to Amazon for your convenience. I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase via the link. (thanks!)

Essential Items
- A premade wooden box – Example: 12 x 9x 3.1 inch) Natural Pine Wooden Box https://amzn.to/3HNDMfY
- Adjustable Torque Position Hinges https://amzn.to/3LbacT
Optional Items
- Smaller screws of suitable size for your box
- 2 D-rings
- Lightweight shoulder strap
- 2 Carabiners
- A T-Nut to serve as a tripod mount
- 2 rubber washers
- Heavy duty glue (Gorrilla Glue will do)
- Optional water cup
- Optional Strong magnets for the water cup
Step 1: Choose your box

The first step is to choose a box. You can find pre-made wooden boxes at most craft stores, or you can even upcycle an old box. The size of the box will depend on your needs, but if you are planning on using a sketchbook, canvas panels, or art boards make sure it is big enough to fit them inside. The box listed is similar to my current favorite size. 12 x 9x 3.1 inch) Natural Pine Wooden Box https://amzn.to/3HNDMfY but in my video I used this: 7x7x3.5 Unfinished Wooden Storage Box https://amzn.to/3V3Ufmd

The 3.5 inch depth is nice since it will hold standard pencil pouches and a sketchbook. The bigger 12×9 size should fit a wide variety of sketchbooks or canvas sizes as well.

The smaller 7x7x3.5-inch box is a good size if you plan on taking it very far outdoors (like on a hike). Keep in mind however, the smaller box does get a little cramped and is only good for smaller sketchbooks.

If I were to make only one, I’d go for the bigger box but choose the best size of box that will meet your needs. SInce these are relatively cheap and easy to make so you may do like me and make several. At the time of this post, I’ve made four!

Step 2: Replace the existing hinges

Once you’ve procured a box, you’ll want to replace the hinges with hinges that are able to hold the lid still in various positions. This allows the lid of the box to serve as an easel for your canvas or sketchbook. These special hinges are called “Adjustable Torque Position Control” hinges. Some people call them friction or tension hinges because you can adjust the tension of the hinge with a tightening screw and it allows the hinge to open and stay in place in various positions. The hinges I recommend above are strong enough to hold some fairly heavy weight. The hinges usually come with screws but I recommend smaller screws so that they don’t exceed the thickness of the wood on the box. You can pick up these smaller screws at your local hardware store.

Remove the original hinges and then use the original hinge hole placements as a guide and mark where the new hinge holes should go and then simply use the new screws to screw the new hinges into place.

In reality, step 1 and 2 are all you need but the following steps can make your box more usable in the field.

Optional Step 3: Attach some D-rings

The D-rings are used for attaching a shoulder strap to the box. This allows you to carry it or you can use the strap to hold the box against your body which allows you to use the box while standing. See image below.

Mount the right D-ring to the front right side of the box and the left D-ring to the back left side of the box.

You’ll want to swap this configuration if you’re left-handed since you don’t want the strap in the way of the dominant hand. Having the straps at opposite corners allows the box to naturally stay horizontal when suspended by the rings. Once the D-rings are attached to the box, attach the camera strap to the rings. I prefer to use carabiners for this. Using small carabiners allows for a quick way to remove the strap when not in use. I like to take the strap off when the box is on a table or a tripod.

Optional Step 4: Install the tripod mount

If you want to be able to mount your sketchbox on a tripod, you’ll need to install a tripod mount. To do so, locate the center of the bottom of this box and drill a hole with a ¼ inch bit. This hole will be for a standard one-quarter inch t-nut which is the standard size for all camera tripods. The t-nut will likely be too tall for the thin base of the box so used two rubber washers to act as a shim. Use a strong glue like Gorilla glue to glue the rubber washers and the t-nut together and then insert the t-nut with the attached rubber washers into the pre-drilled hole with the head of the t-nut on the inside of the box. Glue it in place and give it all plenty of time to dry. There isn’t a really good way to clamp it while it dries but you can use a ¼ bolt and washer to cinch down the t-nut onto the box. [see image]. Remove the bolt and washer after everything has dried and it’s ready for a standard tripod.

Optional Step 7: Install a water cup

If you plan on using this art box for watermedia like my favorite watercolor pencils, securing a water cup inside the box with magnets will help keep it from tipping over and spilling. Simply glue one magnet to the bottom of the cup and the other magnet to the bottom of the box.

Required Final Step: Enjoy your new sketchbox easel!

