Plein Air Art

Question:  What is plein air art, and how do I get started?

Answer: Put on your sun hat, pack up your pencils and paint, and go get some fresh air! 

Plein Air (pronounced PLEHN-air or PLANE-air) means ‘open air’ in French, and was popularized by the French Impressionists.  It calls us to directly experience and truly see our surroundings, whether it’s a river landscape or an urban park full of colorfully costumed dancers.

Experience the immediacy of plein air art-making by overcoming the challenges!

So Many Scenes to Choose From

What catches your eye?  If you’re making art along the American River, perhaps a fisherman in the water, a bird, a bridge, or a boat.  But for something a little more unusual, how about trying an urban setting?  Maybe a public event in the park?

Start Small

Pick the size and shape or ‘aspect’ (the ratio of height to width) of your finished piece before you start.  Using standard sizes makes a piece less expensive to mat and frame.  A few examples of small standard sizes are 4” X 4” (a 1:1 aspect), 4” X 6” (a 2:3 aspect), or 8” X 10” (a 4:5 aspect).  Anything 11” X 14” or smaller means you won’t have to lug big awkward papers or canvases around, and it will take less time and materials to complete. 

To figure out what aspect to use, use a viewfinder.  They can be purchased, but are easy to make, too.  Just cut a 1” X 1” square (1:1 aspect), a 1” X  1.5” rectangle (2:3 aspect), and a 2” X 2.5” rectangle (4:5 aspect) in an index card, and look through the holes to get the best frame for your subject.  Alternatively, you can just use a camera viewfinder to figure it out.

Things Keep Moving #1: The Sun

Shadows change.  In an hour, the scene often looks very different.  Some artists do an ‘8am’ painting, then a ‘9am’ painting, returning at the same time and place for several days in a row.  Alternatively, you can take reference photographs to record the scene at certain times.  Just remember the camera won’t pick up detail in shadows, so photograph the shadows without much surrounding bright light if this detail is important to you.

Things Keep Moving #2: The People

You have permission:  It’s okay to draw as much as you can of a subject’s body before they walk away, then wait for someone else to come along so you can finish the head, especially in public gatherings. 

People are Watching Me Work!

This is a compliment!  If chatting delays your work, you can always finish at home ‘en studio’, rather than entirely on site (‘alla prima’).  And if your art-in-progress isn’t to a stage where you’d normally be showing anyone, just mention it’s in its ‘awkward stage’.  We know they all go through it!

Here are some helpful hints about Plein Air Art.

(Thank you to Lorna Sheveland)

Equipment:

·         Know your equipment and practice putting it up and down before going painting.

·         Travel lightly and learn what bare essentials are needed.

·         Determine your location for painting in advance so you know how far you need to carry your equipment.

·         Remember to consider how you will handle the finished painting to get it home safely.

Location:

·         Pick a scene that appeals to you. Know the “story” that your scene will tell.

·         Take a photo of your selected scene as the light will change quickly.

·         Use a view finder or your fingers to create a frame for your scene.

·         Select a scene that has 3 to 5 main shapes.

·         Look for high contrast in values.

·         Paint in the shade or under an umbrella with both your canvas and your palette in the shade.

·         Paint with a partner.for safety and critique!

Process:

·         Do a quick thumbnail sketch of your scene.  Follow this with a value study.  These will be your painting ‘maps’.

·         The first mark on your canvas should be your horizon line. This grounds the painting.

·         Sketch in the main shapes.

·         Block in the main shapes with either local color or complementary color.

·         If working in oils, acrylics or pastels, go from dark to light values and from light to heavy application.

·         Work fairly quickly to catch the key idea of the scene you’ve selected.

·         Remember that most plein air painting is for a study and not a studio finished work. So enjoy the adventure!