Welcome back to my studio! Today I want to tell you about the first time I tried to paint “en plain air” with oil paint.

I went to a park near my city and found a quiet, lovely spot. I laid a towel on the grass and got ready to paint. Some friends joined me to draw, which made the atmosphere even more enjoyable.

For materials, I brought along my self-made pochade box (yes, I built it myself, let me know if you’d like a dedicated post about that!), a tripod, a few rags for cleaning brushes, and a primed paper sheet ready to use.

Once everything was set up, I picked a scene that caught my attention: a little pond with shimmering reflections and a fallen tree trunk nearby. It felt like the perfect subject to capture.

Almost immediately, I realized how different it is to paint from life instead of copying from a photo. Outdoors, there are no fixed borders to rely on, no perfect horizon line marked out for you. Everything is constantly shifting, and it’s up to you to decide what to emphasize.

Still, as I blocked in the main shapes and colors, the painting began to take form. The calm atmosphere and light conversation with my friends made the process even more enjoyable.

I tried to add as many details as possible, but as the sun began to set, the light quickly faded. I thought about finishing the piece later in my studio, but honestly, I never did. I realized that, for me, the point of painting en plein air is to capture the colors and light of that exact moment, and once it’s gone, so is the mood.

Here’s how the painting turned out, along with the surrounding ambience. I wish I had been faster in adding details, but overall, I’m really happy with the experience. It taught me that sometimes the value lies not just in the finished artwork, but in the act of painting itself.

I’m looking forward to more outdoor sessions and can’t wait to share them with you. Let me know in the comments if you’d like more posts like this, or if you’re curious about how I built my pochade box!

Want to Try It Yourself?

If you’d like to experiment with oil painting on paper, here’s the exact paper I use: https://amzn.to/46ULEts
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