Once you’ve added your supplies, your new sketchbox easel is ready to use. You can use it to sketch anywhere, from the beach to the mountains. For some ideas on how I have used the box inside a car paired with a tray that mounts on the steering wheel. Check out this post: 7 Awesome Tips for Plein Air Painting from a Car
03/21/2024
Why and How You Can Use Limited Palette in Digital Painting

In my experience, you can get more natural looking art by working with a limited palette of colors in both traditional painting and digital painting. With fewer colors you can achieve so much more harmony and get more realistic looking digital painting.

Using a predetermined set of colors is better than picking from the color wheel each time you change colors in your digital painting. Create a digital file of sample colors or store the sample colors directly in your painting application’s sampling palette.

I’ll show you how to accomplish this in the Artrage painting software, but these concepts of choosing and saving natural colors can be applied to most digital painting programs available today.

Getting Natural Looking Colors in Digital Painting

The best way to get natural looking colors is to sample them from photos. Many painting software programs allow you to sample colors using a color sampling tool. In most apps, including Artrage, this tool looks like an eye-dropper (shown on the left below).

The most basic approach is to simply import an image into a layer in your program and use the eye-dropper to “pick a color” from an area in the photo that has the color you like. Once you have the color, like the blue on the right in the image above, you can save it in the samples area with the “Add Sample ” button as shown below in the Artrage mobile app.

The downside to this approach is it can be tedious to pull a lot of colors and sometimes results in a color that is slightly more gray than is desired so a better method is to use a color picking app.

Using a dedicated app for color picking can also speed up the process. There are dozens of these types of apps for the iOS or Android that will allow you to pick or sample exact colors from an image. You can also use a website like https://imagecolorpicker.com/

On that site it is super easy to upload an image of your own that has the hues you are looking for. According to the website, your image isn’t actually sent, instead the magic happens in your browser locally on your own computer. In other words, they think data protection is important!

Once you load the picture to the website, the samples are extracted in the samples bar below the image. From there you can Import your screenshot to your painting software and simply sample the colors from the squares.

Here is a quick image of my own that I uploaded to https://imagecolorpicker.com/ and the colors that were sampled from the image are shown in the bar below it.

Notice that the third square from the left is the only green color sampled even though there are many trees in this image. The main reason for that is that a hue can look very different depending on the saturation or value (luminance) applied to that hue. Read on for a demonstration of how value and saturation affects how a color looks in a painting.

With the new colors in your sample palette, you can now be confident that the colors you choose will be more natural and your paintings will look great.

Sampling photos taken from nature makes sense because nature blends and contrasts really well with itself. Mother Nature is an amazing artist! The natural world is what our eyes are used to seeing, so use these colors to your advantage.

Understanding Hues, Value and Saturation with the Artrage Color Picker Modes

Once you have your chosen hues, you can manipulate the color and choose different values (luminance) and tones (saturation) of those base colors to create a painting.

These properties of luminance and saturation are chosen from the color picker. Understanding the differences in the color pickers can help you understand the different ways you can present the same hue.

In Artrage there are three types of color pickers for Hue, Saturation and Luminance.

These different modes that can be used to display color in different ways. The color options menu which can be found in the Tools menu. On the phone app you can do a long press on the color picker to pull up the menu.

The modes are labeled by the properties H, S, and L.

H = Hue
S = Saturation
L = Luminance

HL/S Mode in Artrage

HL/S mode moves the Saturation (S) value to the outer smaller arc. The inner larger arc contains the Hue (H) and the Luminance (L) of the color. Switching between the HL/S and HS/L view gives a bit better idea of the difference between luminance and saturation. In the outer arc you can see the saturated mode has no white added and instead the hue is dulled slightly by gray.

Below is an example of a light bulb study using only this saturation (S) level as the variable. (The outer arc)

Lightbulb painted with only Saturation as variable

The result is quite flat as you might expect without luminance or value.

HS/L Mode in Artrage

HS/L mode moves the Luminance (L) setting on the outer arc. You can see here that the luminance adds white to the color on the bright end and black to the hue on the dark end. This provides a good approximation of mixing value into a color.

Below is an example of a light bulb study using only the luminance level as the variable. (The outer arc)

Lightbulb painted with only Saturation as variable

The result gives stronger values but lacks any gray tones.

