This was my first try at proper outdoor painting, or en plein air as they say in proper painting lingo. Why is it my first ever? Partly because I have a full time job and a family, and the only painting time I get is usually after 9pm, but also because it terrifies me. Probably more the latter than the former.
But it’s a painting discipline I must practise, so it was high time to have a go. This one was painted over a couple of dull days in early April 2023, although the sun did appear for a bit towards the end of the second painting session.
The paint used was Winsor and Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour. It was my first attempt at using these, but I chose them because I’d read that they dry more quickly than traditional oils, and because they are water soluble, you can just use water to clean the brushes, making it all that bit easier to transport and use on location. It was also my first time using a portable easel. This was a bit of a pain to carry, so I was glad to be doing it in a back garden with the car not very far away. I’d hate to think of lugging it to some place in the middle of nowhere, which some hardy artists do. But it folds up nicely, has a good storage drawer, and I can’t really think of a way to make it any smaller.
The session started badly, with me fretting a bit over the dull setting and composition. I had to remind myself that it was just a test really, and not meant to be a painting of any meaning.
I chose a family garden as it meant I could avoid the gaze of strangers, something that terrifies me. As it was, various family members (and their friends) kindly showed an interest as I struggled with the basics of putting down some flat bits of colour, so all they saw was the terrible early stages.
The oils were sticky, much like Winsor and Newton’s fast-drying alkyds, and didn’t dry nearly as fast as I had hoped. I was annoyed I didn’t bring along the Artisan fast drying medium and thinner which I had also purchased as these may have helped the paint flow more freely, and dry more quickly, of course. Oh well, next time.
At the end of the first session of about 2 hours, I was ready to give up, but I took a day’s break from it and went back to have another go. Reviewing the position of things (a bit) helped to make it look a bit better. I took a photo for reference, and looking at this helped me to see where things were wrong. But I promised myself I wouldn’t refer back to the photo after that.
Putting in a range of red brush strokes for the bricks helped to give the painting some much-needed texture, and turning the big window from a grey rectangle into something that had a view beyond it lent it some much-needed depth. Then, of course, came the addition of some highlights which always bring a painting alive even if it’s a dull, cloudy day.
You could tell I was beginning to be more satisfied with my efforts as I spent much more time on it than I was intending to. Of course, by this point people had stopped asking me how it was going, or coming to have a look, as they were no doubt expecting another grumble from me. Which is why I fear doing more en plein air painting in a location where I can be seen. I like to think I’ll get better and faster, but there will always be that early stage when it looks awful, and I fear the gaze of even the kindest onlooker.
I certainly need to get faster, as I might not always have the luxury of being able to return to the location on another day. And in general, I’d like my painting completion rate to increase. Perhaps acrylics are worth a try again, but so far I’ve always found them to dry too quickly, the colours aren’t as rich and deep, the colour can shift as it dries, and a mixed colour doesn’t go nearly as far as an oil one, so much more mixing is required. But I should persevere as they are good for completing a painting much more quickly, and the last acrylic painting I did, the wide-eyed man, came out quite well.
Finally, I ask myself - should I go back to my en plein air painting at home indoors, and use the photo to touch it up, correct errors and ‘complete’ it? Some might argue this is defeating the point, as errors and ‘looseness’ are all part of the en plein air experience. But if I thought it was worth displaying, I just might. As it stands I think I should leave it as something I completed entirely outside for the first time ever. Hooray.
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