Plein Air stuff

[JeffX99]

Here are a few of my plein air pieces. These are generally small (8x10 - 16x20) painted on location as demos for my class and take an hour or so. Just thought I'd share!

[Nobie]

Great work, thanks for posting your plein airs. The last one really works nicely great sense of light.

[JeffX99]

Hey thanks! I checked out your website - nice work - I really like "Cherry St. Plant" (vertical). You'd probably dig Joe Paquet's stuff: http://www.joepaquet.com/

[Dahami]

As "finished works" I don't like them... But that's the thing about plein air. As "on site speed paints" they are really good, and capture light color and shape really well. One could take these back to the studio and use them as reference to create "finished paintings" with greater realism, that might evoke (in me, at least) a greater emotional response and sense of recognition.

btw, I just checked out that Joe Paquet site and I like the landscapes. I think the ones I saw there do a better job looking "finished" enough to evoke the emotion/recognition response from me than the speedies you have here. It's maybe just a personal preference of mine. I dig Thomas Kinkade's cities and cottages, but I never liked his plein air stuff at all. I see that as merely practice/data acquisition to do the more finished pieces later on.

[Sidharth Chaturvedi]

These are gorgeous, Jeff, especially the second one! Do you have a website or something where I could see more of your work? Couldn't find anything on your profile.

[Gumpshmee]

Beautiful! I'm a big fan of number 4. Number 3 looks like it lost out on a bit of contrast.

[JeffX99]

Hey thanks Sidharth! Nice to get the positive feedback - not many people around here even bother looking at this stuff. I just transitioned my website over to my contemporary aluminum work this last summer so I don't have a good venue for my plein air work any longer. I have a bunch up on my facebook though - here's a link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=143638&id=1545679150 I think you can check it out without being on fb.

Thanks again man! Check out my buddy dpaint's stuff as well - we're both from the Bay Area originally.

[JeffX99]

Thanks Gumpshmee! Number four is one of my favorite places on earth - a little mountain meadow valley called Humbug Valley - that's Yellow Creek in the scene.
Hey you're from one of my favorite cities! I love Vancouver.

[Gumpshmee]

I can tell that you live in a beautiful area. We're having a warm winter here in Vancouver So there's still plenty of green without a snowflake in sight.

[JeffX99]

Yeah - there's a lot of variety around me which I like. I'm in far Northern California - most of those paintings are right around my neighborhood.

[Danilo]

Hey, great work. Im wondering what would happend if you use less white and more diluted color for brighter areas, like watercolor principle. I found that white reducing color intesity.

Sure you will ahve less impasto, wich I like on your works, but maybe you can do both

[JeffX99]

Thanks for the comment. Yeah - using too much white is often an amateur problem as they try to raise the value of the lights by adding white - which definitely kills the color and makes things look "chalky". The key is to adjust the rest of your values down so that you can still maintain rich color in the lights. The .jpg shots are hard to balance out exactly and monitors are all pretty different so it can be hard to say if it is accurate on your monitor. But yes, always best to keep white very much under control.

[krel]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing those. Especially like the 4th!

[jeremygordon89]

These are really good man, and I especially like the fifth one. Keep up the good work.

[JeffX99]

Thanks krel - I'll try to post a few more soon - I used to do a few hundred a year but have been slacking lately!

Thanks also Jeremy - I appreciate the comment. I'll try to get some new stuff posted!

[Line]

Jeff my man, my hat is off for you. Great stuff!!!

[JeffX99]

Thanks Line! Everybody's digging these so much lately I guess I better get some more posted!

Variety pack:
6) Quiet Moment - 4x12 - Fields and orchards nearby
7) Spring Thunder - 8x10 - The same little stream as #2 in previous post (Dye Creek) - thunder was rumbling in the distance
8 ) A shot of the location and my setup.
9) Antelope Canyon - 8x12 if memory serves - this creek runs right along my folks property - Mt. Lassen in distance
10) Rust Never Sleeps - 9x12 - an abandoned Ford tow truck along the tracks in town. I always meant to paint it again and waited too long - it's long gone.

Thanks again for the comments everyone!

[Line]

I love the two first ones from the new batch. The last two are lacking something, I can't place it. I am thinking that the canyon one doesn't give a sense of depth, maybe because the strokes are all the same width and type both in the foreground and back ground, dunno. The truck scene deserved more yes, too bad it's not there for you to redo it. Maybe there's something equally interesting in the area?

