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Plein Air Painting
For a complete evolution of the curriculum for NMAT-S 332, use the following pdf icon:
Alla Prima Ten
Assignment Parameters
Student Work
Assessment
This assignment introduces students to painting the landscape on location in a single session. Their objective is to simplify the complexities of the natural world with their materials, while also creating ten different compositions that each emphasize a predefined subject, such as trees, water, etc. Although plein air painting is inherently difficult, reducing the size of the paintings and restricting the time for each painting, forces students to react quickly and focus on establishing the larger color relationships. In other words, these limitations prevent students from dwelling on a single painting. The best way to learn is through constant repetition.
Therefore, in this series of ten paintings, I am looking for progress within their work. For example, does the student have control on handling their edges, specifically are areas sharp, and other areas deliberately softened? In addition, is their variation within their greens and are their colors intentional or muddy?
This rapid fire approach allows me to analyze a students strengths and weaknesses and provide them with technical feedback that will enable them to quickly remedy the problem. If students are unable to capture the big picture efficiently while painting plein air, then they'll have a hard time successfully completing more complex compositions and subjects.
Final Theme
Assignment Parameters
Student Work
Assessment
Up until this point in the semester, students have been primarily focused on the technical challenges when painting the landscape. However, for the final assignment of the term, I provide students with the opportunity to use the landscape as a jumping-off point to explore either a focused theme or an idea. The main limitation that I impose is that their final needs to be 400 square inches. This provides students with the flexibility to either generate one large painting with greater refinement or continue to paint a series of smaller works.
For the final critique, I want to see that students are using their technical skills with intention. Can they use the landscape to say something that is distinctive to them? Are they cultivating a voice as a painter, on either a conceptual or technical level? Finally, have the students demonstrated growth with how they compose and depict the landscape since the first assignment of the course?
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