LS/H Mode in Artrage (Default mode)

In this setting the hue (H) is displayed in the small outer arc and the Luminance (L) and Saturation (S) values are in the big inner arc. Luminance goes left to right and Saturation goes from top to bottom. In this mode you can pick a single color from your sample and then simply pick from the large arc the values within the hue. This can produce some really great monochromatic studies.

The two non default modes of HL/S and HS/L help explain the default mode of LS/H a bit better. Saturation is from top to bottom. Luminance is left to right.

Below is an example of a light bulb study using both the luminance and saturation levels as the variables.

Lightbulb painted with both Saturation and Luminance variables

Here I can use black and white values and gray tones. The result is much better in my opinion.

Learn and Practice the Basics of Color Theory

You can choose a single hue and paint a study of an object using either the luminance or the saturation of the hue as the only variable. This is a really important concept to learn in both digital art and traditional art with paint, pastels or pencils.

Below is a really cool video that explains the concept of Luminance and Saturation of a Hue even further by the excellent digital artist Marco Bucci

https://youtu.be/gJ2HOj22gDo

I highly recommended watching this video to learn more

I’m convinced that digital painting can help with your art regardless of medium. For more info on how to get started with digital painting check out this post: Why and How to Get Started With Digital Sketching

05/25/2022
Why and How to Get Started With Digital Sketching
Whether you are a more traditional painter, a beginner or a seasoned expert you’ll probably learn something new by drawing, sketching, or painting digitally. The key is to start with simple tools and with the simple basics of color and shape.

Using the computer, tablet or smart-phone you already have is the best way to get started with digital sketching. Ideally you would use a stylus on a touch screen device but even that isn’t required. For software, choose an application that is beginner friendly and works on most common operating systems and hardware.

Below I’ll share my recommendations for hardware and software to help you discover a new way to enjoy making art.

How to use Computers, Tablets or Phones for Sketching

For the hardware side of things, if you are reading this article then you have a computer, a tablet or a smartphone. Technically, that’s enough equipment to get started.

While you can paint on a computer with a standard mouse, a device with a touch screen is the most intuitive experience. You can draw with your finger on the touch screen but it doesn’t have much more accuracy than actual finger painting on paper does for me. A better experience might be to use a touch based stylus.

A stylus is a pen-like device with a nib on the end that a touch screen can “read” and respond to. A stylus is more accurate than a finger and it allows you to have more control like you would have with a brush or a pen. For a few dollars you can find a stylus and give it a try as well.

The Two Main Types of Styluses (Styli) are Capacitive and Active
- A capacitive stylus uses synthetic materials that mimics your fingers touch and works on nearly any screen that your finger does.
- An active stylus works more like a mouse and uses special hardware and software to connect to the tablet or phone often using Bluetooth or other wireless technology.
The most popular examples of an active styles are: the Apple Pencil, the Microsoft Surface Pen and the Samsung S Pen.

For precise activities like lettering or doing small finely detailed work, an active stylus is the better choice. However, with this comes a price. Active styluses are generally more expensive and work with fewer devices.

A capacitive stylus is a less expensive choice. The trick is to get the right one. I tried one of those cheap rubber tip styluses that you’ll sometimes see on the end of an even cheaper ballpoint pen and it was terrible!

A better choice is a more premium version of a capacitive stylus like the MEKO (2 in 1 Precision Series) Disc Stylus. (Amazon Link https://amzn.to/3le1GpK)

The Meko Stylus surprised me at how good it was.

The Meko stylus has two tips. A 6mm microfiber nib on one end and a 6.8mm clear disc on the other.

Using a fiber tip stylus like the Meko has is so much better than the cheap, sometimes free, rubber nibbed styluses. The fiber keeps contact with the screen well and it is firm. The glide on the screen with the fiber tip feels more natural than with a rubber tip. Either nib is still a little big for precision work though.

The Meko addresses the precision issue with the clear disc nib. The clear disc does a great job of allowing you to see the very center of the contact area. This is best utilized with the zoom feature of your drawing/painting app. Seeing those fine details, zoomed in or not, is better with the disc tip than the felt tip.

Here are a few examples of what I was able to do with the MEKO stylus on a standard smartphone. Keep in mind that each of these paintings took me a couple of hours, but painting takes time. It is part of the fun.

The Software for Drawing or Painting You Should Use

There are many choices in this area as well but I’m going to go easy on you and give my recommendation up front. You should start by installing a free program on your phone, desktop or tablet called Artrage. It is the software I used for the paintings above.

