In this article, I will share with you my plein air setup for gouache.
What’s the best palette for painters? We asked, and you answered! More than 25 artists share their favorites here (including DIY palettes).
This is 9 of the 13 paintings I did during the Sonoma Plein Air event this year. This one was difficult because these buildings were so far away, I had difficulty seeing the details clearly. Normally I would get closer to them, but the field between me and the subject was private property. Back of the Ranch 6x12" It was a hot day when I discovered this trailer. Fortunately I had my huge patio umbrella with me and was able to stand in the shade. The most difficult and most time consuming painting of the week, I spent over 3 hours staring at this shiny monster. Back Yard Camper 12x16" I've painted this truck before -- a beautiful old Studebaker. I had not planned to paint it this particular morning, but the light was so perfect at 8am when I saw it on my way to another painting location, that I changed my plans. Big Red 8x12" By the time I got to this one, I had a good amount of paintings already, so I was more experimental, using stronger colors and simplifying the shapes more. Curve Ahead 11x14" This view is from within a private vineyard where we had special permission to paint. The challenge was to get the middle ground greens to fade into the distant blues. Harvest Time 12x16" I had an hour to kill before the Quick Draw began, so I did a little 6x8" of this Airstream I found nearby. Airstream 6x8" This was my piece for the Quick Draw. This beautiful old brick building used to be a hardware store I'm told. I was pretty happy with it considering I only had 90 minutes, and there was a big truck parked to the left blocking my view of the sidewalk and store windows. Corner Store 8x10" I've painted this old Chevy many times over the years in Sonoma, but never this small. I wanted to do something using this proportion, but this was the largest canvas I had left. Yellow in shadow often gives me a hard time but feel I captured it fairly accurately. I'm happy with how it came out, and would like to try it on a 12x24" sometime. Old Yeller 6x12" When I first did my pencil sketch of this, I was immediately excited about the big shadow shapes connecting the barns. Everything came together pretty easily on this one, and I was happy I didn't get stung by any of the bees from the 30 or so hives across the street and behind me. My favorite of the week. Near the Bees 11x14"
Plein air, or painting outdoors is an invigorating experience. Read these 9 tips so you can feel prepared when you next take your easel out.
This post is a lesson on how to simplify a complex scene into a clear and concise subject to paint, using my recent painting trip as an example.
Hallmark artists share plein air painting tips from a trip to Santa Fe. Learn how to make the most of a day spent painting outdoors.
In this post I'll do much more than just give you some great tips for Plein Air watercolor painting (Though I'll do that too). I'll also give you some
These artists have become masters at painting en plein air. Here's how they approach their locations and subjects. Tres Pistoles by Barbara Coleman By Norman Kolpas Artists have painted in the open air probably for
I love to work in sketch books and do small sketches of my work in all kinds of media. In many ways they are superior to my finished work as they capture the essence of the subject I'm painting more closely . These are all little paintings pulled directly from my sketch books.
Plein air, or painting outdoors is an invigorating experience. Read these 9 tips so you can feel prepared when you next take your easel out.
Best Plein Air Painting Chairs Reviews covers portable artist outdoor folding chairs, and awesome portable folding chair with wheels.
Quick painting trains our reflexes and judgment; it improves the observation of the eyes and drawing skills of the hand.
This is my “plein air” watercolor setup for working out in some rugged terrain. It is fairly self-contained and very sturdy. The board is 3/4″ plywood but doesn’t weigh that much after cutting a few holes in it. I’ve attached a tripod cleat to the back side for quick mounting on location. The palette has…
This is my current setup. The last post I did on this was from May of 2014 . It's still a useful resource for the cheapest, most straightforward setup. The whole thing cost about 50-75$ to make. It goes into a lot of detail about how I made it, and is probably worth re
two useful sketching tools - a gadget to find angles, and a gadget to simplify tones
Interested in painting picture of the places you visit on your travels? This post will show you what you need to get started painting while traveling!
https://youtu.be/c-RhSD8RaDY I must admit to being a bit of a wimp when it comes to plein air painting. I love, love, love it, don’t get me wrong, but I need a little bit of help out there! Come on it’s […]
I've been getting out and about a LOT lately...Joseph has discovered warm-water fly fishing and I am the beneficiary!
Lightweight plein air easel for watercolor painting. Includes step by step details of how it was constructed. An outdoor easel should be light and functional.
Plein air artist Catherine Gill explains how to capture the colors of the landscape when painting outdoors. Plus find out what to pack for painting on location, whether you prefer a large or small setup. With Gill's tips in hand, you'll want to grab your gear and go paint en plein air today!
If painting outside scares you, then I'd guess the idea of painting a larger watercolor piece may not seem in the realm of reality. I'd love to ease your fears by explaining how my larger watercolor plein air setup makes it easier!
Outdoor painters have faced challenges in almost every region of the country when painting in snow over the years. Here is how a few
Yesterday I spent some time organizing my plein air gear, thinking I won't be using it nearly as much now that fall is really setting in her...
How to Paint Clouds > The challenge is that they’re in constant motion. Learn how to choose the right moment for painting clouds en plein air.
Want to master the art of painting outdoors? California landscape painter Frank Serrano shares two simple step-by-step demonstrations on how to paint en plein air, excerpted from his book, Plein Air Painting in Oil (Walter Foster Publishing, Laguna Hills, California).
Is there a “special secret” to creating great paintings? Maybe — see how Jeremy Sams came to plein air, what his advice is for others and more, in this Q&A.