Pochade Box, Part 3

 

Since the box is so heavy to begin with, I am filling it with the lightest materials possible.  I generally paint in watercolor lately, so I’m planning this box with that in mind.  After a lengthy discussion with my husband, we decided we would use the material he uses to create his signs for his job.  (He’s a safety director and is forever making signs for warehouses, etc.)  He uses PVC board.

This is a lightweight, very strong, flat PVC sheet about the same thickness as foam core.  He cuts it and shapes it in whatever he wants and it looks great.  It’s not very expensive either, which is EXCELLENT, and comes in lots of colors.

He said he would order the appropriate sheets for me and he would even cut them for me!  What a sweetheart.  I just love that guy!  I would like one of the boards large enough to be a shelf within the box itself.  That way I can keep my larger papers and canvases beneath it with the smaller stuff above.  Then for my easel, I would like a 10″x12″.  That would give me an 8×10 inch space for the painting once I’ve attached it to the board.  Plenty big enough for an outdoor, on-the-fly painting.

Oh-frugal tip!-if you would like to create a simple travel paint set here’s a quick and easy one:

If you use fake nails, keep the plastic containers they come in.  Those small sections for each nail size will hold quite a bit of paint.  There is often one large square spot for the color you use the most often or as your water spot, if you prefer that.

 

Just squeeze your tube paint into the sections.  Keep the amount a bit less than level with the top or you’ll get paint on the cover.  Once your paints are dried in the package, cover with the clear plastic that goes over the top (it comes with the nail kit) and slip it back into the original packaging.  Label it correctly so you know what type of paint you put into this particular palette, and toss it into your travel kit.  I swatched out the colors and added them to the back side of the paint pans.  This way I know what colors are in which pans.

This could not be easier or more handy.  Don’t forget to add a brush and a water bottle.  You’re good to go.  I use the clear plastic cover as my mixing area.  Wipe it out when finished and replace over your paints before putting them back into the package.  I would take them out when you get home to let them dry out completely, then rebox them up and put them back in your kit.  I would just be really careful so nothing developed mold by being sealed air-tight while wet.

Since I never know what I will be in the mood for, I will pack lots of things in my Pochade box.  Watercolor pencils, colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, papers and canvas, sketch book, travel easel, paints, brushes, wet ones, water, tape, paper towels.  These will be mini-sized (probably) for weight.  Oh, and I’ll need a seat.  Possibly an umbrella.  Since I plan to leave this stuff in my car’s trunk, I believe I will carry a gallon of distilled water with me too.

I’ll keep updating as I continue to create my perfect Pochade.