Which easel or pochade and tripod for Plein Air Painting?
People often ask about the best equipment for plein air painting so here is a look at my kit and some links to suppliers.
I have two kinds of easel that I use outside: a French Easel and a panel/palette holder on a tripod.
The French easel is the one that looks most like a traditional easel. It’s made of wood, has a tray on the back to rest my brushes, brush washer/turps can etc. There is a drawer at the front to store tubes of paint and the palette sits on top of this. It’s a very versatile piece of kit that can support anything from a tiny board a few inches high to large canvas four feet across.
I also have a more lightwight kit in the form of a Palette/Panel Holder from Open Box M. This sits on a tripod with a quick release plate and has a small shelf for brushes, dipper etc. A spring clamp system holds panels up to 20 inches across.
The tripod I use with my pochades and Open Box M panel holder is a Velbon Ultra Rexi L. It’s light weight, packs up small and is very sturdy. The legs are able to open out wide which is great for setting up in windy locations and when set up normally it takes up very little room – ideal for street scenes. I recommend using a tripod head with a quick release plate as that allows you to set up and dismantle your kit quickly. I have found a small Manfrotto ball head is ideal, it’s compact in size and rock solid.
The tripod I use isn’t made anymore but here are some links to similar items that may be useful to you:
Velbon Ultra 655 – updated replacement for the Ultra Rexi L.
Calumet Carbon Fibre Tripod – I haven’t tried this but it looks good!
K&F Concept Aluminium Tripod – Again, I haven’t used this personally but looks good for those on a budget.
Painting at Lands End.
Pochade: Open Box M. Tripod: Velbon Ultra Rexi L.
Looking good, Roy! Expensive, though, RE the Open Box M. But if it gets you out there painting, that’s worth it, right? All the best, Alison
Hi there
Really like your website it is really helpful, I have just started plein air painting and I want to keep the costs down setting up a kit, can I ask could I use a camera tripod to attach to a box somehow with a nut do you think that would be possible as the costs for the full kit are pretty expensive as I may only paint a couple of times a year as in the due to the weather is rubbish. Many thx
Hi Nic.
Yes, that would work. A lot of people do that. Before I got my current set-up I used one of these to connect a pochade box to a camera tripod: https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/item-camera-tripod-mounting-bracket.htm
Good luck!
Great thank you for your help
I am wanting to do a similar thing. Is it possible to mount this bracket to good size pochade box that I could use a sturdy quick release mechanism? If so is there also a universal quick release apparatus that you would recommend that will work with the tripod pictured here? https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Hollywood-Tripod-Headliner-Lift-Acme-Lite-Mfg-Metal-Leg-VGC/37850414.
(Yes, that would work. A lot of people do that. Before I got my current set-up I used one of these to connect a pochade box to a camera tripod: https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/item-camera-tripod-mounting-bracket.htm
Good luck!)
Hi Ginger. Yes, it is possible to fix that bracket to a pochade box. I’m not familiar with that tripod so couldn’t say if you can fit a quick release mechanism. It might be possible, if you are able to remove the head from tripod legs and replace it with a head that has a quick replease plate, like the Manfrotto I link to above.