Plein Air - what does this word mean?

Everyone who studied at art school, attended courses in drawing or photography, probably heard the word "plein air" more than once. What this, and how it differs from ordinary visual creativity, should be told in detail by the teachers. The same article is intended for those who are not familiar with this notion.

What is "plein air"

Not all artists compose their paintings, sitting in the studio. And not everyone has the opportunity to draw on photography, especially since the camera can not convey the volume and sense of space, no matter how hard it tries. To solve this problem and there is an open-air - drawing in nature. And the object of creativity can be anything: plants and landscapes, panoramas of the city and individual structures, portrait, sky and many other things that can only come to mind.

Pleinaires for artists are another opportunity to experience their strengths, to feel the natural light and transfer it all to the canvas. The main thing is to learn how to draw quickly until the light has changed. Often in the open air create sketches and sketches, rather than full-fledged pictures. Photographers also work in nature. For many of them, plein air is the main direction in creativity.

How difficult is it

Drawing in the open air is much more difficult than in the studio. The weather can change at any time - the wind blows out all the art supplies, insects interfere, and the sun changes its position quite quickly in the sky, radically changing the lighting. It would seem, why so torment, because you can take a picture of the scene and draw all the houses. But not everything is so simple. Any artist will answer that the pictures drawn with a flat photo, and they themselves will look flat. And the artist's task is to create a sense of space. Whatever they say about plein air (which is, for example, a waste of time, strength and nerves), no worthy master will give up the opportunity to create in nature.

History

The nature was painted for a long time, but plein air as a style of painting appeared only in the beginning of the XIX century, thanks to the work of the Englishmen Richard Parkings Bonington and John Constable. The original genre, implying rapid drawing in nature, fell in love with many. He was picked up by such famous artists as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Baptiste Camille Corot and Jean-Francois Millet. Later, one of the most famous artists who painted nature from nature, was Claude Monet.

In Russia, the open-air was especially popular from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. K. Korovin, I. Grabar and V. Serov regularly worked in nature. A lot of amazing sketches in this genre were created by the famous landscape master Isaak Levitan.

At present, drawing in nature is often included in the compulsory program of art higher and secondary educational institutions. And professional painters arrange an international plein air. This is a group trip to nature, designed to share experiences and knowledge between artists from different countries.

How to prepare

You have discovered the concept of "plein air" - what it is, where it came from and why. Now it remains to learn how to plunge into the world of plein air painting.

You will need the sketchbook. This is a special folding case in which you can carry brushes, paints and other accessories. It is mounted on a tripod and replaces the artist with an easel. Do not forget the pencils and paints, paper, eraser, water, in which you will rinse the brushes, and a container for it.

For sure, you will need warm clothes, because the weather can change at any moment, a headpiece for protection from the sun and a remedy for insects. Preparation must be taken seriously, otherwise the desire to create will be lost within half an hour after the start of work.

So, what did you learn about the open air? What is this drawing in nature, the original kind of painting that appeared in England at the beginning of the XIX century. He remains popular until now. Now you yourself are ready to start drawing in nature on a par with the greatest artists of the XIX and XX century.