Though the practice by individuals can be traced back further, painting en plein air, meaning in the plain air or simply painting out of doors, was first practiced in significant numbers by artists in the Forest of Fontainbleau in the mid 19th Century. Around that time, the advent of soft metal tubes for carrying paint and the development of the “box easel”, or “French easel” as it is more commonly known today, made it much more practical to carry painting equipment into the field. The practice was subsequently made even more popular by the French Impressionists, and by painters influenced by them in America and elsewhere.
Plein air painting has undergone something of a renaissance in the last 20 years or so, a phenomenon which seems to be growing. As in the 19th Century, there is new equipment that makes the practice easier and more practical, notably a new generation of pochade boxes.
Pochade is a French word meaning a small painted sketch, particularly one painted in oils, out of doors, and often in preparation for a larger, more finished work. I think it’s one of those French words that’s actually used more commonly among non French speakers. It’s derived from a 19th Century French verb, pocher, meaning to sketch.
A pochade box, then, is a portable painting box meant to facilitate the creation of small alla prima paintings or sketches. Modern ones are fitted with tripod mounts which allow them to be set up in an extremely flexible fashion, and carried to the painting site more easily than the traditional outdoor painting box/easel combination known as a French easel.
French easels are still in wide use and have many adherents, and they are better suited for some things, such as handling large scale paintings. There are also a number of other types of dedicated outdoor portable easels for that purpose (like the Soltek, SunEden or Take-it-Easel); but for small scale paintings, the pochade box is becoming the outdoor painting platform of choice.
Some will say that anything larger than 6×8″ doesn’t count as a “pochade”, but the modern boxes are bridging the gap between that definition and the function of French easels, the larger ones easily handling 12×16″ (30×40cm) panels or even larger.
A pochade box shouldn’t be confused with a simple painting box, which holds painting supplies and a wooden palette, but has no provision for acting as an easel.
I did a bit of research this year before acquiring my own pochade box, and I’ll try to give you the benefit of my rather exhaustive search with an overview of what I found.
Most pochade boxes are designed to handle flat painting panels, like primed Masonite, or canvas attached to a board, though some will also hold (but not carry) small stretched canvases.
Pochade boxes come in a variety of sizes, usually to fit standard size panels, such as 6×8″, 8×10″, 9×12″, etc. The smaller boxes are lighter but also have a smaller palette area, though most manufacturers offer palette extensions or add-ons of some kind, as well as ways of attaching fluid cups and holding brushes.
Most pochade boxes are primarily aimed at oil painting, but some of the manufacturers also have pastel or watercolor models, and oil oriented boxes can be adapted for watercolor with the addition of a watercolor palette, as most of them have panel holders that will open to a flat position.
Types
Pochade boxes fall into two major configurations; the first type, I’ll call “palette and panel only”, the second, I’ll call “all in one” (obviously not official terms of any sort).
The former is a combination of a recessed palette surface, usually a wood traditionally used for palettes, like birch (which some artists cover with a sheet of glass or plexiglass), with an attached, hinged panel holder, forming the easel. The whole unit has a standard photographic tripod mount underneath that allows for it to be adjusted and set in virtually any position when mounted on the tripod.
The painting panel is held in place by a variety of mechanisms, depending on the manufacturer. There is also variation in the means of adjusting the angle of the easel back.
For the palette and panel style boxes, painting supplies and wet panels are carried separately, and the manufacturers often sell complete “kits” that fit into a wooden box, cloth bag or carrying pack.
The “all in one” style pochade box not only provides a palette and easel, but also incorporates storage for painting supplies and the built in provision for carrying wet panels.
The advantage of the all in one style is that everything is in one unit, and the painting supplies are at hand in drawers or compartments right there near the palette while you’re painting. The disadvantage is that the all in one boxes are bulkier and heavier, and require a more sturdy (and expensive) tripod.
“Palette and panel only” style
This is one of the most popular and well regarded manufacturers of this type of pochade box. They use a spring loaded horizontal clip system to hold the panels, which allows access to all parts of the panel without obstruction.
Their complete kit includes a walnut carrying box and matched wet panel holder. They also have lightweight kits with a soft pack instead of the outer box.
