getting ready to dabble.. need advice

[JessieRobin]

After reading the entire thread regarding representational painting and learning a lot about painting En Plein Aire versus from photos - I think I want to try moving my studio outdoors once in a while. I do feel that my paintings from photos are flat; but more importantly, they are lacking the emotion that I believe comes from experiencing the landscape in the moment.

My problem is that I have done almost No work outside - EVER - beyond simple pencil sketching. However, with Christmas approaching (and i mean quickly, my family starts shopping early!), I could potentially ask Santa for some supplies that would enable me to do so next spring/summer.
So - I am asking for your short list of en plein air supplies that I must have before I even attempt this shift..... is it easier to attempt with acrylics, watercolors? Oils are my favorite, is that even possible??

Looking forward to your input!
Kind Regards,
Jessie

[Phyllis Rennie]

Oils are absolutely possible. My suggestion would be to use the medium with which you are the most comfortable in the studio. Plein air has it's own built in challenges so there is no need to complicate things by being frustrated with a difficult or unfamiliar medium.

[LarrySeiler]

Hey Jessie...if you are comfortable with oils already, I'd say stick with 'em. Here's a quick demo I have on WC of using oils on location which I recommend to help get rid of the first time jitters...
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles/Larry_Seiler/137/

have somewhat of an approach or method in mind to start, you will augment and evolve as you go.

Your eye will improve. Your instudio work become more accurate, more impassioned, vibrant, representative of life.

When a work is apparent to have been firstly of interest to the artist, it will be of interest to the viewer.

Thus, firstly approach a scene not as one having an end product in mind. Approach because of interest. The scene should first move you. Plein airing is a romancing and developing of intimacy with nature as the subject. It is a vehicle that privileges you to see more with the observing eye than others, and you let that spark thankfulness in your heart, the painting in turn becoming a sort of visible act of celebration. An encounter with life and beauty.

Approaching especially your earlier attempts with this attitude prepares you to assess the act of working higher than the work itself. Thus, touching upon nature you have no regrets regardless if the work turns out or not. Plein air was an excuse to provide intimacy.

In time...the work grows. Knowledge increases, technique comes together for your unique means to the end. I say it takes about 120 bad paintings to know something about painting. "Bad" not as intended, but your growth in the end looking back realizes this.

You don't need anything fancy to start out.

I made my first easel from 1"x 2"s, bolts with wing nuts, and a cross piece to set the painting on with two small boards and a couple bolts.

you can carry your stuff in a gym bag.

However...a recommendation for the price- of a good easel, is the Guerilla Box and you can check them out at http://www.pochade.com which will give you an average size of about 9"x 12" ....a good plein air size.

That...and we are all here to encourage you along the way! have fun...

Larry

[JamieWG]

Hi Jessie! Well you can imagine how thrilled I am to find another Hudson Valley painter here, and one about to embark on a plein air path too!

I use a French easel and although I've thought about lots of other options, the fact remains that for my purposes, this is the most versatile. I like painting 16X20 and bigger a lot of the time. Sometimes I don't decide what size I will paint until I'm actually on location. With the french easel, I'm not limited as to size. Also, I've found that in our area, it is very easy to get into and out of the parks with easels and equipment. I bungee cord my french easel to a small luggage cart and just pull it along. Easy. If it were harder to get to locations, I'd be more concerned with lightening my load.

Where you are, specifically....there are some more difficult spots to get to in the Mohonk lands and Minnewaska State Park. You may want to have a small pouchade setup to get to those places. However, there's nothing like painting the Awasting Falls on a big canvas, and that's an easy walk where you can pull a cart. I assume you've been there and know what I mean! Breathtaking.

Do look at Larry's demos. They are phenominal.

'Looking forward to painting together soon!

Jamie

[just dave]

"Success in Oils" by Melanie Cambrige gives a great introduction to simple oil painting and includes very simple, practical suggestions for painting en plein aire.

She suggests just five brushes, of which I only use three; and just quick-dry gel medium and les than a dozen colors and youre good to go!

