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Hi all,
Today I want to talk about something I consider an essential practice for every visual artist, along with architecture and sculpture. It encompasses and affects other senses, but painting is related to the eye, to observation, just as music primarily affects hearing.
Therefore, I believe that plein air painting—the practice of going out into the street or into nature to capture the soul of a landscape—is a must for every painter, especially in these times of screens and digital pixels.
What Is Plein Air Painting?
The term plein air comes from the French expression en plein air, meaning "in the open air." It refers to painting outdoors directly from observation rather than working exclusively from photographs or studio sketches.
Unlike studio painting, outdoor landscape painting constantly challenges the artist with changing light, weather, movement, and atmosphere. This immediacy is precisely what makes the experience so valuable.
For artists interested in improving observation, color harmony, and brush confidence, plein air painting remains one of the best forms of artistic training.
A Brief History of Plein Air Landscape Painting
The Evolution of Landscape Art: From Backgrounds to Independent Genre
The journey of plein air painting is rooted in a very ancient tradition that spans centuries and continents:
- Ancient Origins & Global Reach: This tradition began with the Italian, Flemish, French, and English schools, later spreading to new lands and schools such as the Russian Impressionists, Postimpressionists, and the Hudson River School in the USA.
- The Academic Shift: Since the emergence of the Fine Arts Academies after the Renaissance, much landscape painting took place strictly during the apprenticeship period; once established as professional artists, the practice was largely limited to painting in the studio based on preliminary sketches.
- The Birth of A Genre: Landscape painting in Europe evolved from being used as religious or blurred backgrounds to becoming an independent genre, with several schools and movements emerging primarily during the 17th to 19th centuries.
4 Landscape Painting Schools That Shaped Plein Air Art
I will name only 4 schools that I consider to have had the greatest impact on the history of art:
- Dutch School of Landscape Painting (17th Century): Considered the birthplace of the genre, this school saw landscape painting become independent of religious or heroic themes. It is characterized by realism and the depiction of everyday life, dunes, cityscapes, and seascapes.
- English Landscape School (18th-19th centuries): Characterized by romantic and realistic landscape painting, with leading exponents such as John Constable (rural scenes of Suffolk) and William Turner (dramatic and atmospheric landscapes).
- Barbizon School (France, c. 1830–1870): A group of French painters who settled in the Fontainebleau forest to paint landscapes outdoors, anticipating Impressionism. Prominent members include Rousseau, Corot, Millet, Díaz, and Dupré.
- Impressionism (France, late 19th century): Transformed landscape painting by focusing on immediate light and color, taking influences from previous landscape painters.
The Rise of Plein Air Painting
Promoted by the pioneers of the Barbizon School, thousands of art students and professional artists began painting outdoors.
Today, this legacy thrives through schools dedicated exclusively to this art form, as well as organizations of watercolorists and urban sketchers. It was called "plein air" painting, from the French.
Perhaps the most iconic figure of this devotion is Paul Cézanne, who reportedly died with his easel and painting equipment on his way to paint yet another landscape of Mont Sainte-Victoire.
Why Plein Air Painting Improves Your Art
Overcoming Fear and Building Artistic Confidence
Drawing from my earliest painting lessons (at age 10), I recall being sent to paint from a terrace, balcony, in the street, in train stations, or in the port.
One of the first things outdoor painting teaches you is how to lose the fear of being observed while working. At first, painting in public can feel uncomfortable. But over time, that discomfort disappears and is replaced by concentration.
Ultimately, plein air painting becomes something between meditation and exploration. You begin to focus less on external distractions and more on light, shapes, atmosphere, and rhythm.
Why the Human Eye Sees More Than a Camera
En plein air, the traditional act of painting outdoors as championed by the Impressionists, strives to capture immediate light, color, and atmosphere.
- Dynamic Focus: In situ, the eye can naturally shift focus between nearby objects and the horizon line.
- The Limitation of Photos: With a photograph, what's in focus determines what's out of focus, and this is irreversible: the image is frozen.
- Visual Depth: When painting outdoors, we can examine distant objects, subtle tonal values, and the constant changes in light and shadow that a camera simply cannot perceive. Above all, this is how we capture the true atmosphere.
Sensory Immersion and the Challenge of Nature
Painting a seascape with the salty breeze, seagulls, and light reflecting off the waves is a completely different experience from painting with a still photograph. The landscape, both urban and natural, lives, breathes, emits sounds and smells, and all of this sensory input influences the painting process.
It is important to note that this method doesn't guarantee a better result, but it's about:
- Direct Confrontation: Confronting the landscape face to face and choosing our composition from among many possibilities.
- Managing the Elements: Facing the dazzling light on the initial white paper or canvas and dealing with unpredictable weather.
- Painting Against the Clock: The urgency of painting before it rains, holding the easel steady against a strong wind, or ignoring insects under an increasingly intense sun adds a layer of raw energy to the work.
All of these environmental factors influence the final painting of the landscape and its unique result.
Practical Tips for Your Outdoor Painting Adventure
What Outdoor Painting Teaches That Studio Work Cannot
I firmly believe in the profound learning experience that comes from leaving the comfort of the studio and confronting the natural environment. By engaging with real light and watching the landscape evolve over several hours, we are forced to be effective and focused.
- Mastering the Elements: Outdoor painting requires us to react quickly to the weather, the light, and the transition into darkness.
- The Challenge of Night Landscapes: A great lesson is painting at night: interpreting what we see and perceive in terms of shapes and colors. These lessons are invaluable and experiential—no book or tutorial can bring you closer to this depth of artistic knowledge.
This is why I have never given up painting outdoors as an artist or as a teacher: I frequently take students to paint in the city, in the countryside, in monasteries, and on beaches, mentoring adults and children alike.
Logistical Planning and Essential Gear
To succeed in the field, one requires a bit of logistical planning. Your essential plein air kit should include:
- The Basics: A folding easel, the bare minimum of paints, and your preferred brushes.
- Personal Comfort: A hat, water, and insect repellent (depending on the location and season).
- Weather Protection: In summer, always pack an umbrella and a folding chair.
Embracing the "Spirit of Adventure"
To truly master landscape painting on-site, you have to replace the perception of "discomfort" with a "spirit of adventure." Whether you are facing wind, sun, or changing shadows, the results and the experience gained from this direct confrontation with nature will be well worth it.
Let's Try Plein Air Painting Now!
If there is one thing I would encourage every artist to do, it is this: go outside and paint.
You do not need perfect weather, expensive equipment, or a spectacular landscape. A quiet street, a local park, or even the view from a balcony can be enough to begin.
Bring a small kit, accept the unexpected, and allow yourself to observe more slowly. The best way to understand plein air painting is simply to experience it.
So, choose a place, pack your brushes, and let nature become your studio.
