Home Painting Demonstrations & Art Tips

Painting Demonstrations & Art Tips

From color to composition, to dealing with the elements, learn from the community of plein air painters with these tips for painting outdoors!

Gifts for Artists: Your 2023 Holiday Shopping Guide

This list has it all: gorgeous frames, beautiful paints, and a special section of gifts under $50!
"Vermillion Shades" by Kimball Geisler

Deciding When the Time is Right

From initial iPad sketches to refining the final composition, follow along as Kimball Geisler navigates creative challenges, balances colors, and brings his vision to life on canvas in this step-by-step painting demonstration.

The Llama Syndicate

Most artists have their unique ways for going about their business. Colorado artist Michael Charron has a few notable ones involving llamas, a syndication system for selling paintings, and underdrawings with spiritual symbols and cursive writing.

Why “Student” is Not a Dirty Word

John Hughes shares why he hopes he never loses his enthusiasm for learning more about making art, because “that would surely spell disaster.”
drawing architecture landcapes - Thom Rozendaal

Architectural Subjects: To Paint or Draw?

When this artist approaches architecture as a subject in the landscape, certain factors determine if the resulting art will be a drawing or a painting. See why...
How to paint skies in oil

11 Peaceful Paintings of Skies

Learning how to paint clouds and skies doesn't have to be difficult. Simply start by studying the works of accomplished painters, right here. You'll love what these top artists have to share...
Creative Expression - Richard McKinley, "Tennessee Trees," 2015, pastel over watercolor, 12 x 9 in., private collection, plein air

7 Tips for Greater Creative Expression

Landscape painter Richard McKinley shares his "7 Tips for Greater Creative Expression," especially for those painting en plein air with pastel.
What Can You Do With Broken Pastels?

What Can You Do With Broken Pastels?

Learn how to make new pastels out of your broken pastel sticks in this Art School Live session with Brenda Boylan and Eric Rhoads.
From Tim Horn's landscape painting demo

An Aha Moment, Every Time

Preview expert presentations from Natasha Isenhour, Roos Schuring, Tim Horn, John Budicin, Shuang Li, and even Don Demers at Plein Air Live, Day 2.
The Power of Underpainting in Pastel with Bethany Fields

The Power of Underpainting in Pastel

Discover how underpainting can transform your pastel paintings with expert tips from Bethany Fields.

Is Ultramarine a Cool Blue?

Particularly in plein air painting, where carrying a lot of paint tubes around and having a complex palette is often avoided, artists go for a split-primary palette, with a warm and cool for each primary color. So what is your warm blue?
Practical Perspective: 3 Ways to Show Point of View in a Painting

3 Ways to Show Perspective in a Landscape Painting

Perspective is more than just the way a road appears to get smaller as it recedes into the distance - learn more in this guest blog post from Michael Holter.
Art composition - oil landscape of a canyon

Variety: The Spice of Art

The very idea of how we approach our own art and feel about the art of others, keeps the “spice of art” alive. Now, I will be the first to confess that...
how to paint with pastels

Secrets of Painting a Nighttime Look

An award-winning artist, Nancie King Mertz has spent her lifetime painting in oil and pastel. Now, join Eric Rhoads with Nancie on this episode of Art School Live!
John Hughes painting en plein air at Big Sur

7 Surprising Tricks for Painting en Plein Air

You might think you know all the tricks to the trade when it comes to painting en plein air, but these three artists have some witty ideas for making it an even better experience.
Michele Usibelli, "Winter Barn," 2019, acrylic, 9 x 12 in., Collection the artist, Plein air

Mini Demo: Designing a Clear Path to the Focal Point

See how Michele Usebelli paints a winter barn scene in three steps in this mini-less from Plein Air Today and PleinAir Magazine.
John Hughes on location for painting en plein air

My Biggest Stumbling Block as a Plein Air Painter

A quick tip to help you discover the transformative strategy that will elevate your plein air painting - learn from over 40 years of experience to create more ...
Marc Hanson painting on location

Marc Hanson: Why I Love Acrylic for Plein Air Painting

I jokingly tell my workshop students that the main reason I like using acrylic en plein air is that I can drink the solvent — water! My second favorite reason is ...
acrylic painting en plein air

Advantages of Acrylic and Plein Air

The qualities of acrylic don't have to be a disadvantage en plein air. How?
John MacDonald artist - OutdoorPainter.com

Facebook Live Series: John MacDonald “Creating Dynamic Landscapes” **FREE VIDEO LESSONS**

Imagine a beach scene that is painted so well, you can actually feel the warmth of the sun. This is exactly the kind of landscape paintings John MacDonald will help you create.