Plein air painting, the act of creating artwork outdoors directly from observation, allows artists to capture the subtle changes in light, atmosphere, and color that are often missed in photographs or studio settings. When painting trees and fields on location, you engage with the environment in a dynamic, responsive way. This interaction adds life and authenticity to the finished work.
Nature doesn’t sit still. The light shifts, shadows lengthen, and clouds move. You become not just an observer but a participant in the landscape. By responding in real-time to these changing conditions, you develop stronger observational skills and produce work with a vivid, lived-in quality. While it comes with challenges, the benefits of plein air landscape painting are immense for artists seeking growth and connection to the natural world.
Selecting a Compelling Landscape Subject
One of the first decisions you’ll face is choosing the right location. Trees and fields can be expansive, repetitive, or chaotic, so finding a strong composition is essential. Look for variety in the landscape—a rolling field punctuated by a line of trees, a winding path that cuts through tall grasses, or a cluster of trees with contrasting heights and shapes.
Scout your location at different times of day. Early morning and late afternoon offer the most compelling lighting, with warm tones and long shadows adding drama and dimension. Pay attention to the direction of light, the horizon line, and how elements of the landscape relate to one another. Are there areas of contrast? Is there a natural focal point? These are questions to consider when preparing to paint trees and fields in the open air.
Avoid locations that are visually flat or overly cluttered. Seek out scenes that already have a natural sense of depth, rhythm, or movement. The relationship between trees and open space is important—sometimes it’s the negative space, such as sky or meadow, that creates balance.
Planning Your Equipment and Materials
Painting on location requires you to be mobile, prepared, and efficient. Your gear should be minimal yet sufficient to handle the challenges of the environment. Start with a portable easel or pochade box that’s sturdy enough to handle wind and uneven ground. Use canvas panels or a sketchbook with primed pages rather than stretched canvas, which can be bulky.
Your palette should contain a reliable selection of warm and cool primaries, along with neutral earth tones. Greens can be tricky in plein air work, especially when painting fields and foliage, so consider mixing your own from blues and yellows, modifying them with reds or earth tones for more natural variation.
Carry a palette knife, medium (for oil), water (for watercolor or acrylic), and a variety of brushes—large flats or filberts for blocking in, and smaller rounds or liners for tree branches and grasses. Don’t forget a brush cleaner or rag, a palette with a mixing area, and clips or tape if you’re working on paper. Keep everything organized in a backpack that distributes weight well.
Dress for the weather. A wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen are important for sunny days, while layers and waterproof shoes may be necessary in cooler or damp environments. Include insect repellent, paper towels, drinking water, and snacks so that you’re comfortable and focused while painting.
Understanding the Structure of Trees and Fields
One of the biggest challenges when painting landscapes is simplifying what you see without losing the essence of the scene. Trees may appear complex with overlapping branches and dense foliage, but they can be broken down into basic shapes. Observe the trunk and major limbs first—note the angles, the way they taper, and the branching patterns. From there, suggest leaf masses rather than individual leaves.
Different trees have different silhouettes. A pine’s triangular form contrasts sharply with the spreading canopy of an oak. Look at how the tree interacts with the light. Is it casting long shadows? Is the sun shining through the leaves, creating a glow around the edges? These observations will guide your color and value choices.
Fields may seem simple at first glance, but they are often layered with texture and subtle shifts in color. Grass in sunlight will appear lighter and warmer than the same grass in shade. Pay attention to the direction of the grass—it might bend toward the wind, creating movement across the field. Use longer brushstrokes to suggest this motion, and vary your green tones to reflect the diversity of growth and terrain.
Creating a Strong Composition
Before laying down paint, spend time working out your composition. This step can be easily overlooked in the excitement of being on location, but it’s critical. Use a viewfinder or create a small thumbnail sketch to explore potential layouts. Think in terms of large shapes and values rather than fine details.
Establish a horizon line. Decide whether it will sit low, high, or center in your painting. Low horizons emphasize sky and atmosphere, while high horizons give prominence to the land. Place your focal point—a tree, a cluster of trees, or a break in the field—using the rule of thirds or a diagonal composition to create dynamic movement.