The great thing about Artrage painting software is that it is compatible with Apple iOS, Microsoft Windows and Android.

Download the FREE versions here: https://www.artrage.com/demos/

Artrage is the most intuitive program I’ve used for quickly exploring the digital medium. It does great at mimicking the natural experience of drawing and painting. The dedicated pencil tool within the app is great for pencil artists.

There are other software programs that are popular as well. Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, Procreate and AutoDesk are some top choices. But if you are just getting started or want to try something pretty great with very little risk (free to start), Artage by Ambient Design is the way to go.

Other Options for Drawing or Painting Digitally

Tablet Computers
There are many tablet computers to choose from and many have a dedicated Active Stylus a few options include:
- iPad and Apple Pencil – Shop Apple on Amazon
- Microsoft Surface – Shop Microsoft on Amazon
- Samsung Tablets or phone with an sPen – Shop Samsung on Amazon
- Dell Laptop with Dell Active Pen – Shop Dell on Amazon
For each of these, from a technology perspective, I believe the differences to be largely preferential. I’ve used all of the above and I ended up choosing the least inexpensive options of Microsoft based tablets and a Samsung based phone.

Still Can’t Decide?

The truth is that you should just stick with the ecosystem you are comfortable with. If Apple, iPhones, and iPads are your thing (and I don’t blame you, they are beautiful devices) then go with Apple.

If you use Windows software elsewhere in your life and like the flexibility of having a near laptop-like experience along with a tablet, then go with the Microsoft Surface.

Software is an important part of the decision

As mentioned previously, my favorite painting software, Artrage runs on iOS, Android, or Microsoft operating system. . It is worth noting however that the Windows version of Artrage is more fully featured than the iOS app. Keep in mind any software you choose is often updated so consult the websites of the applications to be sure you are getting what you think you are.

Attaching a Drawing Tablet to your “normal computer”

A final option you may consider for traditional non touch screen enabled computers is buying a drawing tablet that plugs into your computer like a mouse would. This solution requires you to draw on the tablet next to your computer screen. An example of this would be a Wacom Tablet – Shop Wacom on Amazon or the less expensive Huion Tablet – Shop Huion on Amazon . Using a detached tablet takes a bit of practice as it isn’t natural at first to draw on a blank tablet with the monitor next to it. Wacom has created a monitor/tablet that also displays what you see on the monitor onto the connected tablet as well. In some sense, this is like having an attached touchscreen monitor to your existing computer.

I’m not a fan of the tablet hooked to a computer solution though because it is generally more expensive overall and less intuitive or portable.

Good Reasons to Paint Digitally

This website is about painting with pencils but it is not limited to pencils.

A stylus uses very similar strokes as regular pencils, pens, and markers do. Digital drawings and paintings can be fantastic works of art. Similar to photographs, images of any kind evoke emotion in both the creator and the viewer. Digital art is absolutely a legitimate art form.

The Most Mess Free and Portable Drawing and Painting Solution

The convenience and portability of sketching on a smartphone can be even more convenient than a sketchbook and a few pens or pencils. If you want to keep art light while traveling, it is easy to pull out a phone and stylus and sketch away. You probably carry your phone all the time anyway.

Less Expensive Sketching
It may not be cheaper at first if you are buying a tablet like an iPad or Surface Pro solely for painting but if you already have one then it may well be an affordable option.

A full set of brushes and a full set of paints , pastels, pens, markers, pencils, or whatever isn’t cheap. When you add in the extra cost of the surfaces it can add up.

Quick and Easy Sketching
You will improve as an artist by painting digitally. A primary reason for this is because of the convenience factor mentioned previously and because painting digitally simplifies the learning curve. From a bio mechanics standpoint, painting digitally uses the same motions as drawing with a pencil. This frees you up to focus on the basics of line, shape, tone and composition.

Learning shapes, values, colors, light and composition is required regardless of the medium so why not use a digital medium as a mess free way to practice and still get something that is quite beautiful and rewarding to share when you are done.

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone and favorite software in hand, you can paint and sketch as much as you’d like as often you’d like. In the same way that digital photographers can shoot more pictures without the fear of running out of film, digital artists never need to fear running out of paint. So give it a try!

In fact, take a look at this post to learn why and how you can use a limited palette in digital painting

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use my link.
05/15/2022
8 Helpful Podcasts to Listen to When Drawing or Painting

You would think that a podcast talking about drawing and painting wouldn’t work very well. Shouldn’t someone interested in learning to paint or draw just watch instructional videos on YouTube? Not necessarily, my experience has been that I can learn just as much from audio podcasts as videos!

