3 tips for Preparing for Plein Air Season šæ
Hello!
from my cold little corner of Scotland!
A lot has been happening here, though I have been a little quiet online. February is a time when I start to see the light at the end of the winter tunnel. Signs of spring are appearing but cold wind and rain refuse to give up their hold on Scotland.
Preparing for Plein Air Season
I talked about this in a recent video, and itās something a lot of artists go through: Preparing for Plein Air Season! Most of us are āfair weather paintersā meaning we prefer not to freeze our butts off while we paint. Keeping busy in the studio while waiting for good weather, even if that means months, is just part of this way of life.
First, I ease into it. I switch to using the materials I usually take outside. For instance, I recently added new gouache colors to my Portable Painter and practicing with it inside will help me learn what color mixes are possible. I can start to get a feel for what colors I like for lochs, forests and mountains. I learn the color placement in the palette which helps with muscle memory.
I also recently started a new sketchbook specifically for lots of little studies to prepare for painting outside. I pick old reference photos of different places Iāve hiked and painted. That gets me into the mindset of being outside again.
I like doing small studies in order to work through lots of ideas more quickly. My formula is as follows:
Simple sketch with pencil to ādesignā the scene
Small color study
Take color notes along the way so I remember the color combinations I use
Repeat 2x or 3x per scene
Secondly, I use my small sketches to inform larger more finished paintings, like this mossy tree. I made a video sharing the entire process from sketch to finished painting here. This helps polish my technical skills as Iām putting much more effort into realism.
Lastly, another thing that helps get me excited (and prepared) for plein air season is to plan day trips. I scour google maps for different routes, marking all the potential spots I might like to sketch. I make notes about what areas would be good for a gorgeous sunset view or what would be better on a cloudy day (I donāt always want bright sun).
Doing this also takes away a lot of guesswork when the weather finally gets nice. All I need to do is pick a route, grab my pack and go.
What are you doing to prepare for Plein Air Season?
On a Personal Noteā¦
We recently celebrated our 6th year Wedding anniversary. I barely have more than this single blurry image to remember it by. And you know what? Iām totally OK with that.
Many of you follow my adventures and life on YouTube through my Scotland vlogs, which I really enjoy makingā¦sometimes.
I go through phases of wanting to be private and spend less time with a camera. And other times I want to capture and share everything I see!
I suppose Iām going through the former right now. I have barely touched my camera in the last month and a half, preferring to be fully present in life. To have real downtime. Time to think. I often wonder if itās even possible to be fully present while filming. I havenāt figured out how yet.
But a funny thing happens when you start to grow a following online. People genuinely start caring about you, even if theyāve never met you. Total strangers start contacting you when you ādisappear.ā If I go a couple of weeks without sharing a vlog, I get messages of concern.
On one hand I really appreciate that- itās nice knowing what I share matters. But it also adds to a feeling of guilt when I step away and take time for myself. Itās not intentional but itās the reality of being a ConTenT CreAtoR nowadays.
My vlogs are created in addition to my weekly art videos. And that takes a ton of work, even with Wolfy helping. It leaves very little time away from the camera. So I have to give myself permission to be private, to live life without feeling obligated to share it all. But ultimately I think itās healthier.
I listen to a lot of podcasts about full-time youtubers and this topic always comes up. Itās ever-present among millions of creators. Itās the collective guilt we feel for having a personal life away from camera. It stems from a need to regularly publish a video to stay relevant in the algorithm and to keep up with the universal expectation of āweekly episodes.ā
So imagine filming everything that happens Monday-Friday, then spending Friday/Saturday editing so you can publish on Sunday. Start again the next week. You spend most of your life recording yourself, then staring at yourself on screen while you edit, only to publish a video about yourself and answer comments about your life. In all of your free time you wonder if you can improve your video stats.
Where is there room for a life outside of that? There is none. It becomes all consuming. It might sound extreme but that is what most youtubers go through for years until they eventually burn out and need a change. Personally I donāt like perpetually reliving my life through frequent vlogs. I would rather have new experiences and work on my art.
Since I already have my full-time art channel, I donāt want to spend the rest of my time making more videos. So Iāve decided itās time to pull back a little.
I donāt plan on stopping my vlogs altogether, but they will be more scarce. I like the idea of filming little bits of life over a couple of months, to edit together a video of what life is actually like when Iām truly living - when Iām thriving.
Personally, I want to spend more time in my garden without feeling guilty. I want to spend more days wandering the coast without filming. I want to spend more time in forests with my eyes closed and my feet in the moss.
What do you dream about for the summer?
Take care and see you next time,
~ Sarah
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