In addition, they make “palm boxes“, meant to be held to the hand with a strap instead of mounted on a tripod. You can also purchase the palette/panel holders separately, without the panel carrier and outer box.
I note that, among others, James Gurney, who is a dedicated plein air painter as well as a talented studio painter and illustrator, uses an Open Box M pochade box, and recommends it strongly. I have a high regard for Gurney’s expertise, and I take his recommendation as a major seal of approval. Gurney’s blog, Gurney Journey, has a number of posts in which you can see good shots of his Open Box M pochade box in use.
The Open Box M web site is a little confusing, in that their “Product List” doesn’t include many of the products and buying options available from the individual menu choices. Open up the menus on the left and click on the sub-choices to see the full range of products. They have dedicated models for pastels and watercolor. The boxes range from 8×10″ to 12×16″.
EASyL and ProChade are brand names for pochade boxes from Artwork Essentials. These also have their adherents among well known painters. Notably, Kevin Macpherson, who some of you may recognize as the author of some very popular (and quite good) books on painting, has given the ProChade model his official endorsement.
The EASyL and ProChade models use a vertical spring-mounted holder that does not restrict the size of the panel horizontally (though past a certain point, you would overload the box). The boxes range from 10×12″ to 12×16″.
The EASyL models (though not the ProChade) provide carrying for wet (or dry) panels in the back of the easel, placing them somewhere between the panel and palette style and all in one style of boxes. Some of the models offer a limited compartment separate from the palette area for carrying a few supplies. You can order a separator grid that fits in the recessed palette area for pastels.
When looking at the product pages on their site, note that they offer downloadable PDF files that go into more detail about the boxes than the web pages. There is also a PDF chart comparing their various boxes side by side. Their boxes come with a matched tripod.
Like Open Box M, Artwork Essentials carries a line of pochade box and plein air painting accessories, in their case one of the most complete, including a clamp-on lightweight umbrella and even plein air style picture frames.
Heffernan ArtWorks is the husband and wife team of retired engineers Suzanne and David Huffernan. She paints, he turns out pochade boxes and wet panel carriers. The pochade box is a single 11×15″ model with a configuration and panel holder setup somewhat similar to Open Box M.
The panel holder on the pochade box can accommodate 5×7″ to 16×20″ panels and the wet panel carriers come in three models.
“All in one” style
This is the brand of pochade boxes you will most commonly encounter in retail settings, art supply stores and online art suppliers. They seem to have that market sewn up for the moment (along with some French easel manufacturers), and the other brands usually have to be ordered directly from the manufacturer.
They have a line of pochade boxes and accessories and sell their own branded tripods as well. They show a typical setup for oils, watermedia and pastels.
The Guerrilla Painter boxes feature a compartmented space beneath the palette area, accessed by sliding the palette surface to one side. They are probably the deepest boxes on the market with more space for supplies. The hinged back holds two wet panels. If I understand the configuration correctly, one of them is the active panel, which is held in place by clips. The clips in this case do not appear to be spring mounted or adjustable, apparently limiting the horizontal size of the panel to the size of the box unless you use an optional adapter. They indicate that the box can accommodate larger panels vertically, but it seems to be one of the least flexible of the panel holder systems.
They also sell umbrellas and a broad range of other pochade and general painting supplies and accessories. They also make small “ThumBox” models, with a thumb hole in the bottom, for holding like a traditional artist’s palette, in addition to the tripod mount. The thumb boxes are 6×8″ and the Guerrilla Box comes in 9×12″ or 12×16″ sizes.
Though tripods are not included with the boxes as they are with ArtWork Essentials, Judson’s site is helpful in that they offer separate tripods matched to their boxes, eliminating the need to guess at what’s appropriate.
Art Attack, sold through Willow Wisp Farm Studios, is a few different products. Art Attack 1 is a cross between a pochade style palette and a French easel type of panel holder (more like a traditional easel). It mounts on a tripod and has no built-in storage. The Art Attack 3 is a dedicated pastel version of this.
Art Attack 2 is a 9×12″ pochade box with a Guerrilla Painter style supply compartment and palette, but a more flexible adjustable panel holder that looks like it’s spring mounted vertically.