Podcasts about art can be just as helpful as videos about art. Videos often focus on the techniques of drawing and painting but podcasts focus on the motivations and mindsets needed to keep practicing and doing your art.

Below are some of my favorite podcasts that help motivate me while I’m doing art.

Sharpened Artist Podcast

A great thing about podcasts is they can be incredibly specific. Did you know there is a podcast about colored pencils? John Middick has done just that with the Sharpened Artist Podcast . Incredibly, John has been doing this podcast for over 5 years. Take a listen if you like pencils as much as I do.

I would recommend episode 240 “Interview with Carrie Lewis” as your first listen. In it John talks with Carrie who is the founder of the CP Magic Colored Pencil Magazine and is a really inspiring ambassador of colored pencils and art making.

The Plein Air Podcast

Eric Rhoades is the host of The Plein Air Podcast. It is a podcast about my favorite place to paint – OUTSIDE.

Eric Rhoades is one of the biggest champions of the movement to get people to go outside and paint. He has been known to say “Painting is the New Golf”. I agree with him. Painting outside (solo or with friends) is an incredible and rewarding pastime. This podcast will surely give you ideas on how you can do that too. The podcast often focuses on oil painters but as is evident by my “Paint with Pencil” YouTube channel, you can take pencils outside too!

I would recommend episode 142: “Sharon Bamber’s 1,000-Mile On-Foot Painting Journey” as your first listen. In it Eric talks with Sharon about a really interesting and inspiring journey of painting a plein air painting with soft pastels every 5 miles on a 1000 mile walk through France and Spain.

Learn to Paint Podcast

The Learn to Paint Podcast with Kelly Anne Powers is a delightful podcast that focuses on the techniques, processes and materials the artists she interviews use. I’ve listened to several episodes more than once because they are so packed with learning. Kelly Anne is also an artist so her questions are really great and encourage the artists to dig deep into explaining some of their techniques and tools.

I’ll recommend episode 123 with Laura Horn as your first listen. In it Kelly Anne talks to Laura Horn about self study, sketchbooks and even using crayons, pencils, and pens.

The Artful Painter Podcast

Another favorite is The Artful Painter Podcast with Carl Olson – This podcast focuses mainly on oil painters but he has had a few pastelists and watercolorists as guests. What I like most about Carl’s podcast is the conversational tone he brings. The tagline to his podcast is “Art lessons for artists, collectors, and people who love art.” Carl has also said that his podcast is more about learning to be an artist than about learning the techniques and tools of painting. (Although they do get into that too) I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations Carl has had with some fantastic artists and have also listened to many more than once.

Consider episode 60 – Western Therapy with Kevin Kehoe as your first listen. In it Carl talks with Kevin about the magic of going outside for inspiration to doing art. They have an interesting conversation of how Kevin mostly takes reference photos for his painting when outside and largely paints inside in the studio from those photos.

The Drawing Inspiration Podcast

The Drawing Inspiration Podcast with Mike Hendley, is as the name implies, focused on drawing but the play on words really gives me a smile. Mike has a good mix of talking about his own art projects as well as learning from the artists he interviews. Mike’s signature sign off says a lot about his style. Be kind to yourself and each other and keep drawing….

I would recommend episode 49 Exploring a Fantasy World with Charcoal and Graphite with Eric Messinger as your first listen. Mike interviews Eric and they talk about how each of Eric’s pencil pieces starts with a very abstract beginning. I thought it was cool to learn that the erasers can a big part of drawing with pencils.

Creative Pep Talk Podcast

If you’ve never listened to Andy J Pizza, be prepared for a firehose of energy and inspiration. Andy is an illustrator but his podcasts focus on the journey of being a thriving artist and how to conquer some of the mental hang-ups we can have when trying to be creative.

Andy recommends episode 328 – If You Only Listen to One Episode of This Show Make It This One. I would agree. In it Andy talks a lot about how to stop overthinking and instead build habits that encourage action over analysis.

3 Point Perspective Podcast

Jake Parker, Will Terry, and Lee White joined together to create the Society of Visual Storytelling which is an online learning platform dedicated to teaching illustration with a focus on creating children’s books, comic books, and graphic novels. While related to their online art school, the 3 Point Perspective Podcast itself features great conversations about many topics in the art industry. Including many question and answer episodes where they talk openly about what it takes to get started in and succeed in an art career.

