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!

Why This Works: Delicate Balance

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

When the Middle of Your Triptych Can’t Be Painted

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Joshua Adam had in mind a triptych depicting a famous rock in Castine, Maine, but when he...

Why This Works: Avoiding Hard Edges for Icon in Mist

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Parting Shot: (Not Particularly) Helpful Hints About Poison Ivy

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Another hazard plein air painters face is poison ivy. This meme has been floating around recently, but...

A Reminder on the Judicious Use of Bold Color

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Jeff Troupe’s painting “Behind the Lot” caught our eye, and when we asked the Montana artist to...

Why This Works: Simplified Shapes, Effective Supporting Players

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Gathering a Plein Air Master’s Wisdom

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Greg McHuron wasn’t as famous as he could have been, perhaps because he wasn’t a joiner. But...

How to Paint Misty Rays of Sunlight

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Kansas painter John Hulsey decided to tackle one of the hardest light conditions an artist can face:...

Why This Works: Finding Beauty, Using Diagonals, Striking a Tone

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Why This Works: Loose Brushwork on Figure Suggests Movement

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Here’s How to Handle Summer

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Every season offers its own set of challenges, and the hardiest have found ways to make winter...

Why This Works: Solid Tree in Foreground Offers Entry and Rest

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

One Never Tires of Glacier National Park

- Kathleen B. Hudson reporting - If it’s not already on there, you might want to add Glacier National Park to your bucket list of...

Filling a Need, and Seeing an Art Product Take Off

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Renee Lammers was spending more than $5 a week on sketchbooks, an amount she deemed too high....

Why This Works: Zeroing in on What’s Important

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Why This Works: Dark-Light Pattern

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Why This Works: Three Values Hold the Painting Together Well

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Why This Works: Strong, Bold, and Lively

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...

Staying More Abstract to Retain the Essence

- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today - Many artists recommend identifying what you first liked about a scene, and staying with that thought through...

Why This Works: A Sense of Space

- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting - In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...