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Plein Air Tips

10. Seeing What You Need

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Finding Needles in the Haystack of Nature When working from nature on a two-dimensional surface, it is fair to say that the translation of three dimensions to two is the […]

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9. Capturing the Moment

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Cornering the Will-o-the-Wisp In an earlier post, about why I am out here in the sun, rain and snow, I said that the primary reason was because my painting enterprise […]

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8. Framing your Subject

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Choosing a Picture from the Endless Panorama of Nature Once you are faced with nature head on, literally your first decision is what piece of it you wish to include […]

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7. Choosing your place in the Sun

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Setting up in relationship to the sun: ideally, out of the sun not in it.

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6. Have Box, will Travel

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One of my favorite things is to travel overseas with my paintbox in checked luggage, rent a car for the week, and plan a B&B vacation that hits the best painting spots. 

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5. Preparing Your Panels

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In my last post I mentioned hardboard panels as my clear choice as a painting ground for Open Air Painting.  Much cheaper than canvas, more durable when trucked around, easy to prepare in batches. 

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What Equipment will you Need?

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Before you head out to paint (or draw) in the world, you need to put together a painting/drawing outfit that works for you. 

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3. Why are You Out There?

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there are a number of good reasons to put yourself to the extra trouble of leaving the comfort of your studio.

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2. The Glorification of the Sketch

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Eventually the fascination for the natural world had its own kind of importance, outside the hierarchy of proper subject matter. 

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jan van eyck virgin child

1. Getting Out in the World

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As a first introduction to my Plein Aire painting tips, I thought I would give a quick look at the emergence of painting from nature in Western art.

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