They also make Art Attack 5 (I don’t know what happened to 4), a palette and panel holder designed, interestingly enough, specifically to mount on a car steering wheel so you can paint in the rain, (or while cruising down the highway I suppose). The Art Attack boxes are crafted by a single woodworker, Mike Taylor. They can be ordered with or without a tripod.
Designed by artist Betty Billips, these boxes come in 8×10 and 9×12 sizes and feature a drop down front with wet panel storage (up to six panels) accessible shelf-like, under the compartment for supplies.
The palette is a fold-out system, twice the size of the box.
The boxes are made of high-impact plastic instead of wood.
This UK manufacturer of various styles of easels offers three pochade boxes, though it doesn’t look to me as though they can be tripod mounted and are evidently meant to be used on a table. One fits 203×152mm (8×6″) and the other 360×255mm (14×10″). They also offer a watercolor pochade box meant to fit an A5 pad in the lid.
It doesn’t look at though the lid angles are very adjustable.
This is a small “thumb” style box, meant to be held in the hand with the thumb through a hole in the bottom like a traditional palette. It’s made by Jullian, who manufacture the most popular French Easel, and branded for art supply company Utrecht.
The box itself is 7×9″ so I might assume that the panels it fits are 6×8″ (or 6″ wide x whatever high), however, I’m not at all certain. The online store says to contact Utrecht customer service for questions about panels to fit the box, so maybe it’s made to accommodate a metric size. The customer service link, and a larger photo of the box, are on this page.
The Jullian site (UK) only shows them as sold with a set of paints and brushes and includes a panel sized at 22×16cm. Whether it will as comfortably handle a 6×8″, or if the Utrecht branded version is different, is a a little unclear. I assume Utrecht customer service has the answer.
Another small box. Pochade.co.uk was the site of UK pochade painter Antony Bridge, through which he was selling some of his small paintings. You may have seen some of his videos on YouTube.
He added painters Ben Spurling and Carl Melgari to his site, and started carrying a single model of small pochade boxes.
This is a handheld model, and has space for three 6×8″ panels and a bin for storage. It looks like the method by which the panel is held in the lid may restrict access to the edges of the panel, but it’s hard to tell from the limited photos. They sell for £65.
(Note to Antony: you might want to slow down your animation and stop it after three revolutions. It can be annoying and doesn’t give a very good view of the box.) The boxes are made by a UK carpenter and designer under the name of Red Top Designs.
Like the Art Attack and Pochade.co.uk boxes, Alla Prima Pochade boxes are crafted by a single woodworker, Ben Haggett, though he is a full time dedicated pochade box maker as well as a plein air painter.
Alla Prima has a full line of sizes and styles and should be thought of in the same league with the larger manufacturers like Open Box M, EASyL and Guerrilla.
I have to make a bit of a disclaimer at this point.
After doing the research you’re getting the benefit of here, looking at all of the options I could find, and determining that my personal preference was for an all in one style box, I decided on one from Alla Prima Pochade. I was very impressed with the design, features and evident craftsmanship.
I then approached Haggett about redoing the Alla Prima Pochade web site, to which he agreed, and he is now my client. The web site you’ll see if you visit is the one I designed. So I can no longer say I’m unbiased; though I was when I initially made my decision to choose one of his boxes.
Haggett is damnably clever. His boxes feature several different configurations, based on the size of the box and the best solution he can design to accommodate carrying panels, brushes and other supplies in each. He also has unorthodox and clever solutions for the hinge mechanism, using torsion springs that eliminate the need for knobs or wingnuts.
His panel holder solution is equally unorthodox and remarkably flexible, consisting of a lower panel rest held in place by (uncommonly strong) magnets, that move in channels behind the panel holder, and a sheet-spring top clip. Like the EASyL models there is no restraint to the horizontal size, though you can only carry that so far without it becoming unwieldy.
Magnets also close the box lid, which holds four 1/8″ thick panels (or two 1/4″). The panel storage has a removable adapter that allows for carrying smaller panels, e.g. the 10×12 model can carry a 10×12, 9×12, 6×8 and 8×10 all at the same time. The magnets also make it easy to stick palette knives to the box when working, though palette knife painters have to be careful when painting in the vicinity of the bottom panel holder.
In the smallest, 6×8″, model, he uses a sliding palette to cover the storage bin, like the Guerrilla Painter configuration. In the 8×10, he has a single drawer. Both feature clip-on palette extenders.
