Painting Demonstrations & Art Tips

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.

Kevin Macpherson approaches painting through a simple, structured system. Here, learn his three habits you should apply now to improve your process for painting the landscape, and more.

Plein air painter and fourth-generation artist Jed Dorsey shares his tips for getting brilliant color into your next landscape painting.

Watch and learn as Sara Linda Poly shows how her landscape painting, "Mountains and Long Shadows," came to be.

Beth Bathe's reductive approach to plein air painting, combined with simplification, strong design, and a unique perspective, distinguishes her from other artists. Here are a few elements that contribute to her distinct artistic identity and how you can use them to set your own work apart.

In Case You Missed It: Join art publisher Eric Rhoads in this classic episode of Art School Live as he gives you free art instruction in pastel painting with artist Lyn Diefenbach.

Richard McKinley takes us through a step-by-step tutorial of painting with pastel over a watercolor underpainting.

I view the world in shapes and color notes — not objects, and this is how I approach my paintings as well. In general, I begin a painting by ...

Learn how to add realistic perspective and depth to a landscape using Carla Bosch’s shape-first approach. Includes guidance on sketching, toned canvas, and leading the eye for an atmospheric Yosemite mountain scene.

How to Paint Landscapes > Learn how to quickly accomplish a glowing, magical atmosphere in paintings with this free step-by-step demo from Bill Davidson ("How to Paint Glowing Landscapes" on PaintTube.TV).

The following landscape painting demonstration is by Trey Finney, whose work stresses high contrast and a high key. 

Discover a practical idea to improve your landscape painting composition and design skills. If you can do this, you stand a good chance of winding up with a strong painting that reads as a design from across the room.

Plein air painter Peggy Immel takes us through a step-by-step landscape painting tutorial on how she created "Spring Willows."

Artists Mike Hernandez and Tiffanie Mang share tips on how digital painting tools can enhance your plein air practice — making you faster, bolder, and more inventive in the field.

Learn how warming up or cooling down areas of your painting can provide unity and balance in your work. Bonus: Includes a step-by-step demo!

"More than anything, I enjoy the sense of connectedness that painting on location brings,” says Kathleen Hudson. “My own sense of wonder in the landscape comes from my immersion in reading history. A place isn’t just scenery when you come to know its story, when you think of people from generations past who stood upon the same ground, taking in their surroundings just as you are.”

Landscape painter Richard McKinley shares his "7 Tips for Greater Creative Expression," especially for those painting en plein air with pastel.

Addressing connectivity from the outset of the design plan means setting aside the notion that the only way to make impact is through use of color.

With a keen interest in plein air painting, Hema Gupta's goal is to paint in a loose and impressionistic style. Here, she shares her advice for effectively including figures in your next landscape.

"As a contemporary impressionist painter, I'm obsessed with capturing light," says Jill Stefani Wagner. "Plein air painting is my passion, but during the colder months I work on larger pieces in my studio. I paint in both pastel and oil, two mediums which complement each other nicely." Here, Wagner shares her step-by-step in a pastel landscape painting demo of "Mill Creek Glimmer," which she created en plein air.