An Artist's Guide to Plein Air Painting Oct. 2015 | Page 22

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ON PAINTING:

 Step back from the easel to look at your painting as a whole.
 Squint at the scene to see the big shapes and light dark
relationships. Paint those.
 Keep the light passages thick and the darks / shadows thin. Use
transparent paint in the shadows and thicker opaque paint in the
sunlit areas.
 Take deep breaths to remove tension. Be bold and happy. This is
better than tense and tight. It will show in your painting.
 Paint for yourself first. You are the artist. Be your own boss.
 Do not be nervous of other people. Usually they ignore you. Those
that stop to talk can become your biggest fans. Be patient and
share the joy.
 Getting lost with little brush strokes? Solve problems by using a
larger brush and applying thicker paint. This gives strength and
loses little details.
 Push the colors if you want to, but keep light and dark relationships
intact. The shadow and light relationships make the painting strong.
 You can always scrape back, finish in the studio or start another
canvas. Outdoor painting is about learning. Forget about trying to
be perfect.

An Artist’s Guide to Plein Air Painting

Malcolm Dewey