The larger boxes, 10×12″ and 11×14″, utilize two drawers that can extend in a balanced manner when painting, one of which can hold a palette extension and both of which are drilled to serve as brush holders.
There are “lite” versions of his two biggest models - essentially palette and panel holder only variations with no drawers. They still incorporate brush and wet panel storage (2 panels instead of 4). Haggett can also build custom pochade boxes on request.
All of his boxes can be extended with optional “piggyback adapters” that tie into the box when closed (with magnets and a strap) to allow for carrying larger panels than the lid would normally accommodate (e.g. the 6×8 box can carry 8×10″ panels, the 10×12 can carry 12×16″). The piggyback can hang from the tripod when painting to serve as an extra bin.
The Alla Prima Pochade boxes themselves range in size from 6×8″ to 11×14″; the 11×14 can handle up to 14×18″ panels with its piggyback.
Like most of the other manufacturers, he also sells separate wet panel carriers for extra storage. Alla Prima doesn’t sell tripods, but Haggett does give a few suggestions.
Their are videos of Haggett demonstrating the boxes and how they work, that are also available on YouTube.
I got the 10×12 “Bitterroot” model (image at the top of the article shows my box in use) and I’ve been very pleased. The box is physically beautiful and a joy to use. My father was a woodworker and museum model maker and I know good woodworking when I see it. The cleverness is put to good use and the box is extremely easy to set up, and everything just seems to be exactly where I need it while painting. Plus the thing smells great.
Tripods
Except for some of the handheld models, most pochade boxes are fitted with tripod mounts, though you can certainly use them in your lap or on a table. I’ve mentioned in the course of the article that although some boxes come with tripods, most don’t.
Even the lightest boxes are heavier than most cameras, so your $30 K-Mart tripod probably won’t hold them very well except for the smallest models. For the all in one style, the largest of which can weigh in at 8-10lbs or more with paint and panels in them, you’ll want a sturdy professional tripod.
If you’re serious, look at a professional specialty camera store (as opposed to typical mall stores). Some of the brands mentioned include Bogen (Bogen Junior or Bogen Digi), Velbon and Silk. James Gurney uses a Velbon CX 444. I went a little overboard and got a Bogen Manfrotto 190 and a 488 head (tripods and heads are often separate units at the professional level).
As Ben Haggett points out, though, a tripod for a pochade box doesn’t have to be rock steady as it does for a camera with a large lens, and you can often get away with overloading them well beyond spec; as long as they don’t have a flimsy head or plastic quick release shoe that will break under strain.
Check eBay, Craig’s List or your parents’ attic. You’ll be surprised how many tripods are gathering dust somewhere, waiting to be used.
Panels
There are various sources for buying or making primed or canvas covered panels. I sacrifice money to save time and buy already prepared 1/8″ Ampersand Gessobord panels from Dick Blick.
Sizes
When I give sizes for the boxes, it’s a reference to the size of the panels they hold, not their outer dimensions. For the benefit of those outside the US here is a rough conversion of common panel and box sizes:
6×8″ — 15×20cm
8×10″ — 20×25cm
9x 12″ — 23×30cm
10×12″ — 25×30cm
11×14″ — 27×35cm
12×16″ — 30×40cm
(and here is an interesting map of all of the countries in the world that do not use the metric system).
Do it Yourself
If you’re inclined to woodworking, or simple tinkering, there are some DIY options.
Artist Easel Plans is a web site that offers $15 plans for building what looks like a reasonably professional pochade box, in theory for around $30 in materials (though this figure is probably a few years old). You could, of course, design and spec your own box, but they’ve saved you some steps and guesswork here, provided you like their designs. You could also take their plans as a starting point for your own.
The pochade box is (I think) designed to carry 10×12 panels and will hold smaller ones as well with a horizontal spring clip similar to Open Box M. Panel storage is under a lift-out palette that sits in the bin and could also be used for supply storage. (I’m not sure from the pictures if you can store both panels and supplies or must choose between them.) Not the most convenient arrangement for getting at supplies when working, but serviceable I suppose. There are slide-out trays for holding brushes and cups while working.
