Plein air yesterday
I don't have an easel so I sit on a piece of plastic or tarpulin and use my rucksack as support. It works. But today rain is pouring so I think I shall buy a camera-tripod. That way I might dare to venture out in public.. (Or not..😅) It was a beautiful evening. The blue skyed painting is not really realistic except for the sliver of land. But I liked how the cobalt and cerulean bloomed evenly over the paper and did not want to darken the water..
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I have the original Watercolor En Plein Air Pro and attest that it does indeed make painting around people easier! I highly recommend it! Meeden has come out with one that looks similar, but I can’t say how good it is. En Plein Air Pro works like a charm—quick set-up and take-down, , great design, and durable.
One thing I learned that might influence your shopping for either a camera tripod (to make your own with the mentioned adapter) or to buy one like the En Plein Air Pro is:
Choose a tripod that folds up small enough to fit in a suitcase, preferably a carry-on. Even if you don’t plan tripping now, you will be prepared if you ever do want to take your easel somewhere. Getting a tripod with a smaller folded footprint is also better for carrying in or strapped to a backpack. Just make sure it’s small but mighty in terms of not being so light weight or spindly that it will blow down in a light breeze! I replaced the original tripod in my set-up, and it has made transportation better.
Also, James Gurney (writer and illustrator of the Dinotopia books) has been experimenting with and adapting 360 degree ball-head easels (the type you’d want for watercolor) for a long time, so much so that he has a lot of followers. A search for how to make your own watercolor easel is made more productive if you include his name in the search box (something like “sketch easels DIY Gurney”). Facebook has a group that is dedicated to modifying tripods into easels. Look for the group called Sketch Easel Builders.