Plein air Painting is the Key to Better (Landscape) Painting

It's the constant surprise + 'truth' in the end result. Even when you'll have to paint from memory on location (due to change/time) I believe the end result breathes more truth than if you were painting from a photo.

Most studio painters who deliver excellent paintings created indoors - therefore often work from pleinair studies. Painters from centuries ago did the same. In sketches, they tried to capture what they saw, either noting down colors in text or in quick paint/watercolors.
Either which way: when you are a landscape painter you can really grow when you paint enough outdoors, eye to eye with the source. At least that's my belief, because how can you ever for example 'understand green' or blue when you haven't 'seen' it + internalized it:

The pleinair painting part is like writing down things you've learned: it ingrains 'the learning/the seeing' into your brain (more than 'just viewing/looking/photographing it because it's an involved learning method.) This all means you are building your Internal Library of (painting) knowledge. And this separates the Beginner from the Pro. The Pro has just a bigger Library.

Beginners could mark 'Painting Days' onto the Calendar and stick to those for at least a few months. (See how it goes/but STICK to it.) And on those days you would go outside rain or shine ('no excuses'). (tornadoes and 'cats and dogs' excluded..) And Paint.

It won't be the end result that counts, because disappointment is a given (!!) We all have been there. Sometimes you will be pleased, but a lot of times perhaps not. But you will be building your Library. And you'll be Paving the Way to Excellence.

Some beginners feel better working from photographs in their studio. Yes, there you will learn a lot too. What paint can do, what brushes do, how mixing delivers, the way brushes work. But subjectwise you will miss out.
I've been there too. Perhaps it's good to start there. But perhaps not because you might be speeding up the learning Faster Outdoors + Your end results would connect to the viewer/buyer faster because 'that truth' can almost Never be reached solely indoors.

Yes, you might be thinking "Well Rose thinks she knows all" and of course I don't. This is me talking from experience, and yes this is a personal experience. It's not written in stone. I painted from photos for about 15 years. And another 15 from life. So I think I know the Power of the Real Deal.

I'm sharing it with you to Give you this insight. I don't really care whether you paint indoors/outdoors, but I know when you will make progress faster you'll be happier. Insights to Progress is what I share and give to the world. I like my fans/friends to be (more) happy. And if I can help, I do- like I'm doing now. :)

LSU18-2014 Ladscape Pleinair 'Morning Starts Later Every Day'
oil on canvas, 24x30 cm | 9.6" x 11.8" Sold. Find Landscapes for Sale here:

And in this article we haven't even talked about how great it feels to have the wind in your face, being outdoors and 'communicating FEELINGS' onto the canvas. That's the 3rd benefit! The unseen powers at work. Enjoy it!!