Tips for Artists Who Paint Outdoors

Tips for Artists > From color to composition, to dealing with the elements, learn from our community of plein air painters with these tips for painting outdoors!

With guest blog posts from internationally known plein air masters and bonus articles from Plein Air Magazine, you’ll find plenty of advice to keep you motivated and educated on the art of painting outdoors!

Browse the articles below, and sign up for the free Plein Air Today newsletter here so you’ll have even more tips coming directly to your inbox!

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1. Telling the Truth – By Leaving Stuff Out

On Painting Composition > Most of us mistakenly feel when we start out, that the more detail we include in a painting the more convincing it will be…
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/painting-composition-telling-the-truth-by-leaving-stuff-out/

2. On Keeping a Travel Art Journal: Tips for Artists

It’s not too soon to start planning your travel art journal, or even start using one for your local areas. In this excerpt from Ivan Chow’s “Travel Sketching: Drawing Insights from Istanbul,” the artist shares his approach to a practice that is both satisfying and memorable.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/on-keeping-a-travel-art-journal/

3. How Joseph McGurl Uses Sight-Size Drawing

Joseph McGurl is a champion of a technique known as sight-size drawing, an approach that can yield very accurate drawing and can also be a considerable aid to composing a painting. Here’s how he does it.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/how-joseph-mcgurl-uses-sight-size-drawing/

4. Tertiary, Monochromatic, and Analogous Colors

Learn how to understand color theory intuitively when you read this article on tertiary, monochromatic, and analogous colors for painting.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/what-do-tertiary-monochromatic-and-analogous-have-in-common/

5. 19 Tips for Painting Day-to-Night Nocturnes

Nocturnes aren’t always painted after dark. Jim Wodark, Bill Cramer, Joshua Been, James Gurney, and Michael Chesley Johnson explore the art of painting night scenes in broad daylight.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/19-tips-for-painting-day-to-night-nocturnes/

6. The 6 Steps to My Plein Air Painting Process

Be inspired by this outdoor painter, who shares his process for painting landscapes in the northeast and southwest. You might be surprised by what they have in common.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/painting-landscapes-6-steps-plein-air-painting-process/

7. 101 Watercolor Painting Ideas, Tips, and Techniques – A Free Guide

Want to learn how to paint with watercolor? Don’t think you have the talent or skill? We can teach anyone to paint – start with this free guide that’s full of watercolor painting ideas.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/101-watercolor-painting-ideas-tips-and-techniques-a-free-guide/

8. 10 Drawing Principles That’ll Improve Your Paintings

Improve your drawing skills to achieve accurate placement and proportions in your paintings. The good news is that you don’t have to stop painting in order to improve your drawing; it’s not an either–or situation. Read on to shine a light on this challenge!
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/10-drawing-principles-to-improve-your-paintings/

9. How to Begin Teaching Art Workshops

Are you ready to start teaching art workshops? Christine Lashley shares the benefits of teaching, strategies you can use, how to find students, pitfalls to avoid, and more.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/how-to-begin-teaching-workshops-and-continue-to-improve-the-experience/

10. What Comes First: The Painting or the Title?

How to title a painting > In this guest blog post, plein air painter John Pototschnik explains his process when it comes to giving a landscape painting the perfect title.
Read: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/what-comes-first-the-painting-or-the-title/

The next time you venture to paint en plein air, tag us on Instagram @pleinairmag! We’d love to see what you’re up to!