A Beginner’s guide to getting started with Plein-Air Painting

Love the outdoors? Got a creative soul? If you’re shouting “yes,” plein-air painting is calling—where your love for hiking and travel pairs perfectly with on-the-spot sketching and painting! Whether you dream of capturing sunrise over the lake or just want an excuse to spend more time outdoors, plein-air painting is a rewarding way to sharpen your eye and enjoy nature. Below you’ll find a starter materials list (split into watercolor and acrylic kits) followed by practical advice on setup, workflow, and staying comfortable outside.

1. The Minimalist Supply Lists

Below you’ll find some reccomendation of the materials/stuff that you might need, these are reccommendations feel free to make the setup for yourself

Watercolor Kit

Item	Why It Matters
Travel-size watercolor set (12 shades or more half-pans or Tubes)	I reccomend pre-filled pans let you paint straight by just mixing a little water. You can also try out tubes if you like.
Watercolor Paper Pad	300 gsm (140 lb) paper resists warping—spiral pads stay flat in wind.
Three or more versatile brushes	#8 round (general), #4 round (detail), ¾″ flat (washes). Synthetic is fine.(a big, medium and fine)
Lightweight folding palette	Extra mixing space if the box lid feels cramped.(You can have a palette with different wells or compartments for different colors)
water cup(Mug) + small spray bottle	Spray keeps mixes moist; a cup or mug of water to wash brushes.
Mechanical pencil & kneaded eraser	Clean, erasable lines that won’t smudge under washes.
Absorbent cloth or paper towel	Controls moisture and blotting. General cleaning
Binder clip & masking tape	Keep pages still on breezy days.

Recommendations Winsor and Newton beginner’s bundle: https://eu.winsornewton.com/collections/beginner-watercolour-sets/products/cotman-watercolour-beginners-bundle

Acrylic (or Gouache) Kit

Item	Why It Matters
Acrylic Paints - 6 or more shades	Any beginner kit that comes with 6 or more shades. I reccommend the paint that comes in tube instead of in a bottle
A palette	A tear-off palette or flat plastic palette. (I don’t recommend against a palette with different compartments)
At-least Three or more versatile brushes	½″ bright (blocking), #6 filbert (general), #2 round (detail). Synthetic Taklon handles acrylic well.(a big, medium and fine)
Pre-primed canvas panels / acrylic paper pad	9 × 12 in or smaller; rigid panels slot easily into a backpack.
Atomizer bottle & retarder medium	A quick mist or retarder drop keeps paint workable in dry air.
Water Cup or Mug for water	Rinse brushes and thin mixes.
Compact field easel (optional)	Aluminium tripod or French half-box; many weigh < 1.5 kg.
Paper towels & zip-bag for dirty rags	General cleaning, Acrylic won’t come out of clothes once dry—contain the mess early!

Recommendations Winsor and Newton beginner’s bundle: https://eu.winsornewton.com/collections/acrylic-sets/products/galeria-acrylic-galeria-complete-set

Budget tip: Start with student-grade paints plus one good brush; upgrade items as you learn what you truly need.

2. Pack Smart: The 5-Minute Pre-Flight Check

Weather scan – cloud cover, wind speed, temperature = drying speed.
Sun angle – paint with the sun at your side, not in your eyes or on your surface.
Essentials pouch – phone, mini first-aid kit, snacks, water, SPF, hat.
Comfort kit – lightweight stool, fingerless gloves, insect spray.
Leave-no-trace plan – spare bag for trash, corked jar to transport rinse water home.

3. Choose (and Simplify) Your Subject

Look for large, distinct shapes (bold tree silhouette, bright boat).
Squint—what vanishes becomes background tone; don’t chase every twig.
Establish a focal point before mixing: where should viewers look first?

4. Field Workflow in Six Steps

Step	Watercolor	Acrylic
1 — Light sketch	Pencil contour, no shading.	Same, or draw directly with thinned burnt umber.
2 — Tone block-in	Big, light washes (sky, water).	Thinned paint covers large masses.
3 — Mid-value shapes	Work background → foreground, save whites.	Increase opacity; set main color families.
4 — Shadows & accents	Drop darker pigments into damp areas for soft edges.	Thicker paint; palette knife for texture.
5 — Highlights / details	Dry-brush sparkle or opaque gouache touches last.	Final high-value strokes (pure titanium white mixes).
6 — Evaluate	Step back 2 m, check edges & contrasts.	Same—fresh eyes catch balance issues.

5. Quick Color-Mixing Essentials

Work light to dark. In both watercolor and acrylic, it’s easier to deepen a hue than to pull it back once it’s too dark.
Limit your palette. A split-primary set (warm + cool version of each primary) keeps mixtures clean:
- Warm yellow (e.g., Yellow Ochre) • Cool yellow (Hansa)
- Warm red (Cadmium Scarlet) • Cool red (Alizarin)
- Warm blue (Ultramarine) • Cool blue (Phthalo)
Mix on the palette, tweak on the paper. Aim for the target colour in the well or mixing area; fine-tune temperature with tiny on-surface touches.
Neutral grays = complements. Mix any colour with its opposite on the wheel (e.g., Ultramarine + Burnt Sienna) for natural shadow grays.
Puddle progression. Start with a large puddle of the dominant sky/water tone—every later mix can borrow from it, keeping the painting harmonious.
Test swatches. Dab a corner of the mix on the page margin before committing. It saves surprises in value or saturation.
Record your favourites. In a spare sketchbook page, note “2 parts Phthalo Blue + 1 part Burnt Umber = Deep Pine Green.” It’s a personal recipe book you’ll reference outdoors.

Quick exercise: Paint a ten-step gradient strip from pure Ultramarine to pure Burnt Sienna. You’ll discover at step 5 the perfect neutral for distant hills—and you’ll never drag black out of the tube again!

6. Common Outdoor Challenges (and Quick Fixes)

Challenge	Fix
Changing light	Snap a reference photo on arrival; lock in shadows early.
Curious passers-by	Earbuds + friendly “Still a work-in-progress” keeps focus.
Paint drying too fast	Mist palette for watercolors; spray palette & use retarder for acrylics.
Overworking	Limit session to ~90 min; set a timer to force fresh starts.

Final Word

The joy of plein-air isn’t a perfect postcard on the first try—it’s noticing bird calls, shifting clouds, and light you’d miss indoors. Pack light, keep sessions short, and treat every field sketch as a learning snapshot. With each outing you’ll paint faster, see color more clearly, and feel right at home under the sky.

Happy painting—see you out there!