As an experienced art writer and creative consultant, I’ve had the privilege of exploring a wide range of artistic techniques, from the expressiveness of pencil drawing to the captivating luminosity of landscape painting. In our 15 years installing… In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the art of plein air painting—the practice of capturing the essence of a place through direct observation and immersive experiences with the natural world.
En Plein Air Painting Methodology
The act of painting outdoors, en plein air, has long been revered as a transformative practice for artists seeking to truly connect with their surroundings. By setting up their easels amidst the very landscape they aim to depict, painters can immerse themselves in the ever-changing play of light, color, and atmosphere, allowing the environment to guide their creative process.
One such artist who has mastered the art of plein air painting is Loriann Signori, a self-described “painter of luminosity” whose pastel and oil landscapes brim with a captivating sense of atmosphere. Signori’s approach involves a rhythmic dance between her time spent in the field and her studio, where she translates the fleeting moments of natural beauty into luminous, expressive works.
“Color is my tool, my love, and my nemesis as I attempt to paint the beauty of the ordinary,” Signori remarks, highlighting the challenge and reward of distilling the ephemeral essence of a place onto canvas.
Capturing Outdoor Lighting and Atmosphere
Signori’s dedication to her craft is evident in her disciplined plein air practice, which often finds her on site before sunrise, capturing the first golden rays as they break through the morning mist. Her midday breaks allow her to observe the dramatic shifts in light and shadow, while her evenings are spent developing small color studies that serve as the building blocks for her larger studio paintings.
This immersive, serial approach to landscape painting enables Signori to develop a deep understanding of her subject matter, allowing her to then interpret the scene with a heightened sense of poetic resonance. As she explains, “These new pieces work to help me understand the possibilities of color. Like a writer composing a poem, the colors are my words, and when I rearrange these words I hear/see a different experience.”
Observational Painting Strategies
Signori’s technique of frequently revisiting a location and working in series has allowed her to refine her approach to capturing the nuances of light and atmosphere. By studying the same scene under varying conditions, she gains a nuanced understanding of how the play of light transforms the landscape, from the warm glow of dawn to the soft, diffused illumination of an overcast afternoon.
This meticulous observation informs Signori’s handling of her medium, whether it’s the layered, translucent application of pastel or the luminous glazing techniques she employs in her oil paintings. By carefully building up her surfaces, she is able to achieve a sense of depth and atmosphere that invites the viewer to linger and immerse themselves in the scene.
“I find that after all my planning I might want to always surrender some measure of control and pursue the unanticipated. The painting speaks and I respond.”
Alla Prima Painting Approaches
While Signori’s process often involves a more deliberate, layered approach, the immediacy of plein air painting can also lend itself to alla prima techniques, where the artist works directly and spontaneously with the paint. This method allows for a more energetic, expressive interpretation of the landscape, capturing the fleeting quality of natural light and atmospheric conditions.
Artists like Samuel Earp, who specializes in painting dramatic cloud formations, have developed alla prima approaches that enable them to respond quickly to the ever-changing moods of the sky. Earp’s process involves establishing the foundational shapes and values of the clouds with broad, confident brushstrokes, then gradually building up the layers of light and shadow to create a sense of depth and volume.
“Through years of observation, I’ve learned that clouds are more than mere shapes—they’re three-dimensional forms that interact with light in complex ways.”
By embracing the spontaneity of the moment and the unpredictability of the outdoor environment, alla prima plein air painters are able to infuse their works with a palpable sense of energy and authenticity.
Impasto and Textural Applications
While luminous, atmospheric effects are often the hallmark of successful landscape paintings, the judicious use of impasto and textural elements can also play a vital role in capturing the essence of a place. Artists like Robert Leedy, known for his vibrant watercolor scenes, have developed techniques that leverage the expressive potential of the medium to evoke the tactile qualities of the natural world.
Leedy’s plein air process often involves laying down bold, gestural strokes that suggest the movement of wind, the undulation of terrain, or the rough, weathered surfaces of rock formations. By embracing the inherent materiality of his chosen medium, Leedy is able to imbue his paintings with a sense of immediacy and authenticity that echoes the direct experience of being in the landscape.
