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Plein Air for Beginners

If you’re new to painting outdoors with watercolor, pastel, oil, or acrylic, start here with advice from seasoned plein air artists.

Plein Air Convention & Expo

FREE: The Ultimate Plein Air 101 Guide for Artists

If you’re an artist, chances are you’ve already practiced plein air painting and maybe don’t even realize it! Some artists paint en plein air for years before realizing they’re part of the world’s largest art movement.
watercolor studio from plein air study

A Study-to-Studio Watercolor Demo: Oak Creek at Briar Patch XXII

Watch step by step as Julie Gilbert Pollard creates a plein air study with watercolor, then takes it into the studio to paint "Oak Creek at Briar Patch XXII."
Plein air painting in Chicago

Plein Air Painting and Personal Safety

This could save your life > Get expert tips from a Chicago artist on how plein air painters can be safe while painting outdoors in public spaces.
Heinrich Bürkel, Stier und Maler (detail), Pencil on paper heightened with white, Collection of Bürkel Galerie Pirmasens. This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. {{PD–US–expired}}

The Essential Guide to Outdoor Painting

Whether you are seasoned at outdoor painting or a novice, it is often daunting to tackle new terrain. To make your experience more enjoyable, we’ve compiled this go-to guide for your next plein air excursion!

A Way to Prepare for Drawing and Creativity

When it comes to painting, the act of drawing is often a departure from the classical linear concept that is understood by most people. Drawing, in the painting arena, has more to do with large compositional ideas and design elements, such as placement of objects or masses, linear movement, relative sizes of objects, weight distribution, and shapes.
Eric Rhoads, plein air painting for beginners

Q: Is a Plein Air Painting a Study or a Finished Painting?

One of the benefits of attending Plein Air Live is that it’s so full of tips, techniques, and even conversations about what it means to ...
Landscape oil painting demonstration

4-Step Plein Air Oil Painting Demonstration

For plein air beginners: See how oil painter Anthony Salvo paints "Sparkling Cliffs, Inspiration Point," in four basic steps that you can apply to your next landscape.
plein air painting in Spring flooding

Plein Air Painters: Pay Heed to Rising Water

A cautionary tale about the danger of flash floods: Just because it’s dry where you are, you could still be downstream of a perilous storm.
Backpacks for plein air painting

The Best Backpacks for Plein Air Painting

There are as many backpack brands and styles as there are colors in the western sunset, so what’s the best backpack for artists who paint en plein air? We asked, and you answered! (Bonus: Watch a free video from Eric Rhoads on how to pack a light plein air backpack.)
7 Ways to Strengthen Your Plein Air Process

7 Ways to Strengthen Your Plein Air Process

The following article features a leading artist who is teaching others how to paint through online workshops at PaintTube.tv.
Painting outdoors - watercolor

Plein Air Watercolor Tips and Tricks

When time is of the essence and access to supplies is limited, you must be prepared to make the most of what you have. Plein air watercolor painter Frank Costantino offers his best advice for how to handle just about any outdoor painting situation.
Rule of Thirds for painting landscapes - Michael Chesley Johnson, "Canyon Trails," 2018, oil, 12 x 24 in., Private collection, Plein air

Plein Air 101: The Rule of Thirds for Painting Landscapes

Learn how to determine the center of interest when painting landscapes by studying these three examples showing the Rule of Thirds.
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...
From a paint out session at the Plein Air Convention & Expo

What You Need to Paint Outdoors: The Beginner’s Guide

Use this guide to help you get started plein air painting with tips from artists who are willing to share their knowledge and wisdom.
Gene Costanza plein air painting

5 Quick and Dirty Tips for Artists

Plein air painter Gene Costanza shares his five quick tips for artists on composition, color, and more.
landscape painting demonstration

Free Landscape Painting Demonstration: How to Simplify

Ever wondered how to make your landscape paintings glow with realistic light? In this beginner-friendly lesson, artist Kami Mendlik breaks down her simple, effective approach to painting light that feels real by mastering color relativity.
How to paint landscapes - OutdoorPainter.com

The Visual Tools You Need to Create Atmospheric Perspective

Master these elements to give your paintings a powerful sense of atmospheric depth.
A common scene at the Plein Air Convention - artists of all levels and backgrounds painting together

Do You Know These 19 Outdoor Painting Tips?

Which of the following painting tips will you put into practice? Share your answer in the blog comments for your chance to win a 10-tube set of Sennelier Finest Artists' Oils, and a variety of paint brushes from Raphaël!
Ginny Good painting en plein air

Just Do the Preliminary Sketch – and 25 Other Painting Aha Moments

Do you remember the first time a painting concept clicked for you? For these Dreamliners, the big "aha" moment came during plein air workshops, painting travels, and even at Streamline events such as Plein Air Live, the world's first online art conference. Keep reading to see if you've shared some of these special moments!
Christine Lashley, "Evening Lights Charleston," 2023, oil, 36 x 60 in., Available from Principle Gallery Charleston, Studio from plein air studies

11 Tips for Going From Study to Studio

Christine Lashley is an American artist known for her colorful and dramatic oils. Here, she shares her 11 tips for using your plein air study for a refined studio painting.