[Msegal]

What is this stuff doing on concept art.org !??


Ha Just kidding, no criticism I think you've captured the fleeting moment.


I'd hang one up in my house :P.

[JeffX99]

Thanks Line - yeah, some work for some people and others don't. Personally the truck is one of my own favorites. A poet in our area wrote and published a really nice nice poem about the canyon piece which was very cool. Both those sold before I even had a chance to live with them very long!

[JeffX99]

Ha! Thanks Msegal! Which one do you want?

[squidmonk3j]

These are very nice...beautiful little moments captured in pigment:)

[Msegal]

Ha! Thanks Msegal! Which one do you want?


hehe I'm not interested in buying art. Especially since I don't have the luxury.

Good work though.

[Rybakow_com]

Excellent painting!!!

Colours of the nature are very truthfully transferred!

[Dahami]

I stand by my previous comments, but I still think this stuff is cool. I like the idea of capturing the values of sunlight versus shade to reproduce some aspect of what the eye sees, even if it has a painterly appearance and not as much detail as the image the eye/brain creates when actually looking at a scene like this.

[JeffX99]

A few more pieces....various times and places...bottom two were the same morning - looking east first and it was a bit foggy - then west and the fog had cleared.

[JeffX99]

Here are a few "favorite" pieces for one reason or another - sometimes it is how accurate you get a passage - sometimes how quickly you capture the light - sometimes a breakthrough you make or sometimes just interesting things that happen while you're out there. They all have interesting stories!

First one is Lassen Peakacross Child's Meadows - end of the day - 30 minutes - felt good!
Next is Lido Channel - a session with my students.
Ediza Outlet in the High Sierras - classic mountain painting country.
Muir Woods - a great day with the family in the California Redwoods.
The Grand Teton - spectacular Wyoming scenery.

Thanks for looking!

[Deadlyhazard]

Man I love how I can really sense distance in your paintings....please keep uploading these, I really do learn a great deal by looking at how you handle things. You seem to be simplifying things more than I am now that I've started traditionally plein air painting. Bah, it's just so hard thinking about what to do when you get something like bare trees clumped with fully leafed trees. It's just a screwfest of twigs and leaves and I'm going, 'wat.'

And the Grand Teton painting is beautiful (and so is the mountain and the rest of the park in real life). I remember my dad taking me to that national park a looong time ago before he passed away. Brings back some good memories :). 5 stars!

You should post a video of your process!

Also I started in acrylics....they're okay for plein air right? It seems like everyone uses oils :(. But my teacher is forcing us to use acrylics.

[JeffX99]

Thanks for the nice comments Deadly. I'm really glad it brought back some nice memories for you. Also glad they help a bit with your own process - that is the main reason I share them here.

It is all a bit "wtf" at the start - believe me, I know. Just have to stick with it, read the right books, helps to study with the right guys - a lot! But yeah - just keep at it - read "Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting" over and over...literally. Check out Carl Rungius - Edgar Payne - Isaac Levitan...there's tons of great painters you can learn from.

Check out Armand Cabrera's work - he has a great process video on his website (I think?). I have a set of process stills here: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=204861

[Dahami]

Keep 'em coming. :)

[libellchen]

That stuff is stunning, nothing else to say. Exept, maybe that I'd like to live near such a beautiful place:)

[JeffX99]

I didn't really know where else to post this. A demo of sorts while painting last evening. It was evening and I was in shade so the wip shots aren't great, oh well...hope you enjoy!

"Quiet Evening" 8x12 Oil on panel 1hr.
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Setup
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Scene
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Panel - this was a former painting that I primed right over - youcan still see a hint of a painting under there
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Laying in tone - I like working on a toned ground - I use a thin mix of Cad Yellow Medium and Permanent Alizarin
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Horizon line - always first...
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Wiping out sky and reflections - also establishes big shapes
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Darkest notes and dark passages
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Dark masses
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Lights and midtones
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Light passages and background trees - 25 minute mark or so
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Palette at this point - and fresh sky colors mixed up
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Laying in sky
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Softening, blending sky a bit - used a large soft brush
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Sky reflections brought into foreground...almost finished just need a bit of adjustment, add highlights, water effects, etc.
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[Mr-Joe]

Quite some work, nice job, looks great, Thanks for sharing your process for the day, that's a nice piece of art.

