Plein air landscape

Extensive notes on plein air painting concepts and techniques for the advanced artist

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…

Winslow Homer, Artists Sketching in the White Mountains, 1868 Plein air painting is a highly recommended practice, especially for landscape painters. It helps you hone your skills by forcing you to paint with a sense of urgency as the light quickly retreats or otherwise changes. I made a commitment to myself to do more plein

Accurate observation is key to creating a good painting and good example of this is observing clouds.

After practicing graphic design for almost two decades, Markus Hartel began his career in photography in 2003, coincidently when he moved to New York City. What is street photography? A reflection of every day life – real, unaltered impressions of public places, places that everybody visits every day, the street where you live, the parking lot of your favorite grocery store, the subway. Street photographers document the truth – take candid pictures of things that you don’t notice in…

Two of a plein air painter’s favorite elements — light and atmosphere — are best celebrated by a tonalist approach, as the work of this painter suggests.

Below are a few plein air cityscapes from the last week in and around Zagreb. Here in Croatia Spring has finally started in all it's glory. I have a show of Zagreb cityscapes on May 9th here in the…

Contemporary Impressionist painter Anne Blair Brown says she "connected with plein air painting on a whole new level." Learn how...

By Timothy M. Joe in Art Tutorials > Painting Tutorials Plein air painting is an exciting way to sharpen your observation skills and grow as an artist. However, it can also be a nerve-wracking experience your first few times out. Here are a few tips I wanted share for a smoother plein air adventure: 1. Paint only what moves you Take time to observe the scene around you and be receptive to anything that grabs your attention. It could be the subject […]

Garden Roses, Morning Light 24x30 These plein air painting are mostly the larger landscape works I did on location this winter and spring. In between the rain and fog we had several beautiful days to get outdoors to paint on the north coast of California. Most of January was crisp, dry and sunny. All the paintings were painted just up the road from where Terry and I live or in our garden. The first and third rose paintings were started in the spring of 2012 and brought back out on location…