Plein Air Painting

You will be doing small, quick outdoor paintings during the next few weeks.

Materials needed:

Painting panels or Foamcor (or heavy weight cotton rag drawing paper, about 120 lbs.)

Acrylic gesso

Drawing board or other stiff board

Paints, palette, etc.

Masking tape

Shallow flat bottomed box

Portable easel, if you have one

• Cut your Foamcor or paper into a variety of smallish squares/rectangles, ranging from about 3” square to no more than 8” square.
• Attach them to a board with masking tape and apply 2 coats of acrylic gesso to the front of each. (If paper, coat w/gesso before cutting.)
• Explore the campus for scenes in which light and/or shadow are interesting. This could be bright sunlight in a landscape, the atmospheric perspective of an overcast day, the light and shadow of a few objects, etc. Use L frames or a camera to help compose your paintings.
• I would like at least two of the paintings to be night scenes.
• Look especially to depict different kinds of light at different times of day: the sky at dusk, early morning light, hazy light, artificial light, etc. Find interesting or unusual compositions. Make use of cast shadows whenever possible.
• Concentrate on the concepts of WARM and COOL color.
• These should be done outdoors in a safe environment when possible. Painting views from a window is acceptable if the weather is poor. Interiors may be painted if the quality of light is exceptional.
• Paintings should be quick, but fully resolved. Even a small painting may take 1-2 hours or more to complete.
• There is a minimum of 10 paintings required.
• Be adventurous with your paintings, but be smart and safe painting outdoors. When possible, paint in groups.
• Please ask questions or show me work in progress during your review.

Due April 7.