PLEIN AIR SKILLS
Color, Design, Value, self expression exercises for outdoor painters.
PLEIN AIR SKILLS
July 14, 21, Aug 4, 11, 25, Sept 01, 2025 (6 Mondays) 9am - 12pm
Seacoast NH & York county Maine
(Limit 12) $275
PLein air painting Skills: A 6-Week Outdoor Course on the New Hampshire & Southern Maine Coast. Join artist and instructor Todd Bonita for a six-week journey designed to strengthen your core painting skills in the inspiring outdoor settings of the New Hampshire Seacoast and Southern Maine’s York County. This plein air class is ideal for artists who wish to develop confidence and clarity in the foundational aspects of landscape painting.
Each two-week segment will focus on a key pillar of artistic growth:
1. Composition & Landscape Design
Learn how to thoughtfully choose and design your motif in nature. We’ll explore thumbnail sketches, notans, and design principles that help you create compelling, well-structured compositions before you even touch the canvas.
2. Drawing & Translation Techniques
Build your ability to accurately translate the landscape. We’ll practice essential drawing techniques, including proportion, diagrammatic lines, and negative shape relationships. You’ll also learn to use a viewfinder as a vital tool for framing and simplifying complex scenes.
3. Color Fundamentals & Strategy
Deepen your understanding of color through limited palette exercises and the effective use of grays. This segment will give you tools to build harmonious color relationships and control value for stronger, more expressive paintings.
This class is perfect for those looking to elevate their outdoor painting practice in a focused, supportive environment. Expect a balance of group instruction, demos, personal feedback, and plenty of time to paint.
Register: CLICK HERE
or Todd Bonita at [email protected]
call (603) 819-9100
July 14, 21, Aug 4, 11, 25, Sept 01, 2025 (6 Mondays) 9am - 12pm
Seacoast NH & York county Maine
(Limit 12) $275
PLein air painting Skills: A 6-Week Outdoor Course on the New Hampshire & Southern Maine Coast. Join artist and instructor Todd Bonita for a six-week journey designed to strengthen your core painting skills in the inspiring outdoor settings of the New Hampshire Seacoast and Southern Maine’s York County. This plein air class is ideal for artists who wish to develop confidence and clarity in the foundational aspects of landscape painting.
Each two-week segment will focus on a key pillar of artistic growth:
1. Composition & Landscape Design
Learn how to thoughtfully choose and design your motif in nature. We’ll explore thumbnail sketches, notans, and design principles that help you create compelling, well-structured compositions before you even touch the canvas.
2. Drawing & Translation Techniques
Build your ability to accurately translate the landscape. We’ll practice essential drawing techniques, including proportion, diagrammatic lines, and negative shape relationships. You’ll also learn to use a viewfinder as a vital tool for framing and simplifying complex scenes.
3. Color Fundamentals & Strategy
Deepen your understanding of color through limited palette exercises and the effective use of grays. This segment will give you tools to build harmonious color relationships and control value for stronger, more expressive paintings.
This class is perfect for those looking to elevate their outdoor painting practice in a focused, supportive environment. Expect a balance of group instruction, demos, personal feedback, and plenty of time to paint.
Register: CLICK HERE
or Todd Bonita at [email protected]
call (603) 819-9100
SUPPLY LIST
Supply list:
(Think light weight and portable, find creative ways to simplify...I manage to pack everything below in a back pack and hit the trail. I get most of my supplies online at ASW, Jerrys Artarama, Dick Blick, Cheap Joes or Utrecht).
(Click here for an Illustrated page detailing Todd Bonita Plein air kit)
Portable Easel
French easel, half easel or Pochade box for working outside.
(I use the 10x12" Open Box M system and sometimes the 6x8" Guerilla box for smaller work, both are mounted to a photographers tripod. If you prefer the French easels, go with the lighter and smaller Jullian Half box easel. You might check Ebay or try "All of Craigslist" search for whatever easel you decide to go with. * Here is a terrific article on Pochade Box reviews from the popular Lines and Colors blog. This will give you a thorough understanding of whats available and best for you. Click here.
Palette
I recommend a wood palette. I used a glass palette once and it fell and shattered...try to avoid paper pallets, they are flimsy and a wind gust creates a mess.
Paint
*(No matter who you study with, the most important consideration is your ability to have a color palette that will enable you to make a color wheel (The full spectrum of color)...I recommend a minimal palette of a warm and cool version of the three primaries plus white (with maybe a few extras)....Please spend the extra for professional grade paints. Winsor & Newton, Gamblin and Utrecht brands are perfectly good and reasonably priced but there are many good options.)
My Split Primary Palette is made of 7 colors plus white (I have optional comfort colors for fun but not necessary).
* A Quick dry white: I like Winsor and Newton's Underpainting white but any quick dry white is good. My favorite lately is:
* Griffin Alkyd Titanium White by Winsor and Newtn (Alkyd is a quick dry paint that plays nice with oils. For brands, Gamblin, DaVinci and Winsor & Newton Griffin)
* Titanium White
* Cad Yellow medium
* Yellow ochre (or Transparent earth yellow)
* Alizarin Crimson Permanent
* Cadmium Red deep
* Ultramarine Blue
* Cerulean Blue
* Sap Green
* Raw Umber
* Ivory black
Painting surface
Canvas, canvas or linen mounted on board or gessoed wood panel (sizes can range from 6x8” to 14x18” but I would not go larger)...(Bring enough for two paintings each day.
