Free Plein Air Tips

Free 240 Plein AirTips

The title speaks for itself. Hopefully the tips will help.

DYI Pochade Box

I started a prototype of this pochade box at the beginning of the week. The biggest problem was the panel holder. The top and bottom was easy, just two boxes, hinged together. After several attempts at the design of the panel holder, I settled for a variation to the panel holders that I had made in the past. In putting this together I discovered some better ways to make this style in the future. 

This was a challenging project and I may do this again using more expensive wood and hardware.

Saturday May 5th

Timber Point 

Biddeford boat Ramp

Gary's Place

Gary's Place

9 x 12

oil on board

Started this as a plein air painting a couple of days ago. The weather did not cooperate so I finished in the studio.

Gary's Place 2
8 x 6
Oil Pastel over acrylic

Gary's After the Rain

8 x 6

Oil Pastel

Gouache Studies

Harbor shack

6 x 6

Gouache on board

Robert Genn study

6 x 6

Gouache on board

180324 Essex Marsh

Essex Marsh

8 x 10

Oil Pastel on Mat Board

Covered both sides of the mat board with acrylic gel medium so the oil would not degrade the paper. The tooth of the mat board made it easy for the oil pastel to go on the paper. The color of the mat board acted as an undercoating for the painting.

Note: Two coats of diluted gel medium was used. Recommend  heavier coat of the gel to eliminate some of the 'dimpling' of the mat board.

Essex Marsh
Updated with oil paint and medium. Smoothed out paint to help eliminate some of the 'dimples'.

Apple Study

9 x 6 1/12

Pastel* on canvas mounted on gator board

Dry pastel sticks, ground and mixed with linseed oil and cold wax (as a thickener). I love the rich colors of pastels but don't like the dust of the final painting, which is problematic in framing, shipping and storing. I've used regular oil pastels but find the outcome sometimes lacking. It will be interesting to see how this turns out when it dries. 

Commercial oil paint is made with pigment, linseed oil and additives. 

Remembering you

Watercolor

March 8 Nor'Easter kept me in today. But that did not stop me from doing this portrait in a sketchbook that I keep in the apartment. The subject is from the cover of a local advertisement. She reminded me of someone I knew in Vietnam.

180306 South Western Light

South Western Light

10 x 7

Acrylics

Heather Dew

Heather Dew

9 x 12

Acrylics on canvas mounted on board

The branch was salvaged from a fallen tree along The Eastern Trail on Monday. It reminded me of a painting of a branch by Vincent van Gogh. 

180301 Palace Diner

Palace Diner

10 1/2 x 7 1/2

Watercolor & Gouache

180216 Mountain Farm

Mountain Farm

12 x 16

Acrylics

Used acrylic flow medium and clear gesso to thin paint instead of water. 

180213 Oil Pastel studies

Wave Study

9 x 12

Oil Pastel

Camp Ellis Sunset
9 x 12
Oil Pastel

180201 Still Standing

Still Standing

9 x 12

Oil Pastels

Wave study

Wave Study

9 x 7

charcoal

Wave Study
8 1/2 x 10
Watercolor

180112 Biddeford Street scene

Biddeford Street Scene

11 x 10

Watercolor

171226 Studies

Winslow Homer master study

The Blue Boat

11 1/2 x 7 1/2

Watercolor

Sturbridge covered bridge

Covered bridge, Sturbridge

7 1/2 x 7 3/4

Watercolor & Gouache 

12/17/17 Studies

Santa Fe Train Depot

8 1/4 x 5 3/4

Watercolor on copy paper

Study for more permanent picture.

171128 Studies

Red in Morning - Goat Island

9 x 11

Watercolor on cold pressed paper

White Boat
9 x 12
Watercolor