Simplify. Remove distracting elements that don’t support your main idea. That includes tangled branches, cluttered ground cover, or overly complex backgrounds. Aim for clarity and unity. Even in a field full of wildflowers or a densely wooded grove, you can find ways to group elements and suggest detail without overwhelming the viewer.
Capturing Light and Atmosphere
One of the greatest advantages of plein air painting is the ability to capture the natural light and atmosphere of the moment. Morning light tends to be cool and soft, while evening light is warmer and casts longer, more defined shadows. Midday light can flatten a scene, so it may require stronger color contrast or exaggerated value shifts to create depth.
Look closely at the shadows. They’re rarely just gray or black. Often, they reflect the surrounding environment—blue sky, green grass, or warm earth. Observe the color temperature in both light and shadow areas. On a clear day, the sky’s cool blue might influence everything in the landscape, giving shadows a cooler tone and sunlight a yellowish hue.
Atmospheric perspective also plays a key role in creating depth. Distant trees and hills will appear lighter, less detailed, and cooler in tone than objects in the foreground. Use these effects deliberately to push the background back and bring attention to your focal area.
Developing an Observational Mindset
The key to successful plein air painting is not just technique, but a mindset of attentive observation. Train your eyes to notice subtle variations in shape, tone, and color. Practice looking at how one part of the scene affects the other—how the light falling on a tree changes the color of the grass beneath it, or how a shadow alters the appearance of texture in a field.
Avoid the temptation to paint what you think you know. Instead, paint what you see. Trees are not just green, and fields are not just flat. Nature is filled with nuance. Be open to surprises. Some of your most interesting paintings may come from moments of spontaneity—a shifting cloud, a sudden gust of wind, or the play of light across a hill.
When you approach the landscape with curiosity and patience, you develop a deeper relationship with your subject. That relationship will reveal itself in your artwork, giving it authenticity and emotional resonance.
Managing Time and Light in the Field
Outdoor light changes rapidly, so time management is essential. Plan for sessions that last two to three hours. Beyond that, the lighting conditions may shift so much that your initial color relationships no longer apply. Start by blocking in the largest shapes and value areas. Save the finer details for last.
Work efficiently but not hurriedly. Use broad strokes in the early stages to establish the painting’s foundation. Make notes—either written or sketched—if you plan to refine the work later in the studio. Take photos for reference, but avoid becoming reliant on them. The energy and authenticity of a plein air piece come from direct observation.
Don’t overwork the painting. Sometimes, the vitality of quick brushwork and a fresh impression is more valuable than excessive detail. Know when to stop. You can always return to the same spot another day for a new interpretation.
Embracing Challenges and Building Confidence
Outdoor painting will test your adaptability. There may be wind, insects, curious onlookers, or unexpected weather changes. These distractions are part of the experience. Embrace them as opportunities to grow. Each outing builds resilience and teaches you something new—not just about painting, but about how to be present and responsive.
Over time, you’ll learn which brushes and colors work best for your approach, how to simplify complex scenes, and how to maintain focus even in imperfect conditions. You’ll also gain confidence in your ability to translate the world around you into expressive, meaningful art.
Remember that not every plein air session results in a masterpiece. Some may become valuable studies for larger studio paintings. Others might serve as exercises in observation and composition. The goal is not perfection, but practice, connection, and discovery.
Starting with a Plan
Now that your gear is ready and you’ve found a compelling location, it’s time to begin your painting. But before you squeeze out paint or dip your brush in solvent, take a few moments to observe. A well-planned start will set the tone for the entire painting session. Blocking in the landscape means establishing the essential structure of your painting—composition, value, and basic color—before adding detail.
Begin by deciding on the format of your composition: vertical, horizontal, or square. Think about how that shape interacts with your subject. A wide canvas works well for open fields, while a vertical format might highlight a tall tree or layered space. Once decided, draw a quick thumbnail sketch in your sketchbook or on the canvas itself. Keep it small and simple—this is not a finished drawing but a visual map to guide your process.
