Plein air is tricky and challenging. So, I always prepare myself for plein air in advance. Because I don’t like to get upset and have unexpected surprises. I want to share my top 4 tips how to plein air successfully.
Tip 1 – Weather
So the weather, if it’s too hot or cold outside, you won’t draw much. It’s sounds like, better to draw a view from a cafe or hotel window. Or you can visit museum and draw there. But don’t give up! Check the weather forecast before your trip and review your route. Mark shades or covers near the point of interest. Thus if weather isn’t optimal, you still can go and sketch.
I visited NYC in November, it was really challenging to make sketches outside because my hands were freezing. Nevertheless I made small quick sketch from the Highline.
Tip 2 – Palette
The colors of paints, markers or pastels are very important when traveling. It is advisable to get a universal palette that will work for most things. It is worth to google and see images of the place where you are travel to and understanding what colors are dominating there. This way you can built your own plein air palette. Sometimes it seems that some color is missing in your palette, but this should not stop you. You can experiment with another color that you have, or maybe mix colors and make similar. Here is my Carand’ache pastel palette, it soluble with water. So it’s combo 2 in 1: pastel and watercolor. I have a post about my other sketch tools I use in travels click here to read it.
Tip 3 – Bag
A comfortable and roomy bag is another important thing to have when plein air. The bag should not be heavy and large, otherwise you will quickly get tired of carrying it. Small bags when all packed too close will irritate you when you get something outside or return back. The best solution is when a phone, wallet, keys, sketchbook, liner, brush pen and watercolor/pastel/markers are placed in the bag , but you still have some spare space.
Tip 4 – Comfort
Comfort at first place, especially when you just started sketching hobby. Choose places with shade, if it is hot and sunny. Look for benches, so you can sit and draw. Don’t take too much materials. Remember to take it easy, because less is more. Enjoy the moment.
These were my 4 plein air tips. Of course, it’s not necessary to follow all these things. I myself don’t always manage to prepare 100%. And sometimes you want a challenge, so you prepare to a minimum. It is not always possible to be ready for everything, as everything changes and then improvisation comes into play. My most favorite part is when something goes wrong and I improvise and try to cope with, then the result just worth it. Just relax it’s only piece of paper and you’re rule it!
