I am a huge fan of James Gurney. His lessons and videos changed how I paint dramatically. His videos reintroduced me to gouache and watercolor and made me fall in love with casein, my current favorite plein air medium. Since I learned about him last year, I got hold of his book Color and Light as well as several of his Gumroad tutorials to learn more. I also tried to invest on the same materials that he has, including his homemade easel. I always loved painting in other locations, and I thought it wou0ld be awesome if I could have a similar kit. Indeed imitation is the highest form of flattery.
It took me more than a year to get hold of most of the stuff he uses. The torque hinges and casein paint that he uses were not available here, so I had to buy from Amazon and other international sellers. I had to ask for help from local hardware and even upholstery shops as I did not have the tools to build his easel. I had to test the kit for quite a few times on actual plein air sessions to determine its strengths and waeknesses, as I wanted to build one that offers great flexibility and adaptability. After painting under the intense summer heat, a thunderstorm, in the sidewalk, and in the dark while trying out different media, I was finally able to determine and put together what seemed to work best.
This outdoor painting kit draws inspiration from his YouTube and Gumroad videos. Usually outdoor painting requires planning, and thus one can decide on what to bring. This kit however allows me to leave even without a solid plan or adapt to certain scenarios while on location, like the sudden need to change the medium, rain, or absence of adequate lighting. All except the tripod can fit on a single bag.
It contains the following:
Heavy duty tripod
Messenger bag
Recycled water bottle
Misting / spray bottle
Water cups (recycled sauce cups) with magnets
Cloth rag
Photo holder clip (for the diffuser and grid)
Spring clamps
Recycled metal palette
Dry erase marker
Portable stool
Pencil sharpener
Travel brush set
Sighting grid
White corrugated plastic sheet (diffuser)
James Gurney style easel
Watercolor sketchbook (Etchr Lab)
Repurposed metal box
Different pens with brown and blue ink
Water brushes
Cutter
Small triangle and ruler
Kneadable and latex-free erasers
Graphite pencil (Caran d’Ache)
Water-solluble colored pencils (Caran d’Ache Supracolor 2 and Museum Aquarelle)
Water solluble pastels (Caran d’Ache Neocolor 2)
Dry pastel sticks (Faber Castell Polychromos, Caran d’Ache)
Small gouache set (Holbein)
Watercolor tin with brush and opaque white (Holbein)
Casein paint tubes (Jack Richeson Shiva)
Umbrella
Rechargeable clip light
I made a video of this kit a week ago, before I added the clip light. You may watch it here: https://youtu.be/vZDSX3QMZz0
Perhaps the quest to keep refining the kit will continue as I go on with more plein air sessions. But one thing will remain – James Gurney’s influence and legacy that I will always be thankful for.
Sining ni Sing 