Painting en Plein Air
IN THE PRESENCE OF NATURE
Painting en plein air (French for “in the open air”) refers to the process of painting outdoors or on location. In the mid-19th century, after oil paints became available in metal tubes, artists from the famous Barbizon School in France embraced this style of painting and considered it an important step in working toward a realistic representation of the outdoors. However, when you consider possible setbacks like weather, moving objects, and shifting sunlight, why paint away from the comfort and convenience of a studio?
The first answer is technical in nature. If you’re painting a realistic outdoor subject in a studio, you’re most likely using a photograph as a reference. Although a photo is a helpful tool, you’re at the mercy of the camera’s ability to accurately record colors and values. A single exposure from a camera can create areas that are too dark or too light, and its colors can vary in hue and saturation from what you see in person. Painting en plein air eliminates the optical inconsistencies between a reference and the actual subject.
The second answer is sensory in nature. The most successful artists in history haven’t just faithfully recorded the colors, values, and shapes of a scene—they’ve captured an atmosphere with their color choices and brushwork. And the best way to do this is to paint while actually interacting with your scene—seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and (why not?) tasting your environment. You’ll never know what you can communicate with paint until you employ all of your senses! —ETG