Brushes
*Assortment of bristle brushes (I suggest large, medium and small in three styles: Flats, Rounds and Filberts. I mostly use Robert Simmons Signet series flats #3, #6 and #10)
*One or two Royal sable flats in medium and large sizes (size 10 or 16) for blending and softening edges (I prefer Langnickel.)
*Small synthetic rounds for details. (I suggest Winsor and Newton Septre Gold 2 in the 404 series...size 4 and / or size 6)
Other
Trowel type Pallet knife
liquin and pallet cup
Gamsol (Turpentine substitute) with container or medium glass jar
paper towels (Blue shop towels are the best)
Soft pencil, eraser and sketchbook
Ruler, straight edge or a mahl stick (something to make straight lines with is handy)
A Veiwfinder: Important! Whether homemade or store bought, it must be adjustable or proportionate to your canvases. Viewcatcher is ideal.
Artist paint box or back pack for supplies
Wet paint carrier. I love the PanelPaks...they are lightweight and convenient.
*Appropriate clothing for outdoor weather and conditions.
Optional
Hat
sunglasses
Water bottle or something to drink, snack
Sun block
Bug spray
If you are uncomfortable standing you may consider a portable folding chair
Wheeled caddy for supplies if necessary
Camera
Umbrella
(Think light weight and portable, find creative ways to simplify...I manage to pack everything below in a back pack and hit the trail. I get most of my supplies online at ASW, Jerrys Artarama, Dick Blick, Cheap Joes or Utrecht).
(Click here for an Illustrated page detailing Todd Bonita Plein air kit)
Portable Easel
French easel, half easel or Pochade box for working outside.
(I use the 10x12" Open Box M system and sometimes the 6x8" Guerilla box for smaller work, both are mounted to a photographers tripod. If you prefer the French easels, go with the lighter and smaller Jullian Half box easel. You might check Ebay or try "All of Craigslist" search for whatever easel you decide to go with. * Here is a terrific article on Pochade Box reviews from the popular Lines and Colors blog. This will give you a thorough understanding of whats available and best for you. Click here.
Palette
I recommend a wood palette. I used a glass palette once and it fell and shattered...try to avoid paper pallets, they are flimsy and a wind gust creates a mess.
Paint
*(No matter who you study with, the most important consideration is your ability to have a color palette that will enable you to make a color wheel (The full spectrum of color)...I recommend a minimal palette of a warm and cool version of the three primaries plus white (with maybe a few extras)....Please spend the extra for professional grade paints. Winsor & Newton, Gamblin and Utrecht brands are perfectly good and reasonably priced but there are many good options.)
My Split Primary Palette is made of 7 colors plus white (I have optional comfort colors for fun but not necessary).
* A Quick dry white: I like Winsor and Newton's Underpainting white but any quick dry white is good. My favorite lately is:
* Griffin Alkyd Titanium White by Winsor and Newtn (Alkyd is a quick dry paint that plays nice with oils. For brands, Gamblin, DaVinci and Winsor & Newton Griffin)
* Titanium White
* Cad Yellow medium
* Yellow ochre (or Transparent earth yellow)
* Alizarin Crimson Permanent
* Cadmium Red deep
* Ultramarine Blue
* Cerulean Blue
* Sap Green
* Raw Umber
* Ivory black
Painting surface
Canvas, canvas or linen mounted on board or gessoed wood panel (sizes can range from 6x8” to 14x18” but I would not go larger)...(Bring enough for two paintings each day.
Brushes
*Assortment of bristle brushes (I suggest large, medium and small in three styles: Flats, Rounds and Filberts. I mostly use Robert Simmons Signet series flats #3, #6 and #10)
*One or two Royal sable flats in medium and large sizes (size 10 or 16) for blending and softening edges (I prefer Langnickel.)
*Small synthetic rounds for details. (I suggest Winsor and Newton Septre Gold 2 in the 404 series...size 4 and / or size 6)
Other
Trowel type Pallet knife
liquin and pallet cup
Gamsol (Turpentine substitute) with container or medium glass jar
paper towels (Blue shop towels are the best)
Soft pencil, eraser and sketchbook
Ruler, straight edge or a mahl stick (something to make straight lines with is handy)
A Veiwfinder: Important! Whether homemade or store bought, it must be adjustable or proportionate to your canvases. Viewcatcher is ideal.
Artist paint box or back pack for supplies
Wet paint carrier. I love the PanelPaks...they are lightweight and convenient.
*Appropriate clothing for outdoor weather and conditions.
Optional
Hat
sunglasses
Water bottle or something to drink, snack
Sun block
Bug spray
If you are uncomfortable standing you may consider a portable folding chair
Wheeled caddy for supplies if necessary
Camera
Umbrella