3 Key Benefits of Painting from Life
Better Decision Making
One thing I’ve probably learned the most from painting from life, especially outdoors, is the importance of making decisions. When doing plein air painting or travel sketching on location, there’s no time to waste - especially in the morning or evening light. It changes so quickly and all I can do is take action.
Of course, just like anything this will create pros and cons. There’s many situations and painting that I wish I would’ve chosen differently but that’s how it goes. There’s no possible way I can know what the right decision will be at any time, so I just have to make one and learn from it when possible.
Don’t Overthink
There are many paintings and sketches I’ve done which I love and really enjoy. And most of them were the ones where I had to make super quick decisions and take action. All the times I spent overthinking about subject or location or the process, usually those are the ones that don’t turn out too great.
Click the photo above to watch me paint this little sketch
One of my favorite travel sketches to this day is a sunset I painted in about 5 minutes. I had no time to waste all when I arrived at the painting location. I just had to get my materials out as quickly as possible and start painting - I didn’t even have time to make a pencil sketch beforehand. And it’s still one of my favorite sunsets I’ve ever painted.
Sometimes that pressure forces me to do my best and puts me ‘in the zone’ very quickly. Don’t overthink. Make a decision and go for it. If it’s the wrong choice, acknowledge, learn from it and move on. Learn and continue to grow and push yourself.
Develop More Awareness
I noticed an increase in quality of my paintings once I began to paint from life many years now. I think this is because I was painting directly from what I was observing in 3D in front of me. It’s different than painting from a photograph or other similar source. It’s even more challenging once you go outdoors and add a moving light source like the sun into the equation.
This helped me to understand a value structure which creates successful paintings. It’s not impossible to do from photographs but having the subject in front of you to fully observe - well, nothing can beat that.
Understand More
I really trained my eye and developed a greater understanding of different lighting scenarios and subjects - and I have plenty of sketchbooks to reference from for any certain kind of light effect. Such as an overcast day or a evening sunset. I can see what kind of colors show up in nature for the light and the shadows and this helps to develop a deeper understanding of the world around me and how to attempt to recreate it in some manner.
Also, painting outside has made me become much more aware of all my surroundings, especially while searching for a subject to paint. I make sure to look behind me and beside me, not only just in front of me. A subject can be hiding anywhere in plain sight, it’s just up to the artist to find it and make use of it.
Enjoy Nature & Feel Alive
Painting outdoors is a great way I enjoy nature and my own company.
Painting outside has many benefits. When I paint on location, I visit places I would never visit otherwise. I get to work with the natural light, which is more intense and changes throughout the day. The constant change in scenery keeps my creativity alive and I’m able to come up with new ideas for my paintings all the time.
For me, painting outside is an escape from my everyday life. It provides me with a chance to relax and take a break from my stressful job and schedule. Painting outdoors is also very therapeutic because it helps me relieve stress by focusing on something creative that I love doing - which is painting.
Embrace the Benefits
Painting outside is a unique experience. I’m not confined to the walls of my studio, I can be as creative as I want and there are no limits. I can paint from life and use anything as my subject matter.
The best part about painting outside is that it offers me an opportunity to reconnect with my creativity and enjoy nature at the same time.
Painting outside is a new challenge for me and it inspires me to be more creative. Utilizing the beauty of nature as my subject matter, I use my surroundings to paint. With no restrictions other than the canvas, I am able to become completely immersed and capture the light in that moment in time.
I have many great memories to look back on throughout all my sketchbooks and I’m looking forward to creating many, many more in the years to come. These little sketches are more valuable to me than any photograph could ever be.
