Friday, April 24, 2009

The Challenges of Painting Outdoors



Many artists love to take their painting outdoors. They seek out unusual scenes, colors and natural lighting unavailable to them in an indoor or studio environment. While the traditional or classic medium to use when painting outdoors is oil paint, many modern artists are also painting with acrylics.


The traditional choice in oil paint is due to the fact that it does not dry instantly and makes it fairly easy to correct or amend a work after returning to the studio. Painting with acrylics does present some challenges because this variety of paint does dry relatively quickly and doesn't provide any kind of correction later on.


Painting outdoors with acrylics however does allow for many different effects that oil paint or watercolor cannot. For example, acrylics deliver the same vibrancy that oil paints do, but they can also be thinned and used to create some of the same tones and looks that watercolor delivers.


Painting with acrylics is also a far more affordable approach to art as the materials and supplies are less expensive than any other medium. For example, watercolor is best applied to specialty papers, and oil to canvases that have been properly prepared, but acrylic works with everything from paper to stone, and demands no special finish or top coat to remain intact.


When painting outdoors, the artist must also consider the need for additional supplies and any cleaning up. Painting with acrylics means that clean up is easily done with water, and no harsh thinners or varnishes are needed to ensure that brushes are cleaned properly.


This all means that an artist painting with acrylics will be able to spend less on supplies, obtain superior and flexible results, carry fewer materials when painting outdoors and also clean up their brushes and work space with soap and water. Obviously, this all translates to an excellent choice in mediums for a student just learning how to paint, but also for an experienced artist who is looking for reliability and affordability as well.


There are many suppliers who make excellent kits or pre-packaged collections of paint available. These are for those who enjoy painting with acrylics, oils or watercolors and who would like to enjoy some savings on the most frequently used colors. Additionally, some of these kits are for the true beginner and come with palettes, brushes and introductory books and guides that teach someone how to work with the paint in any setting.

Author: Wolf Miller

About the author:

Iz Maglow is a renowned artist offering his art and tips about painting techniques & artist materials to the world via his personal website. Whether you just love to paint or are interested in painting outdoors with acrylics, you can find more information here.

Article source: Free Painting Articles.



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