[Noah Bradley]

Cool process shots. Always love how a warm undertone pops through a painting. Good stuff.

Oh, have you ever read Art & Fear (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961454733/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nosar07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0961454733)?

;)

[JeffX99]

LOL Noah...really. I wish the process shots had come out better - didn't realize but the light reflecting off the water on the left blew things out on that side. Oh well...the idea comes across I guess.

And thanks Mr-Joe! My pleasure!

[Deadlyhazard]

Gorgeous sky color gradient :) keep postin' your plein airs man! I love looking at them. The wip shots are fine.

[Pavel Sokov]

beautiful stuff! thanks for the demo!

[Lightship69]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgh!!

I hate you, I hate you, I hate you !! Just when I think I am showing a glimer of talent, a mere glimmer mind you, a tiny glowing ember that needs to be nurtured and fed little tiny bits of artistic kindling.

You go and do this to me, and remind me how crap I am! Thanks mate!! Thanks a right lot!!

LOL only kidding, I really like them matey especially the mountain and lake ones that for me anyway seem to have more depth to them.

P.s. can you put more reference photos up for us I am interested to see how you have interpreted the scene, light etc.

Thanks again

[Wolf_Daughter]

In the first set of paintings that you shared I really like one and four. Those paintings have darker shadows that show more depth. Maybe it's just the way they have been photographed, but most of the other paintings don't have as much contrast, so they look flat to me. They are still inspirational and have a lot of good qualities about them.

I've only done a few plein air paintings. They turned out well, and I really enjoyed it. This makes me want to get back outside for more of my work. Thanks for sharing your work. :)

[JeffX99]

Thanks for the nice comments everyone!

@Lightship - just keep at it man! I was pretty fortunate in studying and taking workshops with some outstanding painters is all...and dpaint to paint with and keep me in line.

Here is last night's painting...the other side of the same pond from last week. So it ended up being a diptych which are kind of fun - I took the first one to try to match as much as possible - came close but will probably adjust a bit. Plus the sky went a little dirty on me...these things happen. Oh, I also took my pochade box this time so thought I'd share what that rig looks like.

Pochade setup - everything fits in the backpack there except the panel carrier to the left - you can see last week's painting there to match.
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"Evening Reflections" 8x12 oil on panel (Anderson River Park Pond, Part Deux)
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[Cory Hinman]

I love the light in that last! Thanks much!

[dpaint]

I was so busy looking at the still life thread you did I forgot about this one. Good Stuff.

[keith eager]

Really wonderful plein airs! Thanks!

[JeffX99]

Hey thanks everyone! Nothing like being right out there wrestling with Mother Nature!

Something new...something old...thought I'd share a few square format pieces, for some reason I like squares...probably because I always wanted to be an album cover guy!

Thought I'd show these in a frame. This frame is my own design, "Thunderbird Lite", hand carved and gold leafed by John Victor (http://johnvictorcarving.com/). I've worked with John to develop four custom "carves"...expensive as all get out but fun! John is a great guy and has a really nice line of frames and display products.

This was another one while my daughter was at soccer practice...doesn't leave much time!
Evening Reflections 12x12 oil on Canvas
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Golden View (somewhere in Sonoma) 12x12 Oil on Linen
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Outcrop 12 x12 Oil on Linen
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[kevinwueste]

Jeff - great plein aire's!!! I need to get out and try ( now that I have my pochade box deal!) - kevin

[JeffX99]

Thanks a lot kevin! What kind of setup did you get? There's a lot of great stuff to paint down near you.

[Farvus]

Great landscapes. My favourite is the Spring Thunder piece from the previous page. It has many qualities. Very vibrant. The trees have pleasant soft feel and overall the piece has nice depth.

Thanks for showing the process.

[kleanoil]

beautiful scenery and nice work, hope too see more

[JeffX99]

Thanks for the comments all! And I always like to hear which ones are favorites and why Farvus, so thanks for that comment.

Nothing actually new but I wanted to share a few details and color notes from other pieces. Mainly because it is hard to see this stuff across the web and in photos, so it's difficult to get a sense of the color and texture of a painting. The ability to work in thin, transparent passages or thick, juicy impasto is one of the main advantages of oils over any other medium. This variety of surface creates a "living" feeling as the piece shifts and changes in subtle ways throughout the day due to changing light.

OK, enough of that! Here's just a few details highlighting color and texture...thanks for checking them out!