Plein air artist Bill Sharp has apparently built one of these (or something very similar) and has a larger photo on his blog.
There are also plans for a pastel easel and a watercolor pochade box that oil painters may find appealing as well, with a different (and perhaps more practical) configuration than the other pochade box.
David R. Becker shows you how he converted an old wooden painting box (the kind simply meant to carry paints and a palette) into a pochade box with the addition of some homemade brackets, new hinges and a “Teenut” fastener for the tripod mount.
His box is designed for water media, but could easily be adapted for oils. No fancy panel holders here, the panel just sets in the lid. I’m not sure how you would keep smaller ones from moving around.
Sketchin Dan’s DIY pochade box
A kind of how-to in the form of a Flickr photo stream, annotated with notes on the photos for a basic box to hold 6×8″. The panel holder setup is a bit crude, consisting of office supply clips, bolts and washers, but hey, we’re talking cheap DIY here. He doesn’t go in to much detail on the box itself, mostly concentrating on the hinge, panel holder and accessories. He also, unfortunately, breezes past the rather crucial point of the tripod mount.
Ellie Clemens tells you how she converted a wooden cigar box into a small hand-held pochade box with inexpensive hardware.
This is probably a clue to where the original pochade boxes came from. I can just see Constable or Corot tinkering up one of these in the 1800’s.
What a useful article! Thank you for all this wonderful information and for the many links. I started looking at these boxes a couple years ago and became quite overwhelmed. Your clear info and pictures inspire me to head back into the shopping jungle, but this time much better equipped. I have been enjoying your blog very much for the past several months. Best,
Peggy
Thanks, Peggy.
Glad both the post and the blog are proving useful.
I appreciate how thorough your write up for each box is (though I’m really happy with my box, it’s fun to see everything together… admittedly, I’m a bit of a gear hound). I did months of research (along with years of trial and error), going through several different boxes as well, including my own cigar box pochade. Like you, I eventually decided on Ben’s Alla Prima Pochade box (the 8×10) and man, it’s probably one of the best investments I’ve ever made! I was really happy when I recently revisited his website and saw how great it looked…. my immediate reaction was,”wow, he’s really starting to move up. Good for him!” That’s a credit to your design… and of course, the great craftsmanship behind the product. :)
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate the compliment, and I’m sure Ben does too.
Other readers can check out Mike Dutton’s illustration portfolio, webcomic and blog.
On the latter, you can see his pochade box in action in this post, and some of his plein air work in this range of posts.
Hey Charley. Great review of pochade boxes. I didn’t know there were so many options out there. I’ll look into some of these for my next purchase.
I wanted to mention that I have the mid size model from Artwork Essentials and have worked on canvases up to 30 x 40 inches. As long as I have a cross brace and bungees to attach the canvas to the easel, I can go pretty big. If you’re willing to monkey with your set up, alot of times you can push the box to do more for you.
They also sold me replacement parts when I needed them, which is great for me as I beat up my easels pretty badly using them every day.
Thanks for compiling this info for everyone.
Thanks, Colin. It’s great to get first hand accounts from artists who are using these boxes. I’m amazed that you can get the box to handle that size!
Other readers can see Colin’s work here, and my recent update post about him here. He certainly knows a thing or three about plein air painting.
This is the best post I have read on linesandcolors.com so far. Very useful. I think I am going to build a pochade box for myself.
Thanks, Rene. Let us know how it turns out.
Excellent post, Charlie! Very helpful. I’ve also tinkered with the idea of getting one of these, but I wasn’t sure where to start… and here it is!
Thanks, Takeyce.
Other readers can see Takeyce Walter’s twice weekly postings of small oils here.
Unbelievable! Today I decided to make or by a pochade box, as my Julein halfbox cvant take my painting style (all the screws in the hinge for the canvas holder have come loose and eaten away at the wood. Pretty damn annoying, especially when your just about to put in that oh so crucial thin straight line, and a child´s fart is enough to send the canvas hurtling towards your loaded brush…)
And here you come and give me JUST WHAT I NEED TO READ!! Many thanks!
Glad to be of help.
Other readers can check out Timothy Atkins’ portfolio, including illustration, portraits and plein air painting here. There is a separate section for sketchbook.
A VERY useful post for many, many readers.
