Landscape Painting: Exercises in Studio and En Plein-Air (Online Course)
Diana Buitrago
Tuesdays, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
Plus over 12 hours of recorded demos. Access provided a week before each live class session.
July 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27, September 3, 10, 17, 2024
8 weeks – Tuition $465
Limit: 10 students
Is this class for me?
- All levels of experience are welcome to take this course. Familiarity working with oil paint will help.
Online tech needs:
- The class will be conducted on the Zoom platform and is a live online experience.
- The class is recorded so students can review demos and critiques for two weeks after each live session.
- This class also uses Google Classroom to distribute materials. Watch this video for more insight.
- This demos will be shared via a private video link on YouTube. YouTube is free but will require an account to view the video.
- All of these services are free but require registration.
- It will be necessary for students to have access to a computer, tablet or smartphone. The recommended device is a laptop or desktop.
Course Description
Landscape requires painting skills as well as a working knowledge of depth, atmosphere and the ability to troubleshoot a quickly changing environment. Diana will present students with individual scenarios that are common when painting a landscape. Detailed explanations of logical and practical landscape painting practices will aid the artist in depicting a variety of outdoor scenes.
Each week students will be provided a pre-recorded video that demos a specific concept. Students can choose to work on their assignment based on master copy references or with plein air studies if they have the opportunity to be outdoors. This class is open to all levels and doesn’t not require experience painting en plein air.
During the live sessions, individualized critiques will be provided and opportunities for group discussion and Q&A.
A breakdown of the class is as follows:
Week 1: Getting Started
Introduction to studio set-up, materials, and best practices working en plein air. Topics will include: composition & the use of thumbnail sketches, elements of landscape painting and block-in techniques.
Week 2: Value and Color
Beginning with a focus on the importance of value using the theory of planes, Diana will introduce color theory to explain a landscape painter’s color palette choices. A demonstration of constructing a value study and color study.
Week 3: Sky and Clouds
An analysis of the sky’s structure in the hierarchy of values in landscape painting.
Week 4: Mountains
Atmospheric perspective will be explained and utilized while demoing painting a mountain in the distance.
Week 5: Trees
A detailed explanation of the process of depicting trees through simplification and the gradual development of detail.
Week 6: Water
Transparency, reflection and the variety of light effects unique to bodies of water. Techniques for approaching such a challenging but rewarding landscape element.
Week 7: Sunsets
The most elusive light effect. Tips and tricks for making extremely quick sketches.
Week 8: The Complete Plein Air Painting
This series culminates in a plein air painting from start to finish in one sitting putting into practice the theories and exercises from the semester. Students always have the option of working outdoors or copying a masterwork.
