Katie’s Plein Air Kit

Have you ever wondered what sort of set up you’ll need to go plein air painting? There are many different options on the market. Artist Katie Liddiard breaks down her personal plein air kit that she has pieced together over years of trial and error and research.

The bag that holds the kit all together is a backpack made for photographers, so it holds everything she needs while being secured and padded for outdoor treks. Her tripod attaches to the front of the backpack which easily unclips to set up. Then her palette/easel combo, the Edge Pro, slips out of the back pocket of the backpack to attach to the tripod. Because it’s all magnetic she doesn’t have to worry about heavy winds tipping the palette over into the dirt- something all seasoned plein air artists have experienced. With magnetic sliders to hold the canvas and trays to hold brushes and mineral spirits, the kit is assembled and ready to use. It takes no time at all to assemble and everything you need is at your fingertips.

Katie uses this kit not only for plein air painting, she uses it every day in her studio because of how compact it is and the convenience. Having her palette mounted on a tripod instead of holding it relieves strain on her arms from painting all day. Then, after she’s done painting, breaking down the kit is just as smooth as setting up with minimal clean up.

As you paint more, especially in plein air, you’ll come to understand what the most essential items to bring along are and what doesn’t necessarily need to be included in your kit.