Collecting fine art can be a very rewarding experience. The type of artwork that is chosen is based on the personal tastes of the Collector. Whether the artwork cost several hundred dollars or several thousand dollars, the Collector should have an intimate connection with the artwork before the decision is made to purchase it. It is also of value to the collector to have a basic understanding of the type of artwork that is being purchased and the process the artist utilized to create it.

The intent of this summary is to provide the Collector with an overview of the plein air painting process, the painting process utilized in the studio and a comparison of these two processes. This summary will be limited to the type and style of artwork on this website, which is representational landscape, seascape and cityscape paintings in oils and pastels.

Plein Air Painting

A very popular form of painting today is painting "En Plein Air". "En Plein Air" is a French term meaning " in open air". The term is used to signify a process by which the artist goes out and paints directly from nature and strives to capture a visual experience from a moment in time.

Plein Air Painting dates back to the late 18^th century Barbizon period. Prior to the development of the paint tube, artists didn’t have the means to preserve their paints over an extended period of time, so they would have to grind up enough powdered pigments and mix it with a binder (such as linseed oil) before each painting session. With the development of the paint tube, not only did artists have the ability to store their paints, they also had the flexibility to transport them into the field as well. This presented new painting opportunities for artists to leave their studios and paint directly from nature.

The Barbizon painters were the forerunners of impressionist movement, which was when plein air painting became very popular and remained so from the mid nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. Plein air painting lost popularity with the advent of the modern art movement. A resurgence of plein air painting began in California in the mid nineteen eighties with the reevaluation of 19^th and early 20^th century California plein air impressionist movement. Presently, plein air painting is a common practice among traditional and impressionist artists. Numerous plein air painting groups have formed in countries all over the world. Plein air painters gather at paintouts, many of which are planned public events culminating in a sale of the paintings created during these events. Many art galleries specialize in representing plein air paintings, which has become very desirable among art collectors.

In as much as plein air painting has gained popularity, studio painting probably still remains the working environment of choice among landscape artists. Many plein air painters use their field studies as reference material for their studio paintings. The field studies provide the artist with a direct experience of the subject matter, which is of great value during the execution of studio work. In the studio, the artist is working in a controlled environment and changes in lighting and weather conditions are not factors that have to be compensated for. In plein air painting, changes in lighting and weather conditions are a major consideration during the painting process. The plein air artist has to work quickly to capture the light before the appearance of the scene changes. In the studio the artist is working from reference material and/or from memory, and doesn’t have to work quickly because of lighting changing, which provides the artist with unlimited time to think about the painting process. The physical environmental difference between studio painting and plein air painting typically produces artwork in which the visual effect is distinct to each working environment.

From a personal perspective, there is a different mind set between the plein air process and the studio process. Plein air painting is a responsive process, while studio painting is a contemplative process.

In the plein air process, time is of the essence. The goal is to capture the light before it changes. There isn’t much time to analyze what has to be done. You follow your instincts and just do it. This is a direct approach to painting [ referred to as alla prima painting] in which every brush stroke applied to the canvas is intended to be the finished stroke. Typically alla prima paintings are painted wet paint into wet and completed in one painting session. Given the time frame that a painting is completed in, the artist has to develop a personalized painting shorthand that captures the essence of the image that is being portrayed. This is a very difficult, demanding process, which takes years of work to master.

In the studio, there is plenty of time to analyze what has to be done, which provides the artist with the opportunity to develop a painting in a more planned, systematic approach. The artist may choose to do field studies in order to experience the light, color and structure of the subject, and take photographs to be used as reference material. Preliminary drawings can be developed to analyze the structure and design of the painting, and then transferred to the painting surface in a simplified or detailed manner. The painting process can be a direct approach or built up slowly, starting with thin washes, then adding heaver layers of paint after the previous layers dried, until the desired effect is accomplished.

Generally speaking, the visual experience between paintings completed en plein air, versus studio paintings can be quite different, as shown in the example below:

 Both paintings are of the town of Rockport Massachusetts looking down the same street from different vantage points. The oil painting on the left was finished in one sitting en plein air. The pastel painting on the right was created in the studio from reference material over numerous painting sessions. The plein air painting is not as calculated as the studio painting. The studio painting is fairly detailed, as opposed to the plein air painting which is suggestive, thus allowing the spectator to fill in the details with his or her imagination. Both paintings are successfully portraying the subject matter. To judge whether one is more successful than the other is a personal choice based on individual preferences. A similar comparison to this could be made as to whether one prefers jazz or classical music. Both are profound in different ways.

It should be noted that the above analysis should not be construed as the only approach utilized in these two painting processes. There are no rules on how a painting is created. Many plein air artists don’t complete their paintings in one sitting. They return to the same location over numerous days at the same time [ so the lighting is the same] and develop their paintings in a manner more typical to a studio approach. The same holds true for works completed in the studio. Many artists create studio works alla prima. Painting styles also differ greatly. Some artists paint loosely and exaggerate color, where others paint tighter and strive to match the colors they see. The process and style that an artist chooses to develop a painting is based on individual preferences. If ten artists painted the same subject, each one would look different. That is the beauty of the creative process.