13 Plein Air Pointers
For the May/June 2024 issue of Artists Magazine, which is focused on painting—and painting in—the great outdoors, we asked three well-known plein air painters: What’s an important thing to know when plein air painting?
“For a landscape painter, working en plein air is your school. Every answer you need, all your truths, are right in front of you. Light conditions, as well as color temperature, value, atmosphere, shape, and form, they’re all there. You simply have to observe carefully and know that sometimes you’ll be surprised by what you actually see.” —Lyn Asselta (pastel artist and workshop instructor)
“Simplify! It’s tempting to be inspired and seduced by all the information out there—not to mention the changing light and moving objects. Creating a value study helps ‘freeze’ the lighting and solidify what’s most important about the scene.” —Dan Mondloch (watercolor artist and workshop instructor)
“It’s not easy. Remember that the only pictures you’re going to see in art publications or on social media are the successful paintings—and not all the failures that contributed to the learning process.” —Kathleen Dunphy (oil painter and workshop instructor)
Find this article and others like it in Artists Magazine May/June 2024 Digital Edition.
We asked, and you answered!
We also took the question (What’s an important thing to know when plein air painting?) to our broader Artists Network audience, and we’re happy to share a selection of the fantastic advice you offered!
1
“Keep it simple. Always start with a thumbnail sketch and value study. This is the foundation your painting sits on. Squint, squint, squint. And don’t paint everything you see. Simplify.” — Heidi Malott
2
“ Write a few words about how the scene makes you feel and why you picked it. If you finish the piece in the studio, you can apply this memory to your work.” —Adele Partington
3
“You’re not painting a finished product; you’re out there to improve your skills and add tools to your toolbelt.” Annabelle Lee
4
“Keep a written list of all necessary things and check them off before you head outside. There’s nothing worse than arriving at the perfect scene without your paintbrushes!” —Rachel Eichholtz
5
“You can’t squeeze the entire 360° view into a single painting! Pick a sliver of the landscape, using a viewfinder or a photo from your phone, and paint that scene. Use artistic license to move or remove features that negatively impact the overall composition of a painting; make mountains, people, rocks, streams, trees, etc., part of the composition and rhythm of the piece. — Sandra Woods
6
“Less is more. Keep your plein air setup as minimal as possible. You’ll set up faster, clean up faster, break it down faster, and—with it being lightweight—you can go farther distances with it as well! — Rachel Dowd
7
“Always do your value study. Always. If you’re in a hurry, it’s even more important. It’s much easier to get lost on location (in the painting). Your value study will help you stay on the path.” — Stephanie Schlatter
8
“If you’re painting in shade (which we usually do outside), make sure to face the canvas out from the interior of the shade to get as much ambient light on the canvas as possible. It is surprising how fast it gets too dark for good seeing under even small bits of shade.” — Mark Boedges
9
“Edit until it hurts.” — Amy D. Minson
10
“Be kind to the people who disturb you.” — Darlene Park
Find this article and others like it in Artists Magazine May/June 2024 Digital Edition
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