Painters Online

URBAN LANDSCAPES 14 SKETCHING & PAINTINGGUIDE APRIL 2020 www.painters-online.co.uk P ainting en plein air lends itself to a more fluid and vibrant style, and the best tip I ever received was to ditch the photographs and paint outside! Although setting up an easel in the middle of a busy street can prove quite daunting, once immersed in the flow of painting you tend not to notice the passers-by. I usually begin with my viewfinder to help identify a suitable composition then, by squinting my eyes, I can see the tonal proportions more clearly, allowing me to paint the large masses first without becoming overwhelmed by smaller detail. There is a definite need to work quickly, as the scene will be forever changing, so I attempt to establish the shadow areas early on and make sure the tone is dark enough to bring out Paint a street scene en plein air by Nia Mackeown , PaintersOnline gallery member ▲ First Day of December , oil on panel, 9 x 12in. (23 x 30.5cm) ▲ Fruit and Ve g, oil on panel, 10 x 12in. (25.5 x 30.5cm) the highlights. It is important to build the painting as a whole and regularly stepping back a few paces helps to assess this process.