Course Description

One of the most compelling things about art is being able to capture our response to a moment. A camera can capture the moment down to the last detail, but a drawing or painting tells the story of how the artist interpreted that moment.

Painting “en plein air” or “in open air” challenges an artist to capture the changing natural light conditions, weather, activity, and mood of a particular moment in a particular place. In this class, we will review the basics of painting outside from the gear and supplies to sourcing locations. We will also work on a few studies together to find compelling compositions and complete a final plein air painting in oils.

Techniques Taught in this Course

• Packing for Plein Air painting
• Making compositional thumbnail sketches
• Making value sketches to simplify a busy scene
• Painting landscapes in oil