What to Look For

Tony Allain, Richmond NZ, 2012, pastel on sanded board, 12" x 16". Plein air. Private collection.

Sandra Nunes, Ferry Boat Station, 2019, pastel on sanded paper, 20 cm x 30 cm. Plein air. Private collection.

Small, Sharp Marks at the Center of Interest Let your eye rove over the painting, and you’ll find resting areas in the almost-smooth areas of sky, mountain and beach. But at the center of interest, the marks change to sharp, abrupt strokes—a magnet for the eye.

Calvin Liang, Small Boats, oil on canvas, 8" x 10". Plein air. Marks Following Form Whereas vertical and diagonal brushstrokes create the forms of the boats, the artist has painted the water with horizontal strokes, which follow the surface of the water. This creates a feeling of restful, flat water.

Similar Marks Everywhere This artist makes loose, impressionistic strokes with pastel throughout the painting, so they don’t pull the eye to a particular place. Yet the piece has a feeling of unity because of this approach. So how does she pull the eye to the center of interest? With the sharp edges of the tall dome of the building against the sky.

Vertical Strokes Introduce Calm and Height  The short, even, vertical strokes in the sky impart a sense of calm, height, and space.

4. Moving to the Foreground

Whenever I choose a subject, the foreground is normally the most important part of the painting. Because it’s closest to the viewer, I always take my time and give thought to this area before starting. I try to develop a strong visual image in my mind by considering the weaknesses and strengths of the scene and by doing some mental photoshopping of shapes and possible changes.

Even though the foreground sand dune shadows look easy to paint, I considered them the most difficult part. If the tonal contrast wasn’t correct, the light effect would suffer; I had to decide if I was painting the shadows light enough or dark enough. Because quite a bit of light from the sky reflected into this area, subtlety was the key.

5. The Finish

As I approached the finish, I tried to get in as much detail as I could. However, I’m always careful not to have brushes in hand for too long, as I can easily overwork the painting. Back in the studio, I like to work on it a bit more, checking my primary focal point, the smallest shapes, perhaps adding or removing some detail. It’s the subtle nuances that will lift a painting up to the next level.

I prefer to finish the painting while it is still wet; this is the best time to make alterations. In this piece, especially in the background, my early shapes lacked the nuance I was searching for. I adjusted the small light shapes on the headland to increase the visual interest and to help define the headland’s shape.

Rob Adams, Newport, 2016, Oil, 10" x 16". Plein air. Private collection.

CHAPTER 6

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

In this chapter, each master shares details on his or her general painting process. Each artist, even if working in the same medium as another, uses a unique approach to the process of painting en plein air, but of course, there are common themes throughout, such as sketching, design, values, textures, edges, and color.

9. Harmonizing Colors

I worked my way down to the horizon, adding the greenish tones for harmony. Notice how the touches of pink mix contribute to the happy, romantic feeling of the painting. I added the lightest tones to the sails, mixing in touches of yellows and other warm colors, which tied these light areas to the rest of the painting. The cooler tones behind the sails made this focal area glow with a luminous light.

10. The Finish: Making Smart Choices

I slowed down, thinking carefully about each choice, making sure it would contribute to the feeling I wanted. If I overworked the painting at this point, I would lose the freshness. I made a few adjustments to colors and tones to strengthen the rhythm and to increase the contrast where needed. Finally, I sharpened some edges around the sails and with a small brush, put in a few last details, such as the details of the figures.

Marc Hanson, Rising Tide, Morning, 2020, acrylic, 11" x 14". Plein air. Collection of the artist.

MARC HANSON

I take my time looking for artistic interest. Once I’ve found it, I determine what I want to showcase. A painting has to say just one thing—a fact that has become clearer to me with every painting.

Next, I look for the patterns of light and dark, strongest color, sharpest edges, and lines of direction. I consider how to present my idea to its fullest. What should be played down or up? What should be moved, altered, sharpened, or lost? I try to plan ahead, but painting outside throws changes at me constantly.

