This paining is an oil from Riverside Missouri looking south to the Fairfax bridge or what used to be the Fairfax Bridge. My Plein Aire group met here for an outing. You can’t tell from this but it was cold and windy.
When I started painting Plein Air, it was with a group of painters that originated from the Kansas City Art Institute. We were given our paints, canvas, easel and brushes then turned loose at a location, different each week. We were a mix of beginner and advanced oil painters. Here are some tips from this beginner, to Plein Air painting. Plein Air is just painting outdoors at the location. Normally only takes a few hours, most usually in Oils but can be in another medium of choice.
This view is looking south east from the park next to the Argosy Casino. This bridge is no longer there.
Here are some tips I gathered from this experience:
1. Pick a good location: Pick an area with many different perspectives and visual subjects. For instance, a park, a memorial, go to a rivers edge that has nice rocks and shore line interests, bridges, etc… You might also take into account where a restroom or water can be found. These can become important to some.
2. Go early. You need to set up early in the day, you will see how the sun rolls into your scene. Pick a time to paint and paint in some preliminary light areas on your canvas. For a night shot or dusk painting, you might go earlier in the day and get your perspectives and subject matter sketched out, then go back and set up for the night colors and shadows.
3. Wear the right gear! This was the first time I had used oil paints, I normally use acrylics and watercolors and I was very messy! I noticed that the others that were more seasoned wore gloves, an over-sized denim shirt, a hat to keep the sun off your head and brought sun screen. Once we got caught in a storm so an umbrella would have been a good idea that day! Even in the winter months sun screen can be as beneficial as an extra jacket. Of all these, gloves are my most important gear to bring.
4. Enjoy the outdoors. Take your time, breathe, and observe all the things going on in your area. It is very refreshing to get outdoors, in the elements, wind, rain, sunshine and enjoy your creative talents. Be open to letting passersby ask questions or strike up conversations. This may be their first contact to this art form.
5. Paint the same scene different seasons. It’s interesting to see how a location changes colors, shadows, lines in different seasons. Look at Monets haystacks project to see what this looks like.
6. Take the right tools. Such as paper towels, cloth rags, Band-Aids, bug spray, mustard packet for bee bite. TP is good to have ready, out of the way restrooms may not be maintained as parks and public common places.
7. Be prepared for anything! One time a dog got loose and ran around jumping on the artists and knocked over some ones easel and paints. It took a lot to get that dog under control. Another time, the wind picked up and carried my painting and easel over the ledge where I had seated myself. Everyone came over to see if I needed help. I had to go rescue my stuff then spent some time picking leaves and dirt out of the painting! Anything can happen out in the open air. Remember to make it fun for yourself and not get too serious.
8. Join a Plein Air group. It’s always more fun to go to these locations with a group of painters to see the variations of style, colors, shadows and content. They normally meet once a month and can offer safety when out on remote locations where there are not many visitors. There are groups on Facebook now and they are a wealth of information for new Plein Air artists.
Hope you have a happy Plein Air experience! Christina
#tipsforpleinairartists #missouririver #oilpainting #artbycrallenkc #kansascitybridges #fairfaxbridge
Art by CRAllen 