What Does 'Plein Air' Actually Mean?

If you've heard the term "plein air" and wondered what it means, you're not alone. Plein air (pronounced 'plen air') is a French phrase meaning 'in the open air.' In the art world, it simply refers to painting outdoors — setting up your easel in a park, on a beach, beside a mountain trail, or anywhere in nature — and painting what you see directly in front of you.

Unlike studio painting, where an artist works from photos, memory, or set-up still lifes, plein air artists capture living, breathing scenes as they happen. Light shifts, shadows move, clouds roll in — and the painter works to capture that fleeting moment on canvas.

A Brief History of Plein Air Painting

While artists have painted outdoors for centuries, the modern plein air movement truly took off in the 1800s. Two key innovations made it possible: the invention of portable paint tubes in 1841 and the development of compact box easels. For the first time, artists could carry everything they needed into the landscape.

The French Impressionists — Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and their contemporaries — made plein air famous. Their desire to capture the changing quality of natural light led them out of the studio and into gardens, countrysides, and city streets. Their loose, expressive brushwork was a direct result of painting quickly under real outdoor conditions.

Today, plein air is experiencing a massive renaissance. Festivals, competitions, and paint-outs take place across the U.S. and around the world every year, drawing artists of all skill levels.

Why Paint Outdoors? The Key Benefits

Many artists who try plein air painting describe it as transformative. Here's why:

• You develop speed and decisiveness — the light won't wait, so you learn to commit.
• You see color and light in ways that photos can never capture.
• It accelerates your overall painting skills faster than studio work alone.
• It connects you to your subject in a visceral, immediate way.
• It gets you outside, into nature, and into a meditative flow state.

How Is Plein Air Different from Studio Painting?

In the studio, you control everything — the light, the time, the temperature. Outdoors, nature is in charge. This is both the challenge and the magic of plein air. You have to work faster, simplify more aggressively, and make decisions quickly.

Most plein air painters use the alla prima (or 'wet on wet') technique — completing a painting in a single session rather than building up layers over days. This encourages a looser, more gestural style that captures the energy of the moment.

You'll also need to pack lighter. While a studio painter can have unlimited supplies on hand, the plein air artist brings only what fits in a portable kit.

💡 PRO TIP: For your very first plein air session, pick a simple, static subject — a single tree, a doorway, a garden corner. Save the sweeping landscapes for when you've built some confidence.

What Do You Need to Get Started?

The good news is that you don't need a lot to get started. A basic beginner setup includes a portable easel or pochade box, a small palette of paints, a few brushes, and a surface to paint on (canvas panels or boards work well). We cover gear in detail in our companion guide: 'The Complete Plein Air Equipment Guide for Every Budget.'

Where to Paint: Finding Your First Location

The best first location is somewhere familiar and comfortable. Your backyard, a local park, or a quiet street corner all make excellent starting points. You don't need to travel far — in fact, constraints often spark creativity.

As you grow more confident, you'll naturally seek out more dramatic or challenging subjects. That's when events like local paint-outs and plein air festivals become exciting opportunities to discover new locations alongside a community of fellow painters.
Joining the Plein Air Community

One of the most rewarding aspects of plein air painting is the community. Across the United States and internationally, thousands of artists gather for festivals, competitions, and informal paint-outs throughout the year.

These events are open to painters of all skill levels — many have beginner and amateur categories, workshops led by professional artists, and friendly atmospheres where newcomers are warmly welcomed.
PleinAirPainting.info is the most comprehensive directory of plein air events in the country. Whether you're looking for a casual local paint-out or a major juried competition, you'll find it here.