I would recommend episode 106 which is an interview with Amy Kibuishi. I really liked the conversation with Amy where she has learned how to balance life and her creativity. Even if illustration isn’t your thing, storytelling is a big part of making art and there is a lot of inspiration to tell your story in this podcast.

Kick in the Creatives

This is a fun podcast featuring Tara Roskell and Sandra Busbey. Both are amazing artists and their wildly different styles make for interesting perspectives. They really strive to be motivating and helpful and they succeed. They have a strong community and with loads of monthly challenges on social media.

I would recommend episode 98 – “Should I Loosen Up My Art Style?” as your first listen.

All of the podcasts mentioned above reinforce a major thing I like about creativity; the fact that ART CONNECTS US. These podcasts have connected me to not only the hosts but I have found and now follow many new artists via their interviews. I admire these podcaster’s ability to generously contribute to the art world through their podcasts.
paintwithpencil.com

05/07/2022
7 Awesome Tips for Plein Air Painting from a Car
It is fun to get outside to paint or sketch. Staying inside your car is an option worth considering when circumstances like weather or health conditions make lugging your art gear around less appealing.

When plein air painting in a car, an easy setup for creating art in your car is to use a tray that attaches to your steering wheel to set your painting or sketching gear on. Keep your art kit small and compact with an art box or bag and park your car in a place with a comfortable and safe view.

Beyond that easy solution, there are additional things you will want to do to keep things simple and enjoyable while creating art in your car.

Use a steering wheel tray

The Steering Wheel desk by Cutequeen is a great option. Cutequeen Steering Wheel desk on Amazon.

You can obviously just sketch in a sketchbook directly on the tray but I prefer to keep my art gear in a box with a lid that doubles as an easel for a small canvas or art panel.

The other advantage of a rigid art box is you can simply set it on your lap just as you would if you were outside of a car sitting on a regular chair. If you aren’t’ in the driver’s seat this is a good option.

If you are in the driver’s seat, another option is this steering wheel gadget by James Gurney It hooks over your steering wheel and essentially converts your steering wheel to an easel. Pretty cool!

Steering Wheel Easel by James Gurney

Be prepared with a well stocked art box or an art bag

Keeping your gear light and compact is key to painting or sketching outdoors. Portability is also key. I carry an art box that is easy to carry but also fits in a bigger backpack.

Do your own thing. You are the artist and only you will know what you like. I’m only sharing this tips to give you ideas for what you might want to carry.

In my art box I have the following things:
- Zippered Pouches
  - I keep my pencils in one pouch, my brushes in another pouch. Miscellaneous items in a third. I love the pouches because I can have a different pouch for each type of pencils, pens or markers that I own and I can easily swap out various pouches depending on the day.
- Magnetic Cup for Water
  - Glue a magnet to the bottom of a lidded cup and another magnet to the bottom of the box. This will keep the water from spilling but keep the cup easily removable as needed. Until I did this I was always spilling my water!
- Brushes
  - I carry several types of brushes. Water brushes which have water in the barrel and regular brushes that I use with the water cup. Both types have their advantages. It’s a good idea to have several sizes.
- Miscellaneous items
  - paper towels
  - pencil sharpener
  - Erasers. I like my battery operated eraser best but I do have several styles
  - Scrap paper for testing colors.
Water cup with magnet glued on bottom

Bring easy mediums and smaller sketchpads

Dry or Water Soluble Mediums

I’m a pencils first artist. I think this medium works really well with mobility. Having said that, I do like water soluble pencils so I carry water and brushes.

If pencils aren’t your thing, watercolor or gouache is a very popular medium to travel with . Water Soluble media is the arguably the easiest to clean up in case of a spill,

Whether you are in the car or out on a walk or hike, make sure your medium easy to keep in a bag or box and make very little messes to clean up when you are done.

Canvases or Sketchbooks

There are two main reasons why keeping your canvas or sketchbook size smaller is a good idea. The first reason is portability and maneuverability. Inside of a vehicle, you need to make sure the size of canvas or sketch book fits in the space you have. When going outside, it is easier if you have something that stores well in a backpack or bag. My favorite size is 5×7. It is portable and it works well for the second reason you might prefer a smaller canvas size.

Smaller canvas sizes are quicker to work with. When doing art outside, the light is always changing. The sun is moving across the sky and clouds may be moving about. Working small allows you to work quicker.