Being a bit of an equipment junkie I’ve tried some of these. Each that you’ve described has it’s own advantages or the maker wouldn’t be selling them. So for most it’s a question of finding what suits your own needs and habits.
Three things I’ve learned from painting outdoors with these things:
1.) Sometimes a tripod or easel is not necessary. I have a table top travel easel that can carry a fairly large canvas, paint brushes and palette and rest on top of a car hood, picnic table or tree stump.
2.) Attractive prices on reasonably good home-made pochade boxes can be found on ebay under “pochade” or “plein air” searches. I have one made out of scrap wood by a gentleman in Canada with all the fittings including the tripod mount. I paid about $45 for it a year or two ago.
3.) An old fashioned Julian French easel as sold today is not that heavy, still compares pretty favorably with all the newer designs and can accommodate a pretty good sized canvas and, perhaps most importantly, a good sized 11 x 18 palette.
Thanks, Dan.
You make good points about the continued usefulness of French easels, the availability of pochade boxes on auction sites and the use of them, or inexpensive small easels on a table.
I’ve tried to touch on a few of the alternatives, but mostly I’ve focused specifically on pochade boxes as they are most commonly used in the field.
Also of interest can be a search for “pochade boxes” on Google Images or Flickr, where you will often find images of them in use.
Other readers can see Daniel van Benthuysen’s portfolio here; in particular, in the still lifes and landscapes section, a series of still life paintings with the subject of seashells.
Thanks so much for the compilation. I’ve been doing a lot of research myself and was seriously considering the Bitteroot, but I’ll have to save up some more for that. Meanwhile, I’m trying to build my own, but there’s a lot of guess work and theories.
Thanks again for all the useful research.
Great post!
Thanks for posting on this topic. I didn’t realize there were so many choices out there. I have a couple of Open Box M’s: an 8″ x 10″ palm box and a pochade box. As you noted above, the quality of these boxes are very good; however, the horizontal panel holders, or clips, can sometimes get in the way of the brush. I think the tradition, vertical system of holding the panel probably works best.
I’m coveting those Alla Prima Pochade boxes. I’ll have to start saving up for the Blackfoot.
Wow - seriously good post! I love reading posts like this - and love looking at different boxes. One day I’ve got to put my dry media down and give brushes a whirl one more time!
Wow! Fantastic and very thorough stuff here. Thanks for the mention too :-) I saw the Alla Prima Pochade demoed recently by a fellow painter and I was highly impressed. I have been seriously looking at the EasyL Versa (by Artwork Essentials) but after seeing the Alla Prima, I may have to change my mind. (Okay, I actually told my husband that my next pochade box would be home made, but now I can just blame you for putting out such a convincing article! )
I’m looking at either the Bitter Root Lite or the slightly larger Yellowstone Lite. All of the designs seem incredibly well-thought out though. The magnets are pure genius. They also seem more “complete” than a lot of others, with features that are generally considered “add-ons” in other models. Even so, they still seem to have a fairly thin profile.
Thanks, everyone, for the comments.
Other readers can see Katherine Tyrell’s blog here, and my recent post on her here.
Jennifer Young’s blog, Paintings of France, Italy and Beyond, features her work in several categories, as does her web site.
Wow- what a thorough and timely post.
Thank you for providing so much specific and clear information on a dazzling variety of options.
I’ve been holding out due to confusion and not wanting to buy the wrong thing and then be unable to return it
I’m looking for one that’s good both indoors and out.
Now I’ve got something very meaty to digest here.
Of course once you look at that Alla Prima, you’re ruined for the rest….
Thanks so much for all of this research and the visuals too.
Thank you Charley for this thorough review as I have been looking into purchasing another plein air box. I have tried a french easel, a Judson’s Guerrilla box and now after your fine post, have decided to try a Bitterroot Light. I am looking forward to using this well-made, well-marketed product! Looks fantastic and will suit my needs well. Thanks for taking the pain out of my endless search! Good work on the website as well. I watched three videos which informed my decision as well.
barbara geri
Excellent article Charley. I currently have the larger Open Box M and love it. I use it for my pastels and built a divider for it. Recently I began using the Golden Open acrylics and wish to have a smaller version pochade box so this article came in handy! Thanks for the research. Nice blog as well.