![]() I was attracted by the combination of sunlight and mist on the hill, as well as the way that tracks made by sledges created a perspective lead-in to the view. Snow on the Downs, Mist Clearing is quite large but had to be done very quickly. ![]() Last winter, for example, I did a number of paintings near where I live on the South Downs. I tend to work in a particular place for at least a few months, producing a series of paintings around a theme. I have a number of locations that I have returned to many times and new places I am planning to paint. I am fairly intuitive when it comes to choosing where to paint. ![]() I prefer to use an artist’s white spirit instead, which still evaporates a little slower than turps but much quicker than low odour thinners.ĪBOVE Snow on the Downs, Mist Clearing, oil on canvas, 76x122cm I wouldn’t recommend the use of low odour thinners for outdoor work in winter as they evaporate very slowly when it is cold and the painting will stay too wet to work up. The colours I usually use are Titanium White, Winsor Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, French Ultramarine, Winsor Blue (Red Shade), Burnt Umber and Payne’s Gray. I make use of a similar palette of colours throughout the year – it is the mixes I make with them that change. I use Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colour, which has a great consistency for outdoor work (I find it less stiff than other brands in the cold). Oil paint won’t brush as easily in the cold, so if you have only painted in hot sunny places you may notice the difference. They also have a large shelf for your palette and brushes. They make a wide triangle on the ground and are heavy which lends them stability. I find that box or half box easels work best. It is important to have a stable easel as it is often more windy at this time of year and everything can blow over. I also take a Guerrilla Painter Shadebuddy umbrella (available from which sticks in the ground and has a pole that is long enough to stand under. The trick is to wear lots of layers and keep hands and feet warm. It is important to dress more warmly than you might think necessary. ![]() Link copied to clipboard When the weather outside is frightful, painting en plein air may not be the most tempting pastime, but as top landscape artist Tom Benjamin explains, it can be a satisfying and unique challenge ![]()
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