**Authentically Human! Not Written by AI**
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| No, I'm not homeless. I'm working on Goal #2, gathering reference material |
Which type of outdoor painter are you? Once you're at your painting location, do you take a long time deciding what to paint? Or do you arrive on the scene with a specific goal in mind? If you're the first type, you may have a satisfying experience, but your success rate will be much better if you have a specific goal. You'll become a better painter faster.
I always try to have one of four goals when I head out. They're simple:
- Explore an area
- Gather reference material
- Work on a skill or problem
- Create a finished painting
Exploring an area is what I do if I'm in unfamiliar territory. For example, my first time in Scotland I didn't know what to paint. So, rather than doing something complicated (like a finished painting), I decided to focus on just sketching the things that were new to me: craggy parts of castle ruins, bald hilltops carpeted with bright green grasses, expanses of yellow gorse. This is a relaxing way of painting, and it increases your knowledge of a strange land.
Gathering reference material is a bit like exploring, but with more of a focus. On a later trip to Scotland, I became enamored of a beautiful, ancient stone bridge in the Cuillins. I wanted to make a big painting of it, but I didn't have the time or materials. Instead, I spent the morning gathering references for the studio. Besides sketching the bridge in gouache, I also made some pencil sketches and took a bunch of photos. (Thank goodness for digital film!) The idea here is that, once back in the studio, in a controlled environment where you have all the tools and materials at your diposal, you can create a more considered work.
Working on a skill or problem is usually a workshop goal. But I also do this on my own. Observing color temperature relationships—how cool or warm a note appears next to an adjacent patch of color—fascinates me, and I can't seem to get enough of this. (Sunlit canyons with deep shadows are a particular favorite.) But sometimes I have a question I want to solve. For example, we've all heard that white in shadow is darker than black in light. Is this true? You might want to go out to see for yourself by observing and painting it.
Creating a finished painting outdoors is a Herculean task compared to the other three goals. I usually reserve this goal for plein air painting competitions—although it's also a good skill to practice if you're heading for a painting competition. To create a finished painting, you have to be at the top of your game: good design, good color use and good edge treatment. And, I might add, it helps first to have had a good night's sleep and a good cup of coffee.
Yet, after all I've said, sometimes it's just nice to let serendipity be your guide—and this is probably the most relaxing goal of all.
(And speaking of Scotland, did you know you can help me get back to Scotland for my next project? Details are here.)
