Pochade Boxes
A Lines and Colors guide
See my accompanying Special Article on Plein Air Easels & Paining Systes
Also see my previous posts on:
DIY Pochade Boxes
DIY Cigar Box Pochade Boxes
A little background
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 30 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 (pronounced poh-SHAHD) 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 with a built in easel, meant to facilitate the creation of small paintings or sketches.
A precedent may have been the practice of the English painter John Constable, an early adapter of outdoor painting. He carried his paints (in bags made from pig’s bladders or intestines) in a wooden cigar box, to which he would attach small sections of canvas by pinning them to the inside of the lid.
DIY enthusiasts today still make cigar box pochades.
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 for outdoor painting.
Modern pochade boxes 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 (Box) Easels, Mast Easels and Other Plein Air Painting Systems
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 and stretched canvasses (as opposed to panels).
There are also a number of other types of dedicated outdoor portable easels and painting systems for that purpose, such as “mast easels”, Gloucester easels and field easels..
One of the key differences between many of these systems and pochade boxes is the position of the easel or panel holder relative to the palette. In most of these systems they can be separate, with the painting well above the level of the palette. Your preference may vary.
Some of these can be less (or more) expensive than a pochade box/tripod combination, and are generally lighter and easier to set up than French easels, but are in some arrangements not as flexible or easy to adjust the position of the panel and palette as a pochade box mounted on a photographic tripod.
If you haven’t decided on your ideal outdoor painting solution yet, you may want to give them a look.
I have a post about some of these options (in need of updating):
French (Box) Easels, Field Easels and Other Plein Air Painting Systems
vs. Pochade Boxes
For small scale paintings, the pochade box is becoming the outdoor painting platform of choice.
While many are focused on small panels or canvasses, some modern boxes are bridging the gap between that and the function of French easels, the larger ones easily handling 12×16″ (30x40cm) panels or even larger.
Though the height of the panel can be adjusted to some extent, the easel and palette are together in one unit.
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.
I did a bit of research before acquiring my own pochade box, and I’ll try to give you the benefit of my search with an overview of what I found.
Pochade Box Configurations
Pochade boxes come in a variety of configurations; from “palette and easel only” to those I call “all in one” style, that provide storage for materials and/or sections for carrying dry or wet panels.
The palette surface is 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. These are some of the characteristics that may make or break a particular design for your use and should be carefully considered when making your choice.
For the palette and easel only style boxes, painting supplies and wet panels are carried separately, and the manufacturers often sell complete “kits” that fit into a cloth bag or carrying pack.
The advantage of the all in one style is that everything is in one unit, and, depending on the configuration, 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.
Most pochade boxes are primarily aimed at oil painting, but some of the manufacturers also have dedicated pastel or watercolor models, and many oil oriented boxes can be adapted for watercolor with the addition of a watercolor palette, as some of them have panel holders that will open to a flat position.
Some of the more common pochade boxes
Not a comprehensive list, but I tried to gather some of the most interesting options. These are overviews, not reviews.
Note: The Amazon links are affiliate links; I get a small percentage from the sale to help support my work on Lines and Colors.
Soho
One of these would be a good beginner’s box – perfectly functional but at the low end of the price curve – the other I have reservations about.
The larger box, called SoHo Urban Artist Plein Air Pochade Box Easel Is the one I like. It’s an “all in one” type of box, with areas for materials storage under the sliding palette, and a wet or dry panel holder that holds two 1/8″ or one 1/4″, up to 9×12″.
The easel holds canvases or panels as small as 1-1/4” up to 17” high, and any reasonable width. This is why I prefer it.
The other, called SoHo Urban Artist Scout Pochade Box, looks tempting, more compact. with materials storage (but not panel storage) and $30 less.
However, the easel is limited to panels 12″ wide or less. If this is OK with you, then it’s fine. But are you sure you’ll always be happy with that limitation?
They also offer matching tripods.
Sienna
These are a step up in price from the Soho boxes, but are one of the most common brands you’ll find through art materials suppliers, as well as direct from Jack Richeson & Co..
These are wooden boxes, nicely finished and solidly made, with wooden hinges set with screw knobs.
Both the slim “panel and palette only” box (image at left, left side) and the “all in one” box (image at left, right side), with materials and panel storage, have flexible panel holders capable of holding panels 17″ high and any reasonable width.
