"Another Sunny Day" 12x16 plein air
I used to think that I should only use my very best plein air studies to make larger paintings back in the studio. If I painted it well outside, then I should just be able to duplicate it in a larger format indoors, right? But inevitably, something would be lost in translation and I would get frustrated trying to recapture the feeling and the energetic brushwork that made the plein air study so appealing. I would find myself getting bored, losing interest in just repeating the same scene stroke for stroke.
I've finally come to the conclusion that I can never repeat the same painting in the studio and achieve same feel as the plein air work. It's like that adage that you can never step in the same river twice--the process just can't be repeated with exactly the same results. A one-half-inch brush stroke on an 8x10 canvas can cover a section of the study that may require ten brushstrokes to complete on the larger painting, altering the character of that simple mark made outdoors. The pressure of time and fast-moving light forces me to paint more decisively outside...no matter how much I tell myself to hurry up and paint with abandon in the studio, in the back of my mind I know that I have all day (or several days) to complete the painting. As a result, those "happy accidents" that occur under plein air time constraints don't happen as often in the studio. A plein air painting involves a sense of discovery as I explore a new scene, parse the elements to decide what I want to include, and determine how best to convey the information in front of me. Trying to repeat that process by rote in the studio just gets boring and feels too much like work.
"Light and Air" 12x16 plein air
So what's a painter to do? Only paint en plein air? Never enlarge a study? Quite the contrary. After years of trial and error, I've finally learned that I have to challenge myself and explore new ideas to stay engaged and focused in the studio. Consequently, studies that weren't just right, that had good elements in them but didn't quite come together as completely successful paintings are the ones that are the most enjoyable for me to use as reference. Back in the comfort of my studio, I can explore why those paintings didn't work and in a more controlled environment, try to learn from those errors and - hopefully - resolve them. When I'm painting outside, I often find a scene that warrants further exploration that I just don't have the luxury to develop during quickly-moving sunlight. Using studies, sketches, and photo references, I can take my time constructing more complex scenes back inside. Elements within the landscape that move (cars, animals, boats, people) can be added in the studio, using the best poses from several different drawings and photos to create the most effective design.
"Seabreeze" 24x36 studio
While the best plein air paintings have a life of their own that can never be repeated, studio works that are painted with the same degree of interest and discovery can convey their own unique story to the viewer. Successful studio paintings combine the best of both worlds, indoors and out. Let your plein air paintings be a jumping-off point for new and exciting studio ideas.
"Summer Morning: Bass Harbor" 14x20 studio
30 Responses to Step Inside: Effectively Using Plein Air Studies for Studio Paintings - Part One
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