Pastel Painting Demonstration: Building Atmosphere From the Ground Up
Discover expert tips in this pastel painting demonstration by Eve Miller, who shares her step-by-step process for building atmosphere in a vibrant landscape.
How Pastel Makes You a Better Painter – In Any Medium
A master of both oil and pastel, William A. Schneider believes in cross-training. Here's why.
Awake at Night: Painting Nocturnes
When painting nocturnes in urban areas, I’ve had all kinds of encounters with ...
Watch: Painting Fall Foliage with a Palette Knife
"Fall foliage is my favorite time of year to paint in the White Mountains," said Melanie Barash Levitt. In this classic Art School Live interview, Melanie paints a fall landscape using only a palette knife.
Happening Now – Plein Air Live!
Right now we're seeing up-close-and-personal presentations during Plein Air Live, an online art conference unlike any other.
7 Principles for Painting a Forest Without a Single Leaf
The unique challenge of the forested landscape is translating all that chaotic beauty into a coherent design. In scenes that include millions of leaves and needles, thousands of branches, hundreds of species of plants, and numberless blades of grass, where do we begin? Rick J. Delanty explains.
How Light Affects Your White
Understanding how to paint the light is a common conversation topic for plein air artists, and it’s one that came up during a special talk led by ...
Daniel Gerhartz on Capturing Light and Atmosphere
Check out this free plein air landscape demo featuring Daniel Gerhartz, who is on the faculty of Plein Air Live this month!
Pastel Landscape Painting: How to Establish a Strong Underpainting
Check out a short and simple landscape painting demo that focuses on the underpainting part of the process.
Stop Painting Boring Trees!
Learn a practical approach for alpine landscapes with Allie Zeyer: soft wet-in-wet backgrounds, bold tree massing, light-and-shadow depth, and expressive branch details—without overworking your painting.
Pro Tips for Using Water-Mixable Oils
If you have questions about how to use water-mixable oils, start here with this Q&A from Christine Lashley.
Behind the Pastel Layers of “Zattere Rainy Reflections”
Explore the process behind Liz Haywood-Sullivan’s "Zattere Rainy Reflections" in this insightful pastel landscape painting demonstration.
What to Expect at Plein Air Live!
Whether you paint in oil, watercolor, pastel, or acrylic, Plein Air Live offers actionable techniques and insights to transform your work. Here is a look at the types of engaging sessions, expert demonstrations, and ...
Watercolor Tip: How to Make Splatters with a Paintbrush
"Many people use a toothbrush, but a toothbrush makes the spatters too even for me," says Richard Sneary. Here's his quick tip on how to make natural-looking marks with watercolor.
How To Paint By Subtraction
Learn how one artist creates a gorgeous painting using water-mixable oils, the rule of thirds, and a squeegee in this five-step demonstration from PleinAir Magazine.
9 Ways to Improve Your Quick Painting / Pochade Skills
Quick painting trains our reflexes and judgment; it improves the observation of the eyes and drawing skills of the hand by ...
Practical Advice for Painting Clouds
Because the diversity of cloud paintings is so unexpected, we offer the following practical advice for painting clouds and skies.
The Confidence to Know When to Stop
Watch plein air artist Scott Hamill paint ‘Winter Light, California Coast’ step-by-step — learn how he captures light, shadow, and coastal atmosphere in this free oil painting demo.
Free Lesson: Painting with Gouache en Plein Air
Discover the art of painting with gouache en plein air with expert tips and techniques from Bernard Dellario. Perfect for artists of all skill levels!
Two Important Reasons to Practice Sketching From Life
Watercolor artist Shuang Li explains why sketching from life can have a big impact on your next painting.