Richeson also offers Sienna branded add-on trays, panel carriers, watercolor inserts and tripods.
They also offer glass palette inserts that would work with a number of other boxes as well as their own.
Jack Richeson & Co.
Jerry’s Artarama
Dick Blick
Journey Art Stuff (Cheap Joe’s)
Amazon
Guerilla Painter
The Guerilla Painter Guerilla Box is another brand that you will find in art supply stores as well as on the company website.
These come in similar configurations in various sizes and look to be of sturdy wooden construction with knob tightened metal hinges.
They have sliding palettes with materials storage underneath, and panel storage in the lid behind the active panel.
They appear to be limited in the horizontal size they will accommodate, however, they offer inserts for various smaller sizes, and say there are brackets to allow for panels larger than the lid.
I’m not sure how (or how well) these work. You may want to look for reviews on YouTube.
Guerilla Painter offers a range of accessories, including brush holders, palette cups, brush washers, tripods and painting umbrellas.
New Wave u.go
Another brand available from art materials suppliers as well as direct from the company, the New Wave u,go Plein Air Anywhere pochade boxes come in three sizes, from 11×14′ to 6×8″.
These are wooden “palette and easel only” boxes that come with friction hinges and plastic palettes. The panel holders seem flexible in all three sizes. I can’t find specs for maximum panel height.
The larger two have a small storage compartment above the palette that might hold a few brushes or a couple tubes of paint.
New Wave offers a number of accessories, like palettes, side trays, wet panel carriers and tripods. They also offer bundled sets.
Artwork Essentials EasyL
These are also “palette and easel only” boxes of wooden construction with spring loaded easel positioning.
There are different models of varyng sizes, each of which appears to have a different panel holding system. The smallest two have horizontal size limitations, the larger three seem unrestricted in width, and the largest accommodates panels up to 20″ high.
They all open to a fully flat position.
The company also sells wet panel carriers, painting umbrellas, tripods, brush holders add-on trays and other accessories.
As far as I know, they are only available from the manufacturer’s website.
Edge Pro PaintBook
These are also “palette and easel only” boxes of wooden construction, offered in a number of finishes. The easel appears to function with spring loaded positioning.
I get the impression these may have been modeled on the appearance of an older style of Mac PowerBook laptop, which could have something to do with the name PaintBook.
They come with a glass palette, and a razor scraper. This is key to why many oil painters prefer glass palettes; they can always be scraped clean, no matter how dry the paint.
Panels or Canvasses are held in place with magnetically held bars that stretch out to the sides of the box, to accommodate panels up to 22 inches wide in some configurations.
They also offer a unique magnetic panel holding feature in which their proprietary panels are magnetically held to the bars, for quick placement and removal. They also offer a stick on magnetic panel adapter for regular panels. This provides access to every square centimeter of the surface without the intrusion of clips or other holders.
The company sells additional length slides, tripods, brush holders add-on trays, a unique painting umbrella and even an attachable painting light for nocturnes or studio lighting.
As far as I know, they are only available from the manufacturer’s website.
Peg & Awl Scout
This is one of the most unusual pochade box configurations I’ve come across. Quirky might be the best word.
A nice wood construction, with a leather cover and leather straps holding things in place, it’s vertically instead of horizontally oriented.
The wood finish can be maple or walnut, and there is a palette replacement specifically for watercolor
It looks like a little supply cabinet you might have tucked into a corner of your studio. It’s, well… cute. However, I have trouble making sense of this design.
On one level it seems designed with attention to detail, small drawers for materials, cup and brush holders that attach to the sides and storage for several small panels.
Small being the operative word. The vertical format limits the panel size and the palette size. That and the fact that the panels are simply held in place to the inside of the lid with office clips(!), leaves me scratching my head.
A bizarre combination of careful but quirky design and makeshift solutions.
Obviously, some painters like them. If quirky and different is your style, maybe it’s for you.
As far as I know, these are only available from the manufacturer’s website and a website called The Nomad Store.
Martlet
Another box with a somewhat vertical arrangement, though not as exaggerated as the Peg & Awl Scout (above), is the Martlet Cube.
It’s of wood construction, with leather straps, a single drawer and storage for several small panels
The storage is for 6×8″ panels. The easel, though restricted in height, is not restricted in width. It’s still a box for small panels.
