Plein Air Painting Demo by Robert Lewis

This plein air painting demo is presented by award-winning plein air artist Robert Lewis. The demo takes place on a bluff over the Monterey Bay.

Plein Air Painting Demonstration – City Of Rocks – By Jo Castillo

About Jo

Jo Knoblock Castillo has always had an interest in art and working with her hands. Whether it was cooking, sewing or making gifts, she was happy to be “doing”. While living in Bolivia, she finally rediscovered her love of painting. Her interest is in landscapes and paintings that have connections to her life.

Jo works in most media, but has discovered she really enjoys the special luminosity of pastels. They are tactile, immediate and long lasting. Other than smudging if touched (they should be framed under glass), they are very durable. The colors are clear and vibrant. “I enjoy painting from life and use my own reference photos just as a reminder of shape or lighting,” says the artist.

Winters find Jo and Gene, her husband, living in Bastrop, Texas. It is near family and offers a mild climate and plenty of golf courses and opportunities to paint. Jo looks forward to plein air painting in New Mexico each summer. “It is a challenge to set up an easel and paint a scene in just a couple of hours,” Jo says, “The light is very fleeting and you have to get down large sections of light and dark very quickly to establish your painting. Weather doesn’t always cooperate and uninvited visitors like mosquitos or snakes are not uncommon.”

Please take a moment to visit Jo’s websites to learn more about her and to view more of her work:

http://www.jocastilloart.com/

http://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/

Plein Air Painting Demonstration – City Of Rocks

My equipment for plein air:

1. A carrying bag I bought at Academy Sports for about $10.00. In it I put:

• A box with two trays, (A box that originally held Rembrandt pastels) I filled those foam lined trays with an assortment of pastels, in color, value and hardness. (Rembrandts, Daler-Rowney, Art Spectrum, and others)
• A set of Unison darks
• Nupastels
• Paintbrush
• Watercolors and water
• Apron
• Towel
• Paper towels
• Liquid gloves
• Handy wipes
• Sketchbook

2. Camera

3. Surface for my painting. I tape the board or paper to foam core and cover with another piece of form core taped on one edge to make a folder. I just fold it back, paint and then close it and tape or clip it closed to avoid smearing in travel.

4. A lightweight folding easel and table for the pastels. (Sometimes I use a French easel and use the drawer as a partial table.)

5. A small folding stool

6. Sunscreen, hat, bug repellent

7. Snacks, water, etc.

When possible I use the tailgate of my pickup as my table. I recommend being as comfortable as possible when you are out. This puts you in a better mood to paint and make the session enjoyable.

I ventured to the City of Rocks State Park, near Silver City, New Mexico, for a plein air painting session. I knew I would find a picnic table in the shade so I did not need my table. I usually work standing up so that I can step back and evaluate my work as I go. I painted sitting down this session, knowing I would get up to take photos, allowing me to “step back” occasionally.

I found a table in the shade and set up my equipment. I took some photos and picked out my subject, using the camera to crop the view with good composition and light.

Jo painting

Reference photo

When the composition and light is not so obvious, I do several value sketches in the sketchbook. This time I sketched right on the board. (I used a Richeson’s Unison Gator Foam Pastel Surface in white. A new surface for me. When I took the first photograph, I noticed a fault in the board, with a little blending, that disappeared. That happens with shipping and storing and you have to be very careful if you are doing a portrait or some very detailed work to check the surface. For landscapes it usually can be covered up)

The next step was to add an under painting with watercolor. I sometimes use the complementary color to add sparkle to show through the pastels. In this case I chose to use basically the colors themselves to cover the white surface. I put in the darks and basic design.

Watercolor added

I then worked on the sky. I put in the sky first in a landscape to keep it fresh and clear. I used several different blues to give depth and life. It is lighter near the horizon because of the atmosphere. I blended a little with my fingers and a Nupastel, but did not blend the final layer. There was a sprinkling of clouds so I added some with a pale gray, lavender and blue and made the white part with a very light yellow-white. That looks brighter against the blue of the sky and more lively than pure white.