In the thumbnail, break the scene into major shapes: sky, ground, tree masses, and shadows. Ask yourself: where are the darkest and lightest areas? Where will the viewer’s eye be drawn first? This early planning phase helps prevent problems later and keeps you focused when the light starts to change.
Drawing the Basic Shapes
With your thumbnail complete, transfer the main layout to your canvas or panel. Use a light touch—charcoal or thinned paint works well for this. You’re not trying to capture every detail of the trees or blades of grass but rather to establish a visual scaffold.
Keep the drawing loose and open. Outline the horizon line and place the big masses: the field, the clumps of trees, the shadow areas. Pay attention to proportion. Does that tree reach halfway up the sky? Is that row of bushes too far forward? Make quick corrections now, before the painting begins in earnest.
Avoid becoming too attached to the drawing. In plein air work, flexibility is key. Elements may need to shift slightly as the painting progresses. What matters most is getting the spatial relationships and scale roughly correct.
Massing in Large Shapes
Once your drawing is in place, begin the block-in phase by massing in the large shapes with broad strokes. Use a large brush to resist the urge to get into details too early. Think of this step as laying the foundation—just like a builder doesn’t start with the roof, you shouldn’t begin with tree leaves or blades of grass.
Paint the sky first, as it often affects the overall light and mood. A bright midday sky has a much different impact on color than one filled with early morning haze or approaching clouds. Use mixtures of blue and white, sometimes warming it with a touch of red or cooling it with violet, depending on the time of day.
Next, fill in the land, fields, earth, or water. Then block in the tree masses. Squint your eyes to reduce visual information and identify large value groups. Paint these masses in middle-value tones. Save your darkest darks and lightest lights for accents later on.
At this stage, don’t worry about edges or detail. You are creating an underpainting, a structure on which you’ll build the rest of your image.
Simplifying Complexity
Trees and fields, while beautiful, are often overwhelming in their complexity. The secret to successful plein air painting is learning to simplify what you see. Break down trees into three or four masses: trunk, major branches, deep shadow foliage, and sunlit foliage. Don't try to paint every leaf or twig. Instead, capture the overall impression of light and form.
Likewise, fields can be simplified into planes of color and value. Identify where the light hits and where the shadows fall. Use wide, horizontal brushstrokes for open spaces and more vertical or angled strokes for undulating land or tall grass.
Look for patterns. Trees may form a rhythm across the horizon. Rows of crops or natural dips in the field create a visual flow. Use these rhythms to guide the viewer’s eye and create harmony in your composition.
Establishing the Value Structure
Value—how light or dark something is—does more to create depth and form than color. Use value to carve out the shapes in your scene. Compare different areas: Is the tree darker than the grass? Is the sky the lightest part of the scene? This kind of comparative thinking helps keep your values accurate even when color begins to dominate.
Squinting helps you judge value by removing distracting detail. With your eyes partially closed, focus on the abstract shapes of light and dark. Begin your painting by laying down the middle values. Then work toward the extremes—saving the brightest highlights and deepest shadows for the end of the block-in or the start of the refinement stage.
Keep your value relationships consistent throughout the painting. A tree that appears bright green in reality might be in shadow and therefore a middle or dark value in your painting. Resist the temptation to paint something lighter than it is, just because you know it’s a bright object.
Building Color Harmony
Once your values are blocked in, you can start refining the colors. In plein air painting, color is influenced by light, atmosphere, and reflected elements. The green of a tree isn’t the same on the sunlit side as it is in shadow. One field might shift from yellow-green to cool blue-green as it recedes into the distance.
Mix your greens carefully. Avoid relying on tube greens. Instead, mix them from yellow and blue, adjusting with red or earth tones as needed. This keeps your colors natural and unified across the canvas. Let the sky color influence other elements. For example, a bright blue sky may reflect in tree shadows or lighten the top edge of a field.
Use color temperature—warm versus cool—to separate planes in space. Warm colors tend to advance, while cool colors recede. This helps reinforce depth in your scene. A warm sunlit hill in the foreground can be set against cooler hills in the background to create the illusion of distance.
