Painting What You See
by Stefan Baumann
I
was born and raised in South Lake Tahoe so it is no secret
that my favorite subject is the Sierras, particularly
Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. I am so familiar with some sites
that after a few times painting at one location I find
myself painting it from memory. I suddenly realize I am
not paying full attention to the location -which is not
good. Only on location can an artist capture details which
may be forgotten in the studio.
When you are studying the art of location
painting you must paint what you SEE. There is little
benefit to painting outdoors if you are making the scene
up as you paint. Sometimes I observe painters who are
painting outdoors and wonder why they even bother to set
up.
To paint onsite you have to have your goals
clear and your commitment set. The challenge is to capture
what you see even if the light and the atmosphere are
changing every second. If you are having a problem painting
from life, chances are it is because you are creating
aspects of the scene rather than keenly observing, and
then capturing it on canvas.. Take time to stop and look
carefully. There are no secret brushstrokes and there
are no secret keys. Everything you need to know about
painting a subject is right in front of you. A plein-air
artist strives to capture nature on canvas in the moment
that it inspired him.
