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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.

Oil paintings by Cynthia Rosen | Tips for Painting Outdoors

Cynthia Rosen on Painting Outdoors: Advice for Artists

Captivated by her landscape paintings, I invited Cynthia Rosen to share with us some of her general tips for painting outdoors.
Plein Air Painting Events

Must-Have List: Crucial Outerwear and Art Supplies for Plein Air

From pants to paint tubes, you’ll want to refer to this list for your next plein air painting trip. Bonus: It includes tips for flying with art supplies!
Plein air art supplies and paint boxes | OutdoorPainter.com

Plein Air Art Supplies: Choosing the Right Paint Box

Innovations to paint boxes have made the job of the plein air painter more practical and enjoyable. Check out the set-ups of 11 artists with their easels and paintboxes, and learn which may be the right one for you.
John MacDonald painting en plein air

Six Keys to Painting Trees with Character and Dimension

To avoid trees that look generic or pasted on, follow these tips for painting compelling contours, varied sky holes, and details at a range of distances.
Color mixing for beginners - OutdoorPainter.com

Color Mixing for Beginners

Achieving color harmony is certainly one of the keys to creating a successful painting. We need to infuse our paintings with harmonious color; however, our job becomes somewhat more complicated because...
How to paint clouds en plein air - OutdoorPainter.com

How to Paint Clouds en Plein Air

The unique challenge of painting clouds is that, unlike other landscape elements, they’re in constant motion. Learn how to choose the right moment for painting clouds en plein air.
How to paint landscapes - Color Value - OutdoorPainter.com

Painting Basics: Understanding Value

“All of us, beginners and experienced painters alike, can benefit from a refresher course in the bedrock principles of value and color.” John MacDonald explains more in this overview.
Plein air for beginners - OutdoorPainter.com

Plein Air Painting for Dummies

If you’re new to painting outdoors (or know someone who is), take advice from these 11 artists, including the most obvious but overlooked things you should know, and what “plein errors” to avoid.
7 Tips for Painting the City - OutdoorPainter.com

7 Tips for Painting the City

Just as you wouldn’t explore a new city without a map, don’t start your next cityscape without a plan for where you want to go and how you intend to get there.
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.
Sketching From Life - OutdoorPainter.com

Two Important Reasons to Practice Sketching From Life

Watercolor artist Shuang Li explains why sketching from life can have a big impact on your next painting.
How to paint landscapes - Michael Chesley Johnson - OutdoorPainter.com

How to Paint Landscapes: Dominance in Painting

Michael Chesley Johnson gives you three questions to consider before you dip your brush in the paint in this guest post on how to paint landscapes.
Painting landscapes for beginners - OutdoorPainter.com

Step-by-Step Painting Demo: Patterns and Backlight

In this step-by-step demonstration you’ll see how Lori Putnam’s foundation, the first part of the block-in, is about pattern.
Plein air oil painting how-to - Lynn Dunbar - OutdoorPainter.com

Oil Painting Demo: Irises by Lynn Dunbar

To help market her artwork, Lynn Dunbar summarized her approach to plein air and studio painting and emphasized her response to the spirit, vitality, and beauty of her home state.
Color Corner: 10 Artists Share What’s on Their Palette

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.
Painting for beginners

The Best Plein Air Easels for Artists

What’s the best easel for plein air painting? We asked, and you answered! Dozens of artists share what their favorite plein air easels are, including why they’re top choice.
How to make a color chart - Mark Boedges - OutdoorPainter.com

How to Make a Color Chart for Plein Air Painting

Plein air artist Mark Boedges shares three color charts, along with important advice on creating and using them for your next plein air landscape.
Painting en plein air - Tamera Menard Ovall - OutdoorPainter.com

Getting Started in the Field

New to painting en plein air? Get advice for painting outdoors with this excerpt from the new book “Plein Air Painting Tips and Tales.”
Plein air for beginners - Carrie Curran - OutdoorPainter.com

7 Things to Consider When Painting a Landscape Outdoors

Painting outdoors gives you so many options! Get insider notes from Carrie Curran's advice on "Plein Air Basics."
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.
  1. Plein Air Podcast Special Episode 254: Artists for Lahaina
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