Suggesting Form Without Detail
At the block-in stage, your goal is not to finish the painting but to suggest structure, light, and mood. Avoid getting lost in detail too early. This is especially important with trees, where every leaf might demand attention if you let it. Instead, suggest foliage by varying brushwork, color temperature, and edge softness.
A tree canopy, for example, can be described with a mottled application of several greens and a few well-placed darker shadow shapes. Let the viewer's eye fill in the gaps. In the field, don’t try to paint every blade of grass. Instead, describe the plane of the field with directional brushstrokes and color variation.
Establish transitions between elements. Soften the edges between a tree and the sky, or between the field and a distant hill, to suggest atmosphere. Where contrast is needed—such as the edge of a sunlit trunk against dark leaves—sharpen the edge to create focus.
Observing and Adjusting
Once the basic shapes, values, and colors are blocked in, step back from your painting. Observe the overall composition. Are the shapes working together? Is there balance? Does the scene convey the mood or atmosphere you hoped for?
Make small adjustments now. Shift a color slightly cooler. Soften an edge. Push a shadow a bit darker. These changes are easier to make when the paint is still wet and the structure is fresh in your mind. Remember, plein air work is about responsiveness. Don’t be afraid to correct or rework an area that’s not serving the painting.
The block-in should be complete within the first third of your total painting time. If you're working in a two-hour session, aim to finish the block-in within the first 30 to 40 minutes. That leaves enough time for refinement without rushing.
Using the Underpainting for Later Development
Not every plein air painting will be finished on-site. In many cases, the blocked-in version serves as a solid underpainting for future refinement. Back in the studio, you can use the notes, sketches, and photos from your session to continue developing the piece.
Because the block-in contains the essential value structure, color relationships, and mood of the scene, it’s a reliable foundation for future work. Keep it loose and lively. Avoid overworking it. Let the freshness of your initial impression guide your choices as you build up the final layers.
Even if you don’t finish the painting, the block-in itself is a successful outcome. It reflects direct engagement with the landscape and is a learning opportunity that contributes to your growth as an artist.
Building on a Solid Foundation
Once your block-in is complete, the next step is refining the painting. This phase is where the landscape begins to take on a sense of realism and atmosphere. The goal isn’t to make the painting hyper-detailed, but to add clarity and intention to your forms, edges, and colors while preserving the spontaneity of your first impression.
Refinement is about responding to what’s already on the canvas. What is working well? What areas lack definition or visual interest? You’ll now begin shaping the painting with more specific forms, textures, and color adjustments that enhance the scene’s depth and mood without overcomplicating it.
Developing Form Through Value Transitions
One of the most effective ways to refine the sense of form in trees and fields is by developing subtle transitions in value. Look again at your large masses. Are the tree forms too flat? Does the field feel like a single plane? Now’s the time to introduce transitions that make those elements feel dimensional.
Add midtones to bridge the gap between shadow and light. For example, in a tree mass that goes from dark green in shadow to a bright, sunlit yellow-green, insert a transition value that’s warmer and slightly lighter than the shadow but not as bright as the highlight. This softens the shape and suggests volume.
Refining a field might mean introducing gradual shifts in color and value as it recedes into space. These changes can reflect dips in the terrain or the way light falls across subtle hills. Add variation in brightness and color temperature, using your brushwork to follow the contours of the land.
Avoid sharp contrasts unless you want to create a focal point. Smooth transitions make the painting feel more cohesive and natural. Use a softer brush or blend lightly to control these gradients while preserving the painterly look.
Enhancing Texture with Intentional Brushwork
Texture brings a sense of vitality and realism to your painting. In this stage, consider how your brushwork can describe the surfaces of your subject. Trees have different textural qualities from fields, and your painting should reflect those differences.
For tree trunks and branches, use angular, dry-brush strokes to mimic the roughness of bark. You can also vary the direction of your strokes to suggest twists, knots, and irregular growth. For leaves, use broken color and smaller dabs or tapping motions. Let some of the underpainting show through to create a sense of depth and layering within the foliage.
