Core Skills: plein air

Join veteran fantasy and comic book illustrator Christopher Moeller as he rediscovers the rich and astonishing world that lies beyond his studio door

Christopher Moeller starts a new series by rediscovering the rich and astonishing world that lies beyond his studio door.

Christopher’s a writer and painter who specialises in producing fully painted graphic novels. See more of his art at www.moellerillustrations.com.

For the past 27 years, I’ve been a studio painter. I’ve emerged from my basement studio after all-day sessions and asked my wife what the weather was like that day. I’ve gone downstairs in the dark, and come back up in the dark.

As much as I love studio painting, I’ve often felt my work disconnected me from the outside world. It turns out I’m not the only one. Taking one’s easel out into nature is something artists have been doing for the past 200 years, and is more popular than ever today.

Painting en plein air was made famous by the French Impressionists, who advocated painting outdoors with a focus on “true” light and colour. A number of technological advances contributed to this new approach to painting, notably the invention of the French easel (a portable easel with telescopic legs and built-in paint box and palette), and the introduction of paints in tubes. In my own case, an additional crucial invention was the mini-van: large enough to hold a bicycle and all of my painting gear.

1 Getting the most out of your travels

Have you ever seen a gorgeous landscape and felt like your camera just couldn’t capture the feeling of the place? Have you gotten restless sitting on the beach? If you keep a paint box in your car, then you can channel your emotions from awe or boredom into art.

2 Painting outside your comfort zone

Like elite athletes, artists need to challenge themselves to strengthen their performance. Drawing with the left hand, working without reference, painting from a limited colour palette… these are all ways to nudge us out of our set ways. Painting en plein air is the triathlon of that type of exercise. Not only are you seeing your surroundings with fresh eyes, but you also battle rain, snow, heat, wind, changing light, subjects that move and inquisitive strangers. There are any number of ways you’ll be tested when you leave the comfort of the studio.

3 Making friends and influencing people

Unless you’re in a studio with other artists, art can be a lonely activity. Getting out into the wider world can add a lively social element to your practice, particularly if you choose to set up on a busy street corner rather than on a remote mountain top. There are also hundreds of plein air events all across the country, where you can work alongside, and learn from, other artists.

4 The tools of the trade

The key to plein air work is to set up kits of varying levels of complexity, so that when the mood strikes, you can grab the appropriate gear and hit the road with a minimum of fuss. I have a shoulder bag that goes everywhere with me. It has sketching materials and a little watercolour kit. In my van, I keep a more elaborate setup, with a chair, umbrella, easel, oils and so on. The point is to make it an easy decision if you’re considering heading outside.

5 Plein air isn’t just about oil, or even paint

When people think of plein air, they usually think of oil painting. In my view, if you’re outside and working from direct observation instead of photographic reference, you’re working in the spirit of plein air, regardless of the medium. This can include sketching with pencil or charcoal in a little moleskin sketchbook (very portable), painting in watercolours, acrylics or gouache. It can also include working on a tablet (look up amazing digital plein air artist Robh Ruppel).