Shelly Perkins' Standard Kit
You don't need any specialist supplies to head outdoors and paint 'en plein air'. You can use what you already have on hand.
But if you're wondering what supplies Shelly Perkins uses in her classes, here's a video of the main supplies she uses and below is a list of what she likes to take with her when she's making art outdoors:
Summary of supplies (check back soon for buying links):
Paints:
Shelly uses artist grade watercolour paints, squeezed into half-pans and allowed to dry. Most of the colours she uses overlap with the paints in Anna's Standard Kit, with a couple of extras. You can use whichever paints you have. In Shelly's palette you'll spot the following (all are Winsor and Newton unless specified):
- Payne's Grey
- Quinacridone Violet
- Opera Pink - Daniel Smith - (can be substituted with W&N Opera Rose)
- Scarlet Lake
- Permanent Carmine
- Yellow Ochre
- Winsor Lemon
- Winsor Green (Yellow Shade)
- Cobalt Turquiose
- French Ultramarine
- Cobalt Blue
- Lavender - Daniel Smith
As she shows in the video, Shelly carries a little swatch of paper with samples of the paints in her palette as a quick reference.
Palette:
Any closing palette which accommodates half pans and has an area for mixing paints. The make of palette Shelly is using is called White Knights.
Paintbrushes:
In the video Shelly shows the travel brushes she uses. Brushes like this are widely available and buying links will be added soon. We strongly recommend using synthetic fibre brushes for ethical reasons and as nature lovers we are keen not to encourage the purchase of animal hair brushes. The make of Shelly's largest travel brush is Escoda 'Versatil' in size 12. She also has a couple of unbranded smaller sized brushes.
Sketchbook:
Any sketchbook will do, but for watercolour painting you'll get best results with very smooth, cotton paper which will be most absorbent. If like Shelly you'd like some of your artwork to cover a double-page-spread then a stitch binding will be much prettier than a spiral bound sketchbook. A hard cover to the sketchbook will be most practical for working outdoors.
Drawing board:
Shelly takes a lightweight, portable drawing board in A2 size. It's made of inexpensive MDF and has a cut-out carry handle. These boards come shrink-wrapped and Shelly keeps this plastic covering on her board to help it stay weatherproof as the material is absorbent.
Pencil:
A 3D pencil of any make. Shelly uses Fabel-Castell.
Pencil sharpener:
One which catches the wood shavings, which can contain chemicals so should be taken home and disposed of.
Waterproof fineliner pen:
For line work at the end of a painting, Shelly uses a waterproof pen. The one she uses is black but you can use any colour. It doesn't have to be waterproof but if it isn't, the paper should be dry and you won't be able to paint over the lines after you've made them.
Water pot:
Any plastic recycled pot - ideally one with a wide base to avoid the risk of it tipping over.
Spray bottle:
A travel spray bottle filled with water for misting over the dried paints to wake them up before using them. These bottles can usually be found in the travel cosmetic department of a store.