In the field, use long, directional brushstrokes to describe tall grass or the movement of the land. Fields can also be textured with patterns—lines from plowing, patches of wildflowers, or paths. Suggest these patterns with repeated marks, adjusting pressure and direction to keep the texture natural and varied.
Don’t overdo texture in every area. Choose a few focal points—perhaps the center tree or the sunlit edge of a hill—and build more complexity there. Leave other areas simple and suggestive. This balance gives the eye a place to rest and keeps the painting from becoming too chaotic.
Adjusting and Unifying Color
In the block-in stage, colors are often approximate. Refinement allows you to revisit and adjust them for harmony and realism. Pay attention to how colors interact. A green tree will look different against a warm sky than it does against cool shadows.
Color unification is key at this stage. Look for ways to carry color throughout the painting. A touch of sky blue in the field shadows, a bit of warm sunlight in the tree foliage, or a reflection of a yellow flower on a nearby rock—these touches make the scene feel interconnected.
Neutralize areas that are too saturated. Pure colors can feel unnatural if overused. Modify your greens with complementary tones or earth colors to create more believable variations. A green made with ultramarine and yellow might be too intense, so temper it with a touch of red or burnt sienna.
Refining color also means checking temperature relationships. Warm light creates cool shadows, while cool light does the opposite. If the sun is setting and casting golden light, the tree shadows should lean toward blue or violet. These temperature shifts bring your painting to life.
Sharpening and Softening Edges
One of the most powerful tools in refinement is edge control. Hard edges draw the viewer’s eye and suggest clarity. Soft edges push elements into the background or imply atmosphere. You don’t want all your edges to be the same—variety creates visual interest and depth.
Decide where to place your hardest edges. Often, these occur at the focal point, such as the sunlit edge of a tree or the transition between a path and the field. Use crisp, clean lines and strong contrast here to attract attention.
Soft edges are ideal for distant trees, hazy sky transitions, or grass that blends into the background. You can achieve this by feathering the paint with a soft brush or blending gently where two values meet.
Lost edges—where one shape disappears into another of similar value or color—can also be powerful. For instance, a shadow on a tree might merge into a dark background, creating mystery and a sense of depth. These choices help guide the viewer’s eye through the painting.
Adding Detail Selectively
Now that the structure, value, and color are well established, it’s time to introduce detail. But resist the urge to add detail everywhere. Details should support your composition, not overwhelm it.
In trees, refine the indication of individual branches, but don’t paint every one. Suggest fine twigs near the edges of the canopy using a liner brush or the tip of a round brush. In the field, you might paint a few distinctive grasses or flower stalks to hint at the vegetation without painting every blade.
If there’s a focal element—such as a fence post, a worn path, or a distant farmhouse—now is the time to define it more clearly. Use cleaner lines, higher contrast, and sharper edges. Keep the rest of the painting looser to maintain the atmosphere and focus.
Think of detail as seasoning. A little adds flavor and variety. Too much can clutter the scene and distract from the mood you’ve built.
Creating a Focal Point
A focal point gives your landscape a sense of purpose. It can be a tree, a group of rocks, a distant barn, or even a striking area of light. To reinforce the focal point during refinement, combine several visual tools: contrast, detail, color saturation, and edge sharpness.
Place the highest contrast near the focal point. For instance, a dark tree trunk against a sunlit field creates a natural center of interest. Use saturated colors more freely in this area, and allow for more complex shapes and textures. This draws the viewer in.
Keep the surrounding areas more subdued. Use broader strokes, fewer details, and muted colors. This contrast in handling makes the focal area pop and provides a visual hierarchy for the painting.
Observing Light and Atmosphere Changes
As you refine, the light may shift dramatically, especially if you’re working over a longer session. Use your initial impression and reference sketch to stay consistent with the lighting you began with. Don’t chase the changing sun, or the painting may lose cohesion.