“Years of observation have shown me that cloud painting and landscapes truly come alive with those special touches that suggest natural life and movement.”
Color Theory for Landscape Painting
Effectively translating the colors and lighting conditions of the natural world onto the two-dimensional surface of a canvas or paper requires a deep understanding of color theory and the strategic application of pigments. Plein air painters like Loriann Signori and Samuel Earp have developed highly personalized palettes and layering techniques to capture the nuances of atmospheric effects.
Signori, for instance, relies on a combination of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, titanium white, and alizarin crimson to convey the rich, varied tones of cloud formations, while Earp’s limited palette of just nine carefully selected hues helps to foster a cohesive sense of color harmony throughout his landscape studies.
“One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in cloud painting is the power of a limited palette. By working with just nine carefully chosen colors, I can achieve a sense of natural harmony that ties the entire painting together.”
By understanding how colors interact, shift, and are affected by changes in lighting, plein air painters can more effectively translate the essence of a particular place and time onto the canvas.
Pencil Sketching Techniques
While painting en plein air is a transformative experience, the act of directly observing and rendering the landscape can also be powerfully expressed through the medium of drawing. Pencil sketching, in particular, offers a unique opportunity for artists to capture the gestural energy and essential forms of a scene with immediacy and spontaneity.
Skilled landscape artists often employ pencil sketching as a preparatory step in their plein air process, using the drawing as a means of mapping out the fundamental structure of the composition before translating it into paint. This approach allows for a more intuitive, responsive experience, as the artist can quickly capture the essence of a place without the constraints of a fully rendered painting.
“Establishing the fundamental structure of the painting begins with a thoughtful sketch in burnt sienna, tinted with pale drying oil. This approach allows me to map out the major elements while maintaining the flexibility to adjust as the painting develops.”
By honing their pencil sketching techniques, artists can develop a keener eye for observation, a more expressive mark-making approach, and a heightened sense of the rhythms and proportions that define a particular landscape.
Expressive Mark-Making
Just as the impasto techniques of oil painters can infuse a landscape with a tactile, energetic quality, the way an artist wields a pencil or pastel can profoundly influence the emotive power of a drawing. Skilled landscape artists often employ a range of expressive mark-making strategies, from bold, gestural strokes to delicate, atmospheric hatching, to convey the essence of a place.
Artists like Cristin Wood, who is known for her vibrant plein air paintings of wildflowers and ephemeral natural scenes, bring a sense of kinetic energy to her drawings through the use of dynamic, rhythmic lines. This approach allows her to capture the fleeting, transient qualities of her subject matter, imbuing her work with a sense of immediacy and connection to the natural world.
“Hiker, painter, lover of ephemeral wildflowers and tiny creatures” is how Wood describes her artistic practice, highlighting the deep, symbiotic relationship between her creative process and her immersive experiences in the landscape.
Connecting with the Natural Environment
Ultimately, the practice of plein air painting and drawing is not just about the technical mastery of a medium; it’s about forging a profound, personal connection with the natural world. Artists who embrace this approach often find that their creative process becomes a means of engaging with their surroundings on a deeper, more visceral level, allowing them to capture the essence of a place in a way that resonates with viewers on an emotional level.
As Alana Clumeck, another accomplished plein air painter, reflects, “Through my art, I seek to capture the essence of the natural world – its colors, its textures, its rhythms – inviting others to share in the wonder of creation and to find solace and inspiration in its timeless embrace.”
“My paintings serve as a reflection of this profound connection, an overflow of love and reverence for the intricate beauty that surrounds us.”
By immersing themselves in the ever-changing landscapes they seek to depict, plein air artists like Signori, Earp, Leedy, Wood, and Clumeck are able to translate the ephemeral beauty of the natural world into enduring works of art that invite the viewer to pause, observe, and connect with the essence of a place.
As you embark on your own plein air painting and drawing adventures, remember the wise words of Loriann Signori: “I find that after all my planning I might want to always surrender some measure of control and pursue the unanticipated. The painting speaks and I respond.” Let the landscape be your guide, and allow your creative process to flow in harmony with the natural world around you.
Happy painting and drawing! For more inspiring content, be sure to visit Pencil and Paint Muse.
Tip: Practice daily sketching to continually refine your technique