They offer several configurations of boxes, others being more traditional in design. The one shown in the image at left, right side, is a 10x 12″ box with panel storage under the palette accessed via a side door.
I don’t know the maximum vertical height of the panel holder on that one, but the width is unrestricted. The holder adjustments are via wingnuts. The easel back is set with torsion hinges.
The company offers a variety of options, including watercolor pochades, as well as side trays, cupholders, brush holders and other accessories.
As far as I know, these are only available from the manufacturer’s website.
Strada Mid, Mini & Micro
Strada is a plein air equipment maker known primarily for their mast-style painting easels in which the easel and palette are separate, but they also make pochade box configurations as well.
These are aluminum, with either plastic or bamboo palettes. They come in sizes from 7×8.5″ to 11×12″.
The largest can take panels (or canvasses with an adapter) up to 16″ high and is unrestricted in width.
The easel back is set with torsion hinges.
These are palette and easel only designs, and the company sells add-on trays as well as adapters and extensions, and other accessories. They also offer packages.
On caveat about the aluminum finish is a warning against using clove oil in the palette (which some oil painters do to delay the oxidation of the paint) as it will bond to the metal finish. Regular solvents are not a problem.
As far as I know, these are only available from the manufacturer’s website.
Phoenix & Meeden
I’ve lumped these two together because they basically look identical to me; perhaps from the same factory with different branding.
These are aluminum, with butcher-tray type palettes (perhaps making them watercolor adapted) and come with wing like extensions for extra palette space and brush and cup holders.
These are compact when closed, at less than 10″x7.5″, but can take panels up to 16″ high and unrestricted in width.
The easel back is set with torsion hinges. Both companies sell an accompanying tripod and the Phoenix appears to be less expensive.
The Phoenix website is also more informative than the Meeden one. Both are available from Amazon.
Alla Prima Pochade
I’ve saved, in my humble opinion, the best for last. This is the source for my two pochade boxes, which I love and have had many years of experience with. You can see them in the images at the top of this page, a 10×12″ Bitterrroot, and a 6×8″ Belly River.
Alla Prima Pochade boxes are handcrafted by a single woodworker in Montana named Ben White.
Alla Prima has a full line of sizes and styles with a variety of configurations, from all in one to palette and easel “Lite” versions, though they usually include panel holders, but not supply storage.
I have to make a bit of a disclaimer at this point. After doing my research and looking at all of the options I could find, I decided that my personal preference was for an all in one style box, and I selected one from Alla Prima Pochade. I was very impressed with the design, features and evident craftsmanship.
I then approached Ben, in my role as a website designer, about redoing the Alla Prima Pochade website, 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.
The boxes are wonderfully clever, with torsion springs for the easel and magnets for closure of the box and adjustments of the panel holder, which varies in height with the model and is not restricted in width.
The boxes can carry panels larger than their size with the addition of an extender called a “piggyback”. I can carry a 12×16″ panel in my 10×12″ Bitterroot box with mine.
He also makes separate wet panel carriers for extra storage.
These boxes, particularly the larger all in one models, are not light, but they are well made, sturdy, and mine has stood up to years of heavy use. I don’t expect am all in one style pochade box to be light when carrying paint, panels and tools.
Ben’s boxes are 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 boxes are extremely easy to set up, and everything just seems to be exactly where I need it while painting. Plus the wood smells great.
These are only available from the Alla Prima Pochade website. Because they are made by one person, there can be a waiting list at times of high demand. Contact him for information.
Pochade boxes on Etsy
On sites like Etsy you will find a wide variety of imaginative and unorthodox designs from independent makers., as well as those copying the larger manufacturers.
These can be all over the map as far as materials, design and construction.
You can do a search and see an array of choices. When it comes to the appeal and practicality, your mileage may vary.
On eBay, you’ll find a mix of originals and commercial boxes offered for resale, mostly the latter
Pochade boxes on Etsy
On sites like Etsy you will find a wide variety of imaginative and unorthodox designs from independent makers., as well as those copying the larger manufacturers.
These can be all over the map as far as materials, design and construction.
You can do a search and see an array of choices. When it comes to the appeal and practicality, your mileage may vary.
On eBay, you’ll find a mix of originals and commercial boxes offered for resale, mostly the latter
See my accompanying Special Article on Plein Air Easels & Paining Systems
Also see my previous posts on:
DIY Pochade Boxes
DIY Cigar Box Pochade Boxes