GCM Member, Ashley, will teach you all about en plein air art! Learn the definition, how light and shadows effects what you see and draw, and more! Once you’ve got it down, use our activity sheet to draw what you see in the morning and then what you see in the evening! Now let’s get started!
Did you know there’s a special word for painting outside? It’s called en plein air. This practice became popular around 1830 when artists started going outside to paint because they wanted to realistically show how light looks on certain objects outside, like a tree!
A group of artists called the Impressionists helped make this practice famous and well-known today. Have you heard of the Impressionists before? They were a group of artists whose paintings can be identified by small but visible brush strokes. They were interested in how light can change how an object looks and tended to paint outside or en plein air.
Perhaps you’ve heard of or seen works of art by some Impressionists like Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, or Berthe Morisot!
Drawing Prompt:
Create art like the Impressionists by drawing or painting what you can see from a window, doorway, or outside in your yard! Be sure to pay close attention to how the light and shadows change in nature!
- Gather your materials! Find paint, paintbrushes, colored pencils, markers, crayons, and paper.
- Find a window, door, or go outside into your yard and chose a place to create your work of art (be sure to have an adult’s permission to go outside!)
- Spend a couple of minutes observing the nature around you. What shadows do you see? Do you have a shadow?
- Fold your paper in half so you can come back later in the day to create a second work of art and see how the light has changed!
- Start drawing or painting!
- Don’t forget to take a picture and with an adult’s permission to share your creation with us! Tag the Glazer Children’s Museum on social media and use #GCMatHome
Click the image to download and share your kiddo’s creation with the hashtag #GCMatHome
Team GCM Creators: Ashley, Carlynn, & Lauren