THERE'S A FLY IN MY TURPENTINE
PLEIN-AIR PAINTING in OILS

top to bottom - Painting the marshes, Ajax, Ontario on a foggy morning.
"Morning on the Marsh"
9 x 12
Oil on Panel

Painting from nature, 'plein-air', is one of the best ways to learn how to paint.  Beginners are often afraid because of the possibilit of public failure.  Failure happens even to the most experienced artists.  That is part of the painting process, and you learn from it.  Spectators will occasionally stop to watch you paint, but most are polite, and are in awe of someone doing something that they couldn't imagine doing themselves.  Don't let these perceived problems keep you from working 'plein air'.  It is a valuable part of your artistic experience and is also great fun.

The secret to working 'plein air' is to have equipment that allows you to set up easily and to work comfortably.  Nothing can spoil the creative mood more than fighting with your equipment.  The choice of French Easel, paint box, or pochade box is a matter of personal preference, but consider these points when purchasing equipment:

• Easels should be strong, stable and easy to set up.

• Paint boxes should be light.  Only carry the essentials, they are not a studio in a box!

• Stools or chairs should be easy to carry and set up and must be sturdy.

Materials should be of the best quality.  I use Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyds.  A limited palette reduces the chance of creating mud.  The fewer the colours you have to mix, the better.  My basic pallet is:

• Permanent Rose

• Cadmium Red Medium

• Cadmium Yellow Medium

• Cadmium Yellow Light

• Pthalo Blue

• French Ultramarine

• Burnt Umber

• Titanium White 120ml Tube

Using Liquin and other alkyd mediums speeds the drying and allows you to customize the working properties of the paint.  Turpentine, due to its high evaporation rate, will also assist painting out of doors.  Remember turpentine vapours are toxic and should only be used outdoors.  Use a barrier cream, W&N Artgard is a good choice, as turpentine is absorbed through the skin.

My painting mediums are:

• Winsor & Newton Liquin Original

• Winsor & Newton Liquin Impasto

As you have to carry your materials to your painting location, remember that even the lightest things become increasingly heavier in proportion to distance carried.  Consider using a canvas bag to carry your supplies and a light-weight aluminum or magnesium easel.  The canvas bag can be hung on your easel to help hold it in position and keep the wind from blowing it over.  You can paint on panel, matt board, canvas board, Masonite or stretched canvas.  Stretched canvas however, can be a problem to use on location, as it tends to catch the wind and is easily dented or torn.  Wet paintings can be carried in a carrier, or to save weight, drawing pins can be placed in the corners to separate the wet panels and they can be taped together with masking tape face to face.

STARTING TO PAINT:

When working 'plein-air' you only have a window of two hours maximum before the light will change radically, therefore you must simplify.  Before starting to paint, put out all your colours on you pallet, even the ones you think you might not use.  You want the option of being able to use colours if you need them without having to fumble in your paint box.  The tube unopened at the start will always be the one that is impossible to open when you need it!

Remember to put on Artgard.  Start to draw with your brush, don't use a pencil.  Using a brush trains you to draw shapes and tones not lines.  Use a small amount of turpentine to thin your paint and use a colour that will harmonize with the colour scheme of your painting.

Once the drawing is complete, mix Liquin with your colours and start to paint the large masses, keeping the application thin.  Don't get caught up with details.  They can be added later.  Use large brushes, reserving small brushes for final details when the painting is close to completion.  Work from the darks to the lights.   Once you have laid in the darks, you can work towards the middle values.  When you are ready to add the lights, add a small amount of Liquin Impasto medium to the paint to give it bulk.  The Liquin Impasto medium starts to get sticky quickly out of doors, allowing you to place lights on top of existing darks without disturbing them.  This will only work if you keep your darks thin.

When you finish painting,  clean your brushes immediately.  I always carry a tube of W&N Artgel in my paint box to clean my hands and brushes.  If you can't clean your brushes immediately, dip them in linseed oil and wrap them in aluminum foil or plastic and wash them at the first opportunity.

OUTDOOR PAINTING CHECK LIST