Why This Works: Range of Values, Variety of Texture
- 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: Embracing the Inexactness of the Tool
- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting -
In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...
How to Stay Cool(er) in Arches National Park
- Bob Bahr reporting, Editor PleinAir Today -
The temperature often exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer in Arches National Park in Utah. But...
Tutorial: Don’t Underestimate the Underpainting
Richard McKinley takes us through a step-by-step tutorial of painting with pastel over a watercolor underpainting.
Refining and Finishing a Landscape Painting
In this excerpt from "Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air," Michael Chesley Johnson explains how to finish a painting, and three tricks to help you decide if it's complete.
Composition and Cropping, as Easy as (Pizza) Pie
Ever find that the composition seems right and ready in your viewfinder, but during the painting session, that original vision goes askew? Grab a...
Painting Techniques: Glazing Basics
Have you heard of the glazing technique, but aren’t sure when or why you’d apply it to your painting? In this guest blog post, Hebe Brooks, a NOAPS Master Artist, explains glazing for beginners.
Rules vs Principles: How to Improve Your Painting Composition
What makes a painting boring versus dynamic? John Hughes shares his list of things to help you understand the underlying principles behind the pesky rules.
The Benefits of Repeatedly Painting the Same Location
With keen observation and awareness, we can identify opportunities for a successful plein air painting.
Actually, Do Go Chasing Waterfalls
As artists, our goal is to capture the essence, the glistening light and animated nature of falling water.
Why This Works: Warmer Clouds in the Distance
In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and points out why they...
How to Enter Your First Plein Air Event and Survive!
Applying to and participating in your first juried plein air event can be an overwhelming experience, but the rewards both professionally and personally are undeniable.
Why This Works: Not Every Branch, Twig, and Leaf
In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and points out why they succeed as painted images. This week, Kathryn A. McMahon’s “Beaverdams Pond.”
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.
Why This Works: Intense Sun in a Relatively Low Key
- Jeanne Mackenzie reporting -
In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and...
Color Corner: 10 Artists Share What’s on Their Palette
We asked some of your favorite plein air artists about their palettes and what colors — and brands — they use to create stunning landscapes.
Why This Works: Muting Sunlit Area to Showcase Focal Point
In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and points out why they...
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.
Become a Better Landscape Painter
Probably the same thing that challenged my progress as an aspiring artist many years ago, and the same thing that holds a lot of art students back: preconceived notions about the painting process. That was the short answer. Now for the long answer. I am going to attempt to tackle that question in a circuitous route, but one that hopefully will connect with the reader.
33 Special Highlights and Bonus Tips from Plein Air Live
Hundreds of artists gathered recently during Streamline's 2nd annual Plein Air Live, where they had front row seats to presentations and demonstrations from today's masters, such as Clyde Aspevig, Dawn Whitelaw, C.W. Mundy, Thomas Jefferson Kitts, Lori Putnam (who got a very special surprise!) and so many more.