Getting Organized for Plein Air for Watercolor Artists

This course unit outlines the equipment and supplies you will need when traveling with your watercolor paints and when working outdoors, or “plein air”.

In this course you will learn:

• which easel system to take depending on how far you are going to travel, and what to use for a super-lightweight system for quick sketches.
• the key differences you need to look for when choosing a watercolor easel versus an easel for oils or acrylics.
• tips for setting up your easel outdoors and dealing with wind.
• how to use and make a black mirror and a value finder: great tools for helping you see values better and achieving more realism in your work.
• how to make and use a viewfinder to help you find more interesting compositions.
• what special equipment and clothing you need when you are working outdoors.
• how to keep your painting and paints in the shade, and what to do when you are confronted by problems of working in wind, or working on sandy soil such as on the beach.

Total number of pages: 19