A Guide to Plein Air Painting

A Guide to Plein Air Painting is a practical guide for all artists contemplating their first outdoor painting session.

Plein air painting is the act of painting outside, and it came to prominence in the 18th Century, when paint makers began to manufacture tubes of oil paint. This facilitated a greater ease in taking painting gear outdoors in order to capture the ever changing light across the landscape. Today plein air painters face exactly the same challenges as those artists in the 18th Century: how to keep colour mixes vibrant? How to evoke the atmosphere of a scene? What brushes and colours should I work with? How to carry wet paintings home?

This film, A Guide to Plein Air Painting, gives practical advice on what you need to look for when painting outdoors, what you need to prepare and take with you, and how to get the very best from your painting session.

A Guide to Plein Air Painting

Contents:

00:00 Introduction.

0:20 The history of Plein Air Painting.

1:06 How to prepare for your Plein Air Painting session.

1:11 How to choose your Plein Air Painting location.

1:58 What should you wear for your Plein Air Painting session?

2:38 What art materials do you need for Plein Air Painting?

2:56 What easel do you recommend for Plein Air Painting?

4:03 How to stop your easel from blowing over in the wind.

4:40 Seating for your Plein Air Painting session.

5:31 Using a water pot or solvent pot for rinsing brushes during your Plein Air Painting session.

6:08 Recommended palettes for all Plein Air Painters (Oil, Acrylic and Watercolour).

6:35 What watercolour paints should you take on your Plein Air Painting trip?

7:05 What Oil/Acrylic paints should you take on your Plein Air Painting trip?

7:55 What brushes to take on your Plein Air Painting session?

8:49 How to carry paint tubes.

9:15 Why a palette knife is best for mixing colours during a Plein Air Painting session.

9:55 Why rags are useful when Plein Air Painting with Oil or Acrylic.

10:32 Why a sea sponge is useful when Plein Air Painting with Watercolours.

10:48 Why kitchen roll is useful for all Plein Air Painting sessions.

11:10 How a carrier bag can keep all your Plein Air Painting equipment clean on the way home.

11:52 How do you start a Plein Air Painting?

13:46 How do you carry wet paintings after a Plein Air Painting session?

11:53 How to start a Plein Air landscape painting.

12:14 How to use a viewfinder.

12:42 What surface can you paint your Plein Air Painting on?

12:59 What are Oil, Acrylic And Watercolour blocks?

13:50 How to carry wet paintings home at the end of a Plein Air Painting session.

15:43 What are canvas separating clips?

17:23 Credits.

Further Reading

Lessons Learned From My Outdoor Painting Session – a Plein Air Painting Journal

Plein Air Oil Painting Set Ups: Pochade and French-style Box Easels

Plein Air Painting With Jackson’s Materials

Tips for Plein Air Painting in Winter

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