Plein Air Techniques for Artists

PLEIN AIR QUICK REFERENCE

FIELD PAINTING STRATEGIES

Stain it, draw it, and throw a bunch of color at it. Stain the canvas with a thin layer of paint (a canvas tone), make whatever marks you need to indicate size and placement of the shapes and relationships, and then go straight to direct laying in of color.

Dark to light. Define the shadow shapes in a single value first, then work your way out of the shadow to the next lighter value, and so on. Keep an eye on the lightest value you’ll need and keep everything else darker.

Rubout. Tone the entire canvas and then use a rag or brush or cotton swab to remove paint in the lit areas.

Degree of abstraction. Think of your painting as an abstract study of the subject. A painting is always an abstraction. ...