Limited Color Palette

Similar to the size of your kit, it is a good idea to consider a limited palette. Don’t bring a hundred pencils. It’s clunky and you won’t use them all anyway.

Picking the right colors to bring can be tricky. Don’t let this intimidate you. Instead, make a point of going out often and trying different colors.

It is OK to start a painting or sketch in the field and finish at home where you may have more colors. I think it is a good idea to make your first excursions outdoors so if you forget a color or another art supply, you can either go back home without too much stress that you “came all this way and failed”

My recommendation is to plan ahead. If you are planning to sketch the local red barn, you’ll need different colors than if you plan on sketching that grove of trees at the local park.

It is OK to start a painting or sketch in the field and finish at home.

Park your car where there is a view (and its safe!)

Vehicles are designed to have great visibility and generally are comfortable to sit in.

Be aware of your surroundings outside of the car

Sketch on Side of Road in Autumn

Be considerate of others and park only in spots that don’t block traffic and are safe and legal. Also since you will likely be in your location for awhile, be sure you maintain the ability to drive off as needed. Try not to get blocked in at any time. Parking lots or designated pull outs on the side of the road are likely the best bet if you can find one with the view you are looking for.

Take note of the direction the sun is heading and be prepared to adjust to it

Ideally the view is in front of you since the windshield typically has the best view but a view out of the side window works too especially if the sun is an issue.

The visor typically works great for straight forward sun issues but is not always best for the side. A sun shade for the side windows may be needed to block the sun. Parking near a tree or building for shade is also a good option.

Be safe Off-Road

If you do go off-road, make sure you do so responsibly. Only take approved off-road routes that are suitable for the type of vehicle you are in.

Keep your vehicle comfortable and well stocked with refreshments

Painting and sketching can take time. Be prepared to sit for an hour or more.

Bring water and snacks as appropriate

I’ve found that the time spent can be more enjoyable and not cut unnecessarily short with proper self care. I often go at least an hour when sketching outside but it is easy to get lost in the art and if you have the luxury of time that particular day, 2-3 hours can go by quickly. Having water and even a snack makes it more enjoyable.
The added benefit of bringing water is if you use water soluble media. Having the extra water has saved me from needing to abandon a painting because I forgot water for my brushes. Just don’t drink out of the wrong bottle or cup!

Windows rolled up or down?

Depending on the time of year, sitting with the windows rolled down can invite bugs in with you. One time I sat with the window on the side of the road near a barn and the flies were unbearable but not as bad as the heat would have been with the windows rolled up. I didn’t feel comfortable getting out of the car due to traffic and a lack of place to safely stand so I persevered with the flies.

Consider dressing appropriately for the weather despite being inside the car. I often paint with the windows down so I can experience most of the natural experience.

Barn Sketch from Side of the Road

Practice simplifying your artwork

Painting outside, from life, presents many challenges. One of the most difficult is creating 2 dimensional compositions from the 3 dimensional world.

Being outside requires you to go much quicker than when painting from references in a studio. The light is constantly changing.

I normally like to do a few rough thumbnail sketches to get a pleasing composition but sometimes it is hard not to jump right in.

Practice what works best for you.

Practice a lot so that it can remain a relaxing and enjoyable experience. I have many videos on my YouTube channel with more tips on how to enjoy the experience of making art. My most important message is to not worry about making a perfect painting in the field, just get the look and feel of it and feel free to finish it at home.

Take photos and video

My final tip is to feel free to use a camera to help you capture the moment.

Your smartphone camera can help with your composition. It is amazing how it can help frame an otherwise infinite view.

These photos you take can also be used as reference when you are touching up your art at home or for simply capturing the memories of the time and place.

Remember to take photos at the beginning and at the end of your painting outdoors. The light can change so much especially in the morning or evening hours. It is nice to have reference of the lighting and shadows that you first admired.

Also consider taking individual shots of different objects in your painting. Zoom in on a few of the more important elements of your composition. It may help you remember what you saw if you continue working on the art at home.

Don’t forget to take video. On my YouTube channel, I show the gear I used to do the video recording as well. You may want to consider doing the same as you share your art hobby with the world.

https://youtu.be/NA1xirKImwU

This article is just meant to help give you ideas on how you can get out and explore art and as part of that discover life and new places.

Enjoy!

For more of my favorite Art Supplies I use the most visit this page: https://paintwithpencil.com/recommended-art-supplies/

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04/03/2022