Tips on how to set up a French Box Easel for plein air oil painting. This is how I set up my Jullian easel for a typical plein air painting session. Like the video? Why not buy me a coffee? www.buymeacoffee.com/abIp
Nice you have an original French made Julian. I have an off brand I enjoy for several mediums, but true, they are heavy, especially if you load it with gear. So I only carry brushes in the box and the rest in a bag. Also found the center mast gets wobbly for small surfaces (to put it at eye level) so I made an adjustable board like an item called an "Easelock" sold online. But they're a cheap and easy diy build. Enjoyed the vid and look forward to your next 👍.
Thanks for the info Scott. I have been toying with the idea of carrying the paints separately to reduce the wait of the easel. I plan to do more painting off the beaten track so it’s a big factor
As always a delight to watch on a Sunday teatime. i did have one of these and Jullian were very quick and helpful to supply some replacement brass fittings. The wing nuts had worn away the screw threads and they came free of charge by return of post. As you say it is useful for carrying every thing, including wet canvases or boards. Like others, I found it very heavy and and having mobility problems I found the 'workout' setting it up put me off painting out of doors. I was fortunate enough to be given a modern American system by Strada which adapts to watercolours or panels/canvases. Everything i need fits into a rucksack with wheels but you need an additional carrier for your paintings. The carbon fibre tripod is strong and there is a hook for ballast should it be windy! There is a much wider variety of equipment produced in America, chiefly by artists/inventors who have found traditional 19thC kit wanting. I suspect in the West they love go trekking and painting and cover greater distances. Unfortunately it is hard to find any of it here and carriage and high import duties and VAT make it unaffordable for most people. If you have friends in America who can purchase it cheaply and bring it over when coming on holiday that makes a huge difference. Having been on various en plain air courses, many people had pochard boxes but seemed only to main on 6"x8" panels, it looked to cramp their style. I might have kept the Jullian which would on reflection have been a fine permanently set up in the studio butI passed it on to some one younger and fitter. It has gone to a good home. Your Jullian is as faithful a companion your pooch!
Hi Ian thank you for your helpful comments. There are some amazing products for plein air painting in the US but the import costs to UK are very high. The Strada is a great choice for a more portable setup, not sure how it would withstand some of the Cornish wind though. All the best Andrew
I have one too Andrew , so sturdy but very heavy for me to carry…. It’s my car easel….If the house is cold, I set up my box easel downstairs near the stove to paint. Another nice wee video , thank you
Hi Andrew. Enjoyed the video. The easel is almost a work of art in itself. Loved the sound track. Also enjoyed the sketchbook video. Very informative. A great collection of sketches capturing those moments in time. Nice work. I should get scribbling 😊. Cheers
The 2 keg retaining catches on my easel have stopped working so I'm using a small bungalow cord which also comes in handy for holding down boards and canvases when painting in strong wind. Very informative as always, thanks Andrew 😊
A very nice set up Andrew and enjoyed seeing the video thanks. Too heavy for me but I appreciate the sturdiness. I even have to use a "Granny trundler" to transport my pochade box and aluminium easel etc....but then I am a Granny so cant complain....just so good to get out there painting !! 😊 All the best.
Great video, very informative! This might be a silly question, but where do you store the wet canvas when you've finished painting and want to go home? Do you need separate storage?
Thank you very much Connor. I usually carry the wet painting back home on the easel. I leave it in place and carefully carry it back, either by car or walking. I will try and show this in my next plein air painting video