I don’t make a preliminary sketch unless I’m not clear about an idea. Most often, I’ll compose with my fingers held in the shape of a rectangle to form a viewfinder. I visualize all the elements before starting, which gives me a mental road map for the painting.

I might start in any number of ways. Sometimes, an impressionistic block in is what I need first. It might be a transparent or opaque block in, either monochromatic or full color. Other times, if the weather’s moving fast, I’ll paint directly and head for the finish. The idea of the painting dictates the approach.

I’m finished when I’ve stated my idea—or when the weather or bugs run me off. If my goal was a color notation, I may be done in minutes. If a full-blown painting, I stop when I’m not sure what to do next. To keep from overworking, I quit when I’m about 80% done.

DEMONSTRATION WILD NOTATION, PALO VERDE WASH

pastel | MARGARET LARLHAM

Margaret shows how she captures the “whiskery” character of a palo verde tree.

Materials

Sketching Graphite Vine charcoal Small sketchbook Surface Panel primed with umber pastel primer, 18" x 24" Pastels Variety of hard and soft pastels Viewfinder

1. The Scene

The silhouette of a mature palo verde tree presiding grandly over a wash with the desert vegetation below it caught my attention. Before I began, I noted, as I always do, the location, time, and weather: Anza-Borrego Desert, March 2018, 3:00-5:00 p.m., cloudy and overcast with late sunshine.

2. Composition

Using a viewfinder with proportions identical to the panel (3:4), I selected my view. I made a small value sketch of the same proportions in graphite, reducing the complex view to simple shapes in three values: the dark shapes of the tree and mountains; set against the toned paper, which acted as my mid-value; and for the lightest value, a touch of light pastel for the sky.

3. Planning Structure

With a stick of vine charcoal and using the value sketch as a guide, I mapped out the edges and skeleton of the tree, wash, road, mountains, and sky.

Michael Chesley Johnson, Autumn Splendor, 2019, pastel, 20" x 28". Studio. Private collection.

CHAPTER 7

BACK TO THE STUDIO

Outdoors or indoors? Sometimes you’re torn. Plein air painting often limits us in size and scope. Studio painting often limits us in references we can draw upon. But what if we combine the two? Accept the limits of plein air painting but understand that your studio space can be a great resource for pushing those limits. The studio offers a quiet place to consider our less-than-satisfactory outdoor paintings and to improve on or learn from them. It also gives us the opportunity to take our studies and other reference materials and rework them into masterpieces.

8. The Finish

Michael Chesley Johnson, Snowy Valley, oil, 12" x 16". Plein air and studio.

Keeping the foreground simple, I added a few short, linear marks to indicate rows in fallow fields with a painting knife. I lightened the cast cloud shadows. In the sunny areas, I added tints of Permanent Orange to add warmth to some of the snow and where old vegetation caught the sun. Finally, I added hints of this same tint to the clouds and the sunny parts of the hills.

Method 3: Start in the Field, Return to the Studio, Finish in the Field

Head to the field and paint until you feel finished. Then head to the studio to look at problems and find solutions. Return to the field to put the solutions in place. The advantage of this method is that it maintains the freshness of a plein air painting because you’ll do the finishing work in the field after having plenty of studio time to analyze any problems.

1. Start in the Field You might only get as far as the block in, leaving the painting as a series of simple shapes, either in monochrome or color. This is a good approach if you’re trying to work out the design, values, or color harmony. If you don’t want to work with color yet, you can simply sketch shapes and write down notes about color.

2. Back in the Studio Preferably without consulting reference material, look at the elements you’ve put down thus far and troubleshoot as needed. You can modify the design or even change the color palette. Work with the understanding that you’re trying to achieve a certain effect or capture a particular mood or moment rather than painting a detailed portrait of the landscape.