Color notes from "Golden View". Eucalyptus trees are awesome to paint...they are full of rich color - ready made in complements.
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Foreground texture from up in the Sierras near Tahoe. I tend to use much more impasto work in the foreground...and often applied with a knife.
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Foreground texture from a Wyoming painting - rocks and some dead, bleached snag wood as I recall.
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Sky Impasto...it's amazing how much texture and color a sky can handle...fun to push it sometimes as I did here in this huge spring thunderstorm.
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[Benjaminba]

The detail shot from "Golden View" is very beautiful. The temperature shifts are fantastic. The warm orange undertone comes through almost like fire. :)

[DAMJAN]

Nice paintings Jeff.

[Marine_Blue]

These are great and should not be worked further, Its all about that first impression which I love! and thanks for the process too, I am starting out with Plein air on a gesso and egg temp ground.

Im still finding that the brush strokes show the light ground beneath too much: Do you use soft brushes or Chungking? and do you use browns much or is you pallette mixed from more primary and secondary hues?

Cheers.

[JeffX99]

Thanks Marine! Yeah, I generally never work on a plein air after bringing it back to the studio, but I do make exceptions. If I think a minor tweak to an edge (usually to soften it) is needed I'll do so, or sometimes I will leave the sky out if I just don't have time for it in the field (and it isn't a very interesting sky) I'll paint that in from memory.

Basically I never completely work over a passage of a painting though, it destroys whatever truth may be there and I can't get that back. If a piece is a real winner, or even a decent sketch but could be better composed I'll simply do another piece from it.

I use Hog bristle brushes. I like even numbers in flats from the Robert Simmons "Signet" line. I also like the Langnickel AF Supreme line. I do 90% of my usual size plein airs with a size #6.

If you're ground is showing through you might find toning the ground to help. I use a very thin mix of Cad Yellow Med and Alizarin Crimson...washed on liberally and then wiped down with a paper towel. The warm tone under everything gives the painting some warmth and if it peeks through in spots it has a natural, "earthy" quality or even a warm note in foliage.

Here's my palette:

[Kjesta]

Beautiful stuff, Jeff! I love that painterly look, it's so... I don't know, I find it kind of sentimental but not corny, you know? Really nice.

[pauloricardo]

Hello... you have a great stuff here

I see the comments you usually make in WIP area and I like that too much, also, to learn more from an artist as you

I enjoyed too much the small "tutorial" you posted here and it is usefull for me.

thanks for sharing it and best regards

[dpaint]

Bump!!

[Marine_Blue]

Thanks Marine! Yeah, I generally never work on a plein air after bringing it back to the studio, but I do make exceptions. If I think a minor tweak to an edge (usually to soften it) is needed I'll do so, or sometimes I will leave the sky out if I just don't have time for it in the field (and it isn't a very interesting sky) I'll paint that in from memory.

Basically I never completely work over a passage of a painting though, it destroys whatever truth may be there and I can't get that back. If a piece is a real winner, or even a decent sketch but could be better composed I'll simply do another piece from it.

I use Hog bristle brushes. I like even numbers in flats from the Robert Simmons "Signet" line. I also like the Langnickel AF Supreme line. I do 90% of my usual size plein airs with a size #6.

If you're ground is showing through you might find toning the ground to help. I use a very thin mix of Cad Yellow Med and Alizarin Crimson...washed on liberally and then wiped down with a paper towel. The warm tone under everything gives the painting some warmth and if it peeks through in spots it has a natural, "earthy" quality or even a warm note in foliage.

Here's my palette:

Hi Jeff

I really appreciate you taking the time to explain and show your palette, which is a joy to behold. I have found myself burdened with too many colours and at this early stage I really need to be cutting them back, seeing the limited colours you use is a weight off my shoulders to be honest.

I will try that toned ground you mentioned, seems kind of obvious now :D.

I really think this Plein air skill is underrated in a society that seems obsessed with highly polished ''realistic'' paintings (which deserve their credit non the less).

Yours to me are much more a glimpse of reality then a lot of the photographic type stuff that is out there and a breath of fresh air (literally). Well done, you’re a real talent! Keep them coming!

[merl1n]

Great stuff man, this is what every artist shall try.

[bartdeco]

I'm glad this got bumped! It reminded me to post this:

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It really helped me to understand the process better.