Only problem is she misquotes "en plein aire" as meaning "in the open air." I had thought this at first but then my three years of high school French made me think it had a different meaning. I believe it is actually literally translated as "in the area, fully." The phrase actually is closer in meaning to the Italian "alla primera" or " all at the first;" referring more to the method of painting in one sitting as opposed to the traditional layered method of oil painting.

[KPowe]

Jessie, I'm pretty much a beginner, too. For now, I carry one of the folding aluminum easels, a smallish sized toolbox, a bag, and a folding stool when I go out. I also carry a tray in the bag and put it on the stool to hold my stuff like a table while I work. I could get away without the stool (and have), but we have fire ants here and when I get tired, I like to sit and rest a bit. Sometimes, I also like to just sit and be there a bit absorbing what is around me before I start painting.

As you can tell, you don't have to have fancy stuff. I found that I do better when I plan and prepare a bit before I go out. You can practice with your stuff at home before you go out the first time and make sure you have everything you need. Don't forget to take water for yourself.

[Marc Sabatella]

Originally posted by JessieRobin

My problem is that I have done almost No work outside - EVER - beyond simple pencil sketching. However, with Christmas approaching (and i mean quickly, my family starts shopping early!), I could potentially ask Santa for some supplies that would enable me to do so next spring/summer.
So - I am asking for your short list of en plein air supplies that I must have before I even attempt this shift..... is it easier to attempt with acrylics, watercolors? Oils are my favorite, is that even possible??


I don't find using oils outdoors particularly problematic. However, you do have to get used to the idea of working "alla prima" - painting pretty much everything in one sitting, rather than in layers that are allowed to dry. Basically, this means wet-in-wet. You can practice this before actually going outside, if this represents a signficant change.

There are a few other aspects regarding use of materials you may want to get a head start on now. If you normally tend to use tons of different tubes of paint, consider working with fewer - you probably won't want to bring so much stuff with you. Ditto on lots of different mediums - most plein air painters I know use only mineral spirits. Fewer brushes, no full length mirror - if you currently depend on lots of studio comforts, you might as well start disciplining yoursleft right away to pare down.

Another thing to try practicing before going otuside is painting a scene outside your studio window, to get used to the idea of having work out perspectives, simplify, and other skills you may not be be exercising in the same way working from photographs. And if you are accustomed to working large, you should consider working smaller - I rarely see people working larger than 16x20 outdoors, and most work considerably smaller, like 8x10.

Don't take this meaning you *have* to do any of the above before making the attempt. Just that if painting plein air scares you, those are some things you can do now to ease the transition.

Regarding new equipment, you shouldn't need much if you already have your basic supplies. You'll need a portable easel of some kind, and leak-proof container for your mineral spirits. There are what seems like a million different portable easel designs out there. My recommendation for someone just starting out painting en plein air would be to start with the cheapest setup that won't completely frustrate you, so you see how you like plein air painting in general, and if you find you do like it, you can learn what improvements you'd want in your next setup. I think the best candidates are the half-size French easel (lots of different manufacturers make this), the Yarka Russian field easel (increasingly hard to come by), or a simple folding aluminum easel, perhaps with a separate attachable shelf for your palette if the idea of holding your palette does not appeal to you. Any of these can be had for under $100. Note I specifically recommend the half size French easel because it is lighter. You can't store as much stuff in it, but it seems no one is able to get everything they need in a full size easel either - most people carry an additional backback or other bag for supplies, so you aren't losing much by going to the half-size easel. If you are accustomed to having a large table as a workspace, you might also want a "French mistress" / "French companion", which is like a briefcase that opens up flat and lies on the open drawer of your French easel to give you more working space. In which case, you may end up wanting the full size easel after all. But between that and the companion, you are talking a considerable amount of weight.

Good luck!

[JessieRobin]

Mark, Kathy, Dave, et al
Thanks for your input.. I will be asking Santa for a portable easel! Other than that I think I can make due, I am a minimalist when it comes to supplies anyhow. (I'm quite the neutoritc/neat-freak painter - the less supplies I dirty , the less cleanup!).
Anyway thanks for takign the time to help me along!
Jessie

[JessieRobin]

as the first visible example of my mental illness.... I must correct my spelling error in the above post:
neurotic

:-)))))