That said, if a new lighting condition presents a more compelling mood, make a note or take a reference photo. You can develop a new painting later based on that moment. Plein air painting is a process of both capturing and adapting, and knowing when to stick with a decision is part of your growth.
Atmosphere, especially in landscapes with distance, should be emphasized during refinement. Cool distant hills, softened treetops, or pale values in the background create the illusion of depth. Use less contrast and more neutral colors for these areas to push them back.
Stepping Back and Evaluating
As you work, pause regularly and step back from your easel. Viewing the painting from a distance reveals imbalances, awkward shapes, or areas that need more or less emphasis. Ask yourself: Is the composition still strong? Are the values holding together? Does the painting still express the feeling of the place?
Sometimes, what you thought was a small correction reveals a major imbalance. Be open to making bold changes. Scrape off a section, adjust a shape, or repaint a background if necessary. The painting will be stronger for it.
Refinement isn’t about perfection. It’s about intentional decision-making. Trust your initial impression, but use your evolving understanding of the subject to shape the painting with confidence and care.
Knowing When to Stop
One of the most difficult skills in plein air painting is knowing when the painting is finished. After refining form, adding texture, and building depth, it’s tempting to keep working—adding just a little more detail, fixing one more shape, blending one more transition. But often, the best plein air paintings maintain a sense of immediacy and energy. Pushing too far can flatten or over-polish the image.
Step back and ask yourself a few important questions: Does the painting capture the mood of the place? Is the composition clear and balanced? Is the focal point well supported? If the answer to these is yes, and nothing is distracting or unresolved, your painting may already be finished.
It helps to stop before you're sure. Let the painting sit for a few minutes while you clean brushes or observe the scene again. With fresh eyes, you may see that it's complete—or that only one or two final touches are needed.
Adding Final Highlights and Accents
The last phase is about subtle but powerful touches. Final highlights bring life to a painting. These are not just the brightest areas, but moments of clarity that punctuate the scene. A glint of light on a tree trunk, the sparkle of sunlit grass, or the soft haze of a distant hill at dusk—these elements provide visual punch and emotional resonance.
Use a small brush and carefully selected colors. Highlights should sit on top of well-prepared surfaces and be applied with confidence. Don’t overuse them; a few highlights placed deliberately can guide the viewer's eye and create the illusion of natural light.
Accents are also key. These might be the darkest darks—such as a tree shadow that deepens to anchor the composition—or the sharpest edges, like a fence post cutting across the field. These final moves are best made with restraint and intention. Their purpose is to complete the visual story, not to restart the editing process.
Cleaning Up Edges and Shapes
Before declaring the painting done, spend a few minutes reviewing your edges and shapes. This doesn't mean making everything sharp or tidy—quite the opposite. It’s about intentional control.
Sharpen edges in focal areas where you want the eye to linger. Clean up shapes that feel awkward or incomplete. At the same time, soften transitions where two elements merge naturally, like a tree canopy into the sky or a field fading into distant hills.
This edge cleanup helps unify the entire painting and ensures the eye moves comfortably across the canvas. It’s also a final opportunity to remove anything that distracts or doesn’t serve the composition. If a particular branch, rock, or path doesn’t contribute, simplify or eliminate it.
Evaluating the Painting on Location
Once the final touches are in place, take a few steps back and evaluate the painting outdoors. Look at it from a distance and ask if it holds together as a whole. The plein air setting often provides better light and context than a studio, so this is the best time to assess the painting’s success in capturing the moment.
Try holding the painting vertically or viewing it in a mirror to spot imbalances. Does one side feel too heavy? Is the color harmony consistent? Are there any value problems that need correction?
Photograph the painting while you’re still on location. Natural lighting will capture the truest representation of your colors. These reference photos will be useful later, especially if you decide to develop the study into a larger studio piece.
Post-Session: Notes and Reflection
After finishing a plein air session, take a few minutes to jot down notes. These could include details about the weather, light direction, atmosphere, time of day, and your emotional response to the scene. These observations help contextualize the painting and can guide you later if you continue the work in the studio.
