Plein Air Techniques for Artists

INTRODUCTION

A SERIOUS, PLEASANT PURSUIT

Plein air painting is a wonderful way to spend your time. It’s an active meditation, a reason to travel, and a way to interact with friends and nature. Plus, it’s not easy. There’s always a challenge if you want to meet it.

In painting, color is used to describe light. Plein air painting is primarily about responding to the conditions of the day, about making some kind of visual record of what you see. But the landscape changes with the light, its appearance shifting almost as if it’s trying on different outfits. How to cope? Do we freeze a moment with a photograph and paint that, or do we chase the sun across the landscape? How about neither: If we learn to recognize and understand various lighting ...