Thanks for sharing!


bart

[JeffX99]

Recent studio piece for upcoming show, "Half Pound Alley" (a spot we fish on the Klamath River in Northern California...serious bear country!), 18x24, oil on linen

[dpaint]

Wow you really naled this one, especially the water. Beautiful piece...

[JeffX99]

Hey thanks - I was pretty happy in the end with it. One of those that felt good because it just sort of painted itself out with no real issues.

[LORD M]

Absolutely gorgeous, Jeff! Beautiful water and believable depth in the painting, how I would love to have that hanging on my wall haha. :P Great progress throughout your posts! And the small demos are very helpfull, thanks Jeff!

[Lightship69]

Hi mate

That last one in bear country was well worth the risk of getting chewed up its beautiful my mate simple beautiful, thats the only way to put it.

Thanks for posting it took me to a happy place, and that cant be bad! all the very best to you where ever you are.

[Flashback]

Awesome painting! I wish Miami had mountainous regions.
How long was traveling to that stop? Moreover, How long did it take you?

[JeffX99]

Thanks guys! That spot is about four hours from where I live...really rugged country. I did a small plein air there a few years back but sold that one right away. This was a studio painting, much larger than I usually paint on location. Took probably 6 hours or so.

[Featheredface]

I really enjoyed looking through this thread. Beautiful stuff, Jeff, I look forwards to watching more paintings be posted. And I'm inspired to do my own painting now. haha.

[Syle]

Jeff, simply awesome work my friend. Your process shots are greatly appreciated as well. I find it really inspiring how stripped down your tube color selection is.

I'm looking to get into some Plei Air painting myself, but I'm a bit in the dark as to what makes a good Plein Air easel. I already have my paints, panels, and brushes ready to go. My local Artists and Craftsmen store carries some "French Plein Air" easels for like $140, but they look sort of cheaply built, so I'm a bit skeptical of them.

PS: how do you clean your wooden palette? does the wood not just soak up the oil and then leech into any fresh color you may lay down later?

[Whitesock]

These are great! It's really good for a newer artist like me so that I have an example of something to shoot for. Thanks a bunch!

Oh and for Syle, I think he has a glass plate (or something like that) over the wood for his palette.

[JeffX99]

Thanks everyone...

So Syle...I usually recommend a half box french easel as the most verstile for getting started. You can use it in studio, outdoors, in a class, etc. The Julian is probablyworth paying the extra for...teh Mabef brand is also solid. Stay away from anyting by Richeson though and I would be skeptical of the cheaper units. You'll have this piece of gear for, well, the rest of your life most likely...so get a decent rig.

Whitesock is right that on my larger palette, called a French Companion (which I would super highly recommend as well) I have a sheet of tempered glass. I don't backpack with that rig. My pochade is just bare wood. The wood does soak up the oil a bit at first, and usually you should oil it anyway. Eventually it gets a nice patina and is glass smooth anyway. It doesn't hold any color that invades the mixtures. Just clean it with a palette knife and paper towel.

[Syle]

Jeff, thanks for the informative reply. I've got my eye on a few Jullian easels, will probably end up getting one some time next week.

Another question: how do you take multiple canvases out in the field? How do you store them as you go?

EDIT: Is there a particular French Companion brand that you recommend? I've spotted this one on DickBlick: http://www.dickblick.com/products/french-companion-and-mistress/#photos

I notice that your Companion folds out on the handle side as well. I can't tell from the pictures in that Dick Blick link if those do.

[JeffX99]

Sure Syle - that one looks like a Richeson...not worth burning in my opinion. Definitely keep searching...you want one that the end/handle edge folds down. I put a couple cup hooks inside there to hold my trash bag.

Here's the deal for carrying wet panels: http://www.artworkessentials.com/products/ezport/index.htm

You can get more expensive ones that are crafted a bit nicer...but this one is super functional. Artwork Essentials is a great outfit to work with. If you'r ereally handy you can modify the dividers and hold a ton of various sizes.

[Syle]

Awesome, Jeff. Thanks so much for the good and trusted advice.

I'm going to save up for a couple of weeks and then purchase the easel, companion, panel box, and also some lidded pallet cups.

I've already got my panels, paint and brushes, so I think I'll be ready to go!!!

Very excited.

[Pavel Sokov]

The fishing spot is gorgeous! Fantastic stuff

[Saracen]

Jeff: great paintings, man. Well done!