Quick Guide of being an “En Plein Air”
So first, what is “En Plein Air”?
En Plein Air, also known as plein air, was first found in 18th century France. It’s an art term that describes the artists who like to paint outdoors.
Since the serious Coronavirus outbreak in December 2019, more people tend to stay at home. Many artists tried to making art in their room or studio to avoid direct contact. On the other hand, there are still some artists who like taking their supply outside to be a “Plein Air”, and I am no exception. Let’s look at some benefits of being an outdoor artist!
Benefit I. Inspirations are All Around You
When staying in your studio, inspirations are quite limited. They may come from some sculptures or apps on your phone, take Pinterest or Instagram for example. But your inspiration shouldn’t be limited by them. Taking a walk instead, let the environment be your guide. The mountain with sprinkled sunlight, the trees that are filled with red leaves, talking people, even a pop-up ad can be your inspiration. It’s also a solution for me to deal with my art block. Many famous artists finished their masterpiece outdoors, so why can’t we?
Benefit II. It’s Good for Your Health
Making art in pleasant weather is the best choice to relax. Bathing in the sunlight has many benefits to our body. It can stimulate the serotonin from our brain, making us calm and positive, which is important for artists to think and decide what they should draw. Studies have also shown that moderate exposure to sunlight, can help to deal with depression or SAD (Seasonal Affective disorder).
Benefit III. Being More Efficient in Painting
To enjoy the process, we tend to take supplies that are easy to carry, which are smaller canvas and limited colors. With those supplies, we will make our art more simple and quick, it takes almost an hour on average in my case, since the sunlight won’t always be by our side. You can also improve your speed and skills through this kind of practice.
Before starting your Plein air journey, here are few things I would like to tell you, and what you should be careful of when making art outside. Let’s grab your pen and take some notes!
Note I. Avoiding Direct Sunlight
Most of the paints are liquid-based, leaving them to direct sunlight isn’t a good choice, they fade and get dried quickly. Smart artist will choose their supply wisely. Acrylic paint and oil-based paint are recommended. If you are a watercolor artist like me or having a tied budget, try dried watercolors, you can activate them with a water drop, and they are affordable! Taking a spray bottle with you is also recommended.
Note II. Being Aware of the Weather
You don’t want your paint ruining by the rain after hours of hard work, right? Before stepping out, checking the weather report is important. I remembered once the strong wind blew away my canvas, I can never find that art piece, so bringing a strong easel, or using a stone will be better.
Note III. Applying Mosquito Repellent or Sun Cream
It’s annoying when bugs bite you when painting, cause it was just so itchy! Putting some protection like mosquito repellent or bring some Mentholatum with you will surely come in handy. Sun cream will be good to avoid wrinkles or sunburn as well.