Sky and start laying in rocks

I started laying in the pastels on the rocks with a base color similar to the colors I was seeing. Mauve and cream colors in the light area with some blue-gray and purple for the shadows in the rough rock. For the shadow side of the rocks I used similar shades with more blue and a very dark red that is toward a dark brown.

Middle layers

I scumbled (dragging one color lightly over the other) the colors on with a light touch for an assortment of colors. There was a little green moss on the largest of the rocks adding interest. I rarely use pure browns, typical earth colors or black. This is a personal choice.

End of plein air session

I can always add the bright highlights with the softest pastels on my return to the studio, using the very soft Sennelier and Ludwig pastels for the finished product.

City of Rocks Finished

Tips For Painting Landscapes In Watercolor

One of the biggest challenges beginners face with any type of art, is the ability to really connect with the creativity that is inside of them. It’s difficult in the beginning to just let go and paint from your heart and soul. Your mind is being filled with techniques and systems for approaching painting, that may inhibit your creativity. Don’t get me wrong, painting techniques are essential to learning, but there should be a point where you begin to draw from your own creative imagination.

When painting a subject, whether it be a person, landscape, wildlife, etc., it is important that you first carefully study and observe your subject. You need to get intimate and personal with the subject you are painting. If you want to learn how to paint great landscapes, then you should spend time in and around the area that inspires you to paint. Only then can you really get a sense of what it is you are seeing, and how to re-create that scene on paper.

Before you even touch the paint though, head down to your location with only paper and pencils. One of the best ways to become closer to the scene you are painting, is to spend time there doing sketches. This will really force you to observe what you see and burn the image and the environment into your senses. You will be amazed at how much you learn about a scene by simply doing a few drawings.

Painting on location can be rather challenging, especially when just starting out. As the day progresses and the sun changes location in the sky, the scene you are painting can change dramatically. There are certain watercolor techniques that require the paper to be at certain angles, or the paper needs to be saturated to a certain degree, etc. To get everything right within such a short time span is difficult. If you feel you will not be able to capture the scene with paint, bring a camera with you. In the beginning you should probably choose compositions that are not overly detailed or complex. Once you find a composition that you like, take a bunch of pictures at different distances and angles. When you get back to your studio you will now have some great reference photos as well as the drawings you created.

Another great way to immerse yourself in watercolor landscape painting is to find artists who share the same interest. Search online for any groups or websites for landscape painters in your area. Start chatting and get to know everyone. Many of the artists in these groups love to connect with other artists and plan painting trips. This is a great way to gain experience.

When painting on location you don’t need to bring an entire studio worth of supplies. Some artists make the mistake of bringing far too many supplies with them, which becomes more of a nuisance than anything else. Only bring the colors and supplies that you really need to work on a particular scene.

Remember, things change very quickly outdoors. Lighting conditions and weather can change in a matter of minutes. You must be able to paint quickly without being too sloppy. Block in all of your large areas first then go back and start adding your details. Many landscape artists usually block in the sky area first. The sky is generally paler than the rest of the painting, which enables you to work from light to dark. The sky area also influences the way you paint the rest of the objects in your painting.

When painting objects in the foreground that require a lot of detail, do not try and paint every single leaf or blade of grass that you see. This will create too much detail and will draw focus away from the center of interest in your painting. It also consumes too much of your valuable time. Besides, a painting is not meant to be an exact replica of what you see, rather your unique impression of the scene. If you want exact details, you are better off taking a photograph.

Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. If you are painting a scene and feel that you should add a few trees here, or a bush there, or a bird on a branch, then by all means go for it.

If you find one particular location appealing, and have already painted there once before, don’t hesitate to go back and paint it again, only this time go out on a cloudy day instead. You will be surprised how different a scene can look when the weather changes.

I hope these landscape watercolor painting tips have helped. If you ever find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated by your progress, don’t give up. Instead, welcome and learn from your mistakes. It will make you a much better painter.