Artists & Illustrators — June 2017

Artists & Illustrators 53

MASTERCLASS

1 TRAVEL LIGHT

When setting out to paint outdoors I have

one rule. Apart from the painting box, easel

and panels, if I can’t pack it into my painting

bag, it doesn’t come with me. Travelling light

is essential. It has to be easily carried –

nothing too heavy, big or bulky. My panels are

never larger than 30x25cm and many as

small as 15x20cm.

2 FIND SOLID GROUND

I select a 30x25cm, 6mm thick panel that

has been previously prepared with a ground

of Burnt Sienna mixed with a little

Ultramarine Blue acrylic and washed on with

an ordinary household decorator’s brush.

I prefer working on coloured panels rather

than stark white ones. I set up my painting

box and tripod, being careful to set the legs

on solid ground.

rob’s materials

•COLOURS

Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable

Oil Colour: Cadmium Yellow Light,

Permanent Rose, Permanent Sap Green,

Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, French Ultramarine,

Titanium White. Acrylic: Ultramarine Blue

•SUPPORT

30x25cm MDF panel prepared with a coat of

white acrylic primer and powdered Polyfi lla

•BRUSHES

Artmaster oil painting brushes: Round size 4

series 222, fl at size 16 series 223, Winton fl at

size 1 fi ne bristle, an old size 5 sable

watercolour brush, decorator’s brush

•PALETTE KNIFE

•STAINLESS STEEL BRUSH WASHER

•RAGS

•SIENNA PLEIN AIR PAINTING BOX

•TRIPOD

HARFORD MOOR

At times, working en

plein air seems as much

to do with memory as

observation: trying to

portray the scene as it

was, rather than as it is

because the weather

has radically altered the

scene. This was a case

in point. The tones,

colours and landscape

altering in moments, it is

a compromise between

the actuality and a

response, once

described as ‘fence-post

Impressionism’.

P

ainting en plein air can be diffi cult and

rewarding in equal measure. Taking the

minimum of equipment and materials

out into the landscape to produce a painting

is challenging enough, but add to this the

changing light, differing weather and the

diffi culty of location, and many would wonder

why we do it. We do it because it’s there.

For me, time spent working on location is

incredibly valuable. It allows me to get closer

to the landscape, to become more aware of

the subtleties and atmosphere of the

environment, which is diffi cult to experience

working from photographs. Unlike some

painters who go out with the aim of producing

fi nished works, I go to produce useful

sketches I can work up to a more fi nished

state back in the studio or to use as a

starting point to develop works later.

The demonstration sketch was painted on

a day when heavy showers were a constant

interruption. The strong wind meant that,

at times, I had to hold my board down for fear

of it blowing away and the cold chilled me to

the bone. And, yet, I can honestly say that,

for the little over two hours this sketch took,

I could not think of a better place to be or

better thing to be doing.

http://www.moortoseaarts.co.uk

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52 Masterclass.indd 53 10/04/2017 11:17