cd sketches

     If you are yet to go out Plein air painting, it can seem a bit intimidating having to drag out all of your painting supplies with you. But, in reality, if you can consolidate some of your supplies, its possible to have a light and simple setup. In this article, I will go over my essentials for Plein air painting. And I'll link to the products I personally use.  1. Paint The first and most obvious thing that you need to bring out with you Plein air painting is, paint. Whether that be gouache, watercolor, acrylic or even oil, paint is essential. Technically speaking, you can 'paint' Plein air with markers, colored pencils or even graphite, but that is typically considered 'Urban Sketching'. Along with paint, you're also going to have to be mindful that you need somewhere to hold and mix your paint. This is where a palette comes into play. For watercolor, most Plein air painters I know of either use a metal tin palette, or a specialized watercolor travel palet...

 I've always felt that the term "Self-taught" was quite an odd one. To me, it seems to be a very unnecessary way for an artist to classify themselves. In my (often pessimistic) mind, there's only three reasons why someone would make a point to title themselves as a "Self Taught artist" and only one of them seems valid. Option 1: My art is very impressive, therefore saying I am "Self Taught" is a flex. Option 2: I have a non-conformist mindset and I think that going to art school makes someone a less authentic creator. Or Option 3: My art is good and I want others to know that they don't need to be able to afford traditional schooling to make good art. You can decide which option I think is valid.  Photo by Deeana Arts from Pexels Another reason I feel odd about people calling themselves "Self Taught Artists" is that that  title is so ambiguous. Is being self taught as simple as not pursuing a degree in fine arts? Don't many of us ...

     One of the best ways to improve your artistic eye is to paint 'en plein air'. While getting outside and painting from life is a fun thing to do and the goal of many artists, finding a place to paint isn't so easy. There have been a number of times where I have wanted to go out and paint from life but I just couldn't think of anywhere to go. This problem is only worsened if you live in a 'boring' town. In this article, I will pull from my experience and give my best advice on how to find somewhere to paint Plein air.  1. Google Earth     While I have already covered the topic of using Google Earth directly for painting reference, this tip is different. If you are struggling with finding somewhere to paint, give google earth a shot. If you go to google earth and zoom around your local area, more often than not, you will find somewhere you'd like to paint. Google Earth is great for scouting out potential painting spots without wasting your time and gas, d...

 Even though watercolor is probably the first kind of paint most people will ever experience (as kids in a classroom), it still has a reputation as one of the more difficult and less forgiving mediums. For me, watercolor was the metaphorical gateway back into making art after nearly three years of not drawing or painting, so it was what I used to learn how to paint. Like every medium, watercolor has its pros and cons, and this article will dive into some of the most notable ones. PROS 1. Portability One of the best things about watercolor is that its very easy to bring around with you. Many different brands make travel palettes that allow you to carry watercolor paints in a pocket sized form-factor. If you are a more frugal painter, you can even make your own Altoid's palette for less than 5 five dollars. Watercolor can be poured into half or full pans. This lends itself well to plein air painting and urban sketching as well. Along with the small form watercolor can be put into, it...