3. Back to the Field for the Finish Try not to alter anything you did in the studio, but rather focus on those last things, such as aerial perspective, edges, mark making, etc. This option really works. You can take your canvas into the field and get all the color notes and drawing you need, and then take it to the studio to make corrections and refinements—and then return to the field to get the last bit of information you need to pull it all together. I often find that this final visit comes down to getting the color temperature contrasts correct or adding a few important details. Best is if you can return to the site at the same time of day with the same weather or tide conditions. For example, out in the American Southwest, where I enjoy days of blue sky and sun, no problem; but in the Canadian Maritimes, I’m unlikely to get two days in a row of the same weather. And there the tide times shift by fifty minutes a day, too!

CONTRIBUTORS

Photo by Jackie Hird.

Rob Adams / United Kingdom Born to artistic parents, Rob Adams showed artistic talent early on. After receiving a degree in fine arts, he embarked on a career in book illustration. Later, he designed sets for film, television, and theater before turning to theme park design. In 2006, he gave up commercial work to paint. A member of the Wapping Group of Artists, he has exhibited with the Royal Society of Marine Artists, the Royal Watercolour Society, and other groups. He was named a finalist for the 2013 Artist of the Year by Artists & Illustrators magazine. Adams lives in Dorset. www.treeshark.com

Tony Allain / United Kingdom A contributor to Pastel Journal and Artists Magazine, Tony is a member of the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies and holds signature membership in many other groups. His paintings have been exhibited with the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Pastel Society UK, Pastel Society of America, and China Biennial International Pastel Exhibition; and have been featured in many publications. Allain, who teaches workshops and juries shows for national and international exhibitions, lives in Scotland. www.tonyallainfineart.com

Lyn Asselta / United States A Maine native, Lyn Asselta has exhibited her paintings throughout the United States and abroad. As a workshop instructor, she has taught in Canada, Curaçao, and across the United States. Designated an Eminent Pastelist by the International Association of Pastel Societies, Pastel Society of America Master Pastelist, and member of the Salmagundi Club, she is also the founder of the First Coast Pastel Society in Florida. In 2009, she was selected as an Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park. Her work has been featured in Pastel Journal, PleinAir, and Pratique des Arts. She lives on the Maine coast. www.lynasselta.com

Marcia Burtt / United States After Burtt graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, she earned a Master of Arts from the University of Montana. Landscape painting helped her develop a passionate commitment to conserving land threatened by development. Since 1986, she has worked with The Oak Group to record unspoiled vistas and raise money to save open spaces. Her paintings have been featured in many books and magazines, including PleinAir. Her paintings hang in both public and private collections across the United States, such as the Forbes Collection and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. She lives in California. www.marciaburtt.com

Lorenzo Chavez / United States Born in New Mexico, Chavez has been a professional artist for thirty-five years. He’s had exhibitions and has won many honors from groups like the Pastel Society of America, California Art Club, American Impressionist Society, Société des Pastellistes de France, and the Pastel Society of Spain. Many collections include his work, such as the Western History Collection at the Denver Public Library, Hockaday Museum of Art, and the Koshare Museum. He’s been featured in Southwest Art and other publications. He lives in Colorado. www.lorenzochavez.com

Nathan Fowkes / United States Fowkes is an animation artist whose clients include DreamWorks Animation, Disney, and others. As a fine artist, he has had his watercolor work featured in numerous publications as well as in solo and group exhibitions. The author of How to Draw Portraits in Charcoal and How to Paint Landscapes Quickly and Beautifully in Watercolor and Gouache, he is well known as a teacher of color, light, and design. A regular guest lecturer at ArtCenter College of Design, he has taught at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and Laguna College of Art and Design. He lives in California. www.nathanfowkes.com

Marc Hanson / United States Born to a military family, in his youth, Hanson lived in many states, as well as Norway. He studied illustration at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. A Master Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and a Signature Member of Plein Air Painters of the Southeast, he has won many honors including several Awards of Excellence in the Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Best of Show in the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society International Exhibition, among others. He lives in Tybee Island, Georgia. www.marchansonart.com

