January 2019
The phrase 'plein-air' is French. The French word 'Plein' in English means 'full'. Translated exactly, it means 'full air'. So a plein-air painting is one that has been created while outdoors, in full air. In English we more usually say: “a painting made while outside in the fresh air”.
What a plein-air painting trip involves
How does this kind of painting get made? How these kinds of paintings are made is where they differ from just about every other kind of painting.
Packing for outdoor painting
What happens is that an artist packs-up all their art materials into something they can carry, or in my case: stick on a little trolley (until my lighter painting box arrives).
My current outdoor painting kit is shown in the photo. There are specially designed plein-air painting boxes like the one in the picture, though they are not essential.
It's possible to rock-up with just a sketchbook and paints. The equipment used is not what makes a painting worthy of the title: plein‑air.
A plein-air painter is always trying to make their equipment better, so no doubt my own kit will continue to evolve. I didn't start out with what's in the following illustration. I also have a traditional easel I sometimes use for fresh‑air work.
Once packed, the painter jumps into their car, or gets on other transport, to travel to the location they want to paint. It might still involve quite a bit of walking to get to the actual viewpoint, which is why the equipment needs to be compact and as light as possible.
I have different sets of plein-air kit which I use, depending on the difficulty involved getting to the exact spot where I want to paint.
Deciding where to set-up
When the artist arrives at the location they want to paint, they'll spend some time, perhaps a lot of time, deciding exactly where to stand. If I've been before, either sketching or otherwise on a reconnoitre, then I know exactly where I intended to paint. It's no guarantee however – differences in the lighting or other things can affect whether a plan goes to plan! You might see artists pacing back and forth trying to decide which is the best place to set-up. It's not always a straightforward decision and it's not appropriate to explain here as this is an overview. Having decided exactly the scene they're going to paint, the painter sets-up their painting station.
Paint – go home!
Once settled, the artist works on their painting dealing with all manner of distractions and challenges such as changing light, unexpected wind or rain, thirst, flies or noise to name just a few. Plein-air work is always an adventure and addictive precisely because it can be so unpredictable and difficult. A painting can take a matter of a few hours or most of the day depending on the difficulty of the composition or the degree of finish the artist is trying to achieve. Once finished, everything is re-packed and the still wet (if oil) painting is carefully protected for transporting to the next viewpoint or home.
So that's it! A quick description of how a plein-air painting is made. Obviously there's a lot more to it than I've gone into here. This was just a simple introduction.