Plein Air Painting: Mastering Light, Tone & Colour Outdoors

Step outside the studio and into the fresh air with this comprehensive Plein Air painting course, designed to boost your confidence and creativity when painting on location. Whether you're a studio-based painter wanting to explore the outdoors or a complete beginner with a love for nature, this course offers the skills, structure, and inspiration to help you thrive outside.

You’ll learn how to set up and work with a half French easel, manage your materials efficiently, and use a limited colour palette to simplify your process. We’ll focus on capturing light and mood through the 4-value tonal system, which will help you understand tone, simplify shapes, and strengthen your compositions.

Through short tutorials and real-time plein air demonstrations, you’ll practise mixing naturalistic greens, painting believable cloud formations, and creating the illusion of depth and distance. You’ll also be guided through a full coastal painting session, with tips on what to include, what to leave out, and how to stay loose and expressive in your brushwork.

This course encourages experimentation and mindful observation. By the end, you’ll be equipped with practical tools and artistic insights to confidently paint en plein air, bringing energy, clarity, and joy to your outdoor artwork—whatever the weather.