You can also record what worked well and what didn’t. Was the composition strong? Did the light change too quickly? Were the values accurate? These reflections help improve your process with each session.
Keeping a painting journal or log can be incredibly helpful over time. Reviewing past notes and sketches helps you track growth and recognize patterns in your strengths and challenges.
Touching Up in the Studio
Many plein air paintings are best left as fresh studies, full of energy and impression. Others benefit from studio touch-ups. If you decide to continue working on a painting indoors, proceed carefully. Preserve the spontaneity of the original. Don’t lose the brushwork and immediacy that define plein air painting.
Use your field notes, color sketches, and photographs to guide you. Reinforce the structure and clarify any weak areas, but avoid over-modeling or blending everything into softness. Studio adjustments might include refining distant hills, balancing values, or adjusting color temperature to strengthen the sense of atmosphere.
Another option is to use the plein air study as the basis for a larger, more developed studio painting. These finished works allow for more compositional planning, layering, and detail. The small study becomes a valuable reference—a visual and emotional record of your direct observation.
Presenting and Preserving Your Work
After painting, take care of your materials and artwork. If you painted on oil-primed panels, allow the painting to dry in a dust-free area. If you used canvas or acrylic, be sure it’s fully dry before moving or storing.
Plein air work often has a unique quality that collectors appreciate. Even studies can be framed and exhibited. Choose frames that suit the informal nature of fieldwork—simple, clean lines often work best. For display, you might include location names or brief notes on the back of the panel.
Some artists leave plein air work unsigned until they decide if it’s finished or not. Others sign immediately after painting, marking the moment as complete. Either choice is valid, depending on how you view your process.
Varnishing is optional. Some painters prefer the matte surface and raw texture of an unvarnished plein air study. Others choose to varnish for color depth and preservation. Wait until the painting is fully dry before applying varnish—this can take weeks for oil paint.
Developing a Body of Work
As you build experience painting on location, you’ll accumulate not just finished pieces, but also visual research—notes, sketches, and small panels. These form the foundation of a larger body of work. Over time, you may notice themes emerge: favorite trees, familiar hills, particular light conditions.
Use this collection to explore ideas further in the studio. Combine elements from multiple studies to create new compositions. Create seasonal series based on return visits to the same location. Or simply let the paintings stand as a record of your connection to the land.
Painting trees and fields en plein air is both a technical and emotional practice. The more you engage with it, the deeper your understanding of light, form, and nature becomes.
Continuing the Practice
Plein air painting is a lifelong pursuit. Every session is different, shaped by changing weather, light, and mood. Some days are productive; others are frustrating. But every outing builds skill and vision.
Keep your gear ready and your eyes open. Even a small patch of trees behind a grocery store or a wildflower-filled ditch beside the road can offer unexpected beauty. Make time to paint regularly. Frequent practice sharpens observation and deepens artistic instinct.
Join local plein air groups or attend paint-outs and events. Sharing work, techniques, and experiences with other artists can be motivating and inspiring. Seeing how others interpret the same scene can broaden your perspective.
Final Thoughts
Painting trees and fields en plein air is a discipline that blends careful observation, artistic interpretation, and a deep connection to the natural world. It teaches you to respond quickly to changing light, to simplify complex scenes into meaningful shapes, and to trust your instincts while remaining open to discovery.
Each part of the process—from composition and block-in to refinement and final touches—demands a balance between planning and improvisation. You're not just capturing a landscape; you're expressing how that place feels in a specific moment. The rustle of leaves, the golden hue of sunlit grass, the rhythm of shadows stretching across open fields—all of these become part of your visual language.
Over time, plein air painting builds not just skill, but memory. Your brush marks record not only what you saw, but how you experienced the world around you. Whether your goal is to create finished pieces, generate studies for studio work, or simply enjoy time outdoors with your paints, this practice rewards patience, persistence, and curiosity.
Let the process remain joyful and exploratory. Return to favorite spots in different seasons. Challenge yourself with new compositions. Embrace failures as part of the learning curve. With every painting, you’ll develop a stronger eye, a steadier hand, and a clearer artistic voice.