Margaret Larlham / United States Born in South Africa, Larlham taught at the University of Natal, Durban, and later San Diego State University, as a professor of theater. While teaching, she constantly practiced as a painter. Her pastels enjoy national and international acclaim, and she is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and a member of the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Recent awards include the Artists & Illustrators award (Pastel Society UK), First Place in the Les Pastellistes exhibition in Montreal, and a Bronze award at the 2019 International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle Exhibition. She lives in California. www.margaretlarlham.com

Calvin Liang / United States Born in China, Liang graduated from Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, moved to the United States in 1987, and worked in animation for The Walt Disney Company and Nickelodeon. In 2002, he left to paint full-time. He has won many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational and the Bronze Medal Award in the National Juried Exhibition of Oil Painters of America. His work has appeared in Art of the West, American Art Collector, and elsewhere. A Master Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society, he lives in California. www.calvinliangfineart.com

Kim Lordier / United States Lordier received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. Her paintings are in private collections and have been exhibited at many venues such as the Autry Museum of the American West and The National Arts Club. They have been featured in PleinAir, Art of the West, Southwest Art and elsewhere. She has won many honors at major plein air events and international magazine competitions. A Signature member of many societies, including the Pastel Society of America, she is a Distinguished Pastelist of the Pastel Society of the West Coast and conducts workshops across the country. She lives in California. www.kimfancherlordier.com

Mark E. Mehaffey / United States Mehaffey is a Signature member and Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society. He has won major awards including the Silver Medal of Honor and the Arches Paper Award from the American Watercolor Society. In 2016, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America named him Distinguished Master. The author of Creative Watercolor and Acrylic Workshop and En Plein Air Acrylic, he has created many videos and appeared in many publications. His paintings are included in many public and private collections, and he is a popular juror, workshop instructor, and lecturer. He lives in Michigan. www.markmehaffeyfineart.com

Sandra Nunes / Brazil With a Bachelor of Arts and Letters from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, award-winning artist Sandra Nunes was exposed to great art while traveling abroad. Her favorite subjects are found in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro. She interprets in a passionate mood the effects of light and relationships between shapes and colors. Nunes teaches plein air painting workshops and life drawing in her studio and around the world. Her work can be found in several public and private collections across South America, United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. www.sandranunes.com

Stephen Quiller / United States A professional painter since 1972, Stephen Quiller is an internationally known artist and a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society as well as a Signature member of many other organizations. Recipient of the 2018 Silver Medal of Honor and the 2014 Gold Medal of Honor from the American Watercolor Society, he has written several books and created twenty instructional videos. He’s juried many watermedia exhibitions and conducts national and international seminars annually. He and his wife Marta live in Creede, Colorado. www.quillergallery.com

Colley Whisson / Australia Born and raised in northern regions of Brisbane, Australia, Whisson began oil painting at twenty years old under the guidance of his artist father and had his first solo exhibition at age twenty-four. Since then, he has held numerous solo and joint exhibitions. He has written for several magazines including International Artist and is the author of the books Creating Impressionist Landscapes in Oil and Impressionist Painting Made Easy. With two demonstration DVDs, he has taught both locally and internationally and has won many awards. www.colleywhisson.com

About the Author

Michael Chesley Johnson / United States Michael paints the American Southwest, coastal Maine, and the Canadian Maritimes. He has been invited to events such as the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art repeatedly. He writes frequently for Artists Magazine, Pastel Journal, PleinAir, and Watercolor Artist; and he also teaches plein air painting workshops across the United States. A Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society, the Pastel Society of America, and a Master Signature Member of Pastel Artists Canada, he splits his year between New Mexico and the Canadian Maritimes. www.mchesleyjohnson.com

Acknowledgments

I want to thank all the contributors to this book and for their patience with my requests. I also want to thank the great artists over the centuries who went before me and upon whose shoulders I stand. Were it not for them, I wouldn’t be the painter I am today. And thank you to my students, who taught me as much as I taught them. Finally, thank you, Trina, for you encouraged me to do the things that needed doing and things I hoped to do . . . things I might not have done otherwise.