The Use of White in Plein Aire

[June Shull]

I have noticed that when I paint outdoors, I use far less white paint than when I paint indoors. Mostly I use it in skies and water. I tend to use Naples Yellow when lightening foliage. Now I don’t squeeze out as much white and save it for the studio. I paint in acrylics. What about anyone else? How do you use white?

[Hank Buffington]

For me it depends on the scene. Sometimes it seems like I use half a tube in an hour.

[June Shull]

Thanks for you comments Hank. I realize some scenes require more white...as in a snow scene. But I guess what I'm finding, is that if I had painted that same picture in the studio, I'd use more white than when I painted it outside. Maybe just painting en plein air promotes more color use? Even in snow? It's just something I've noticed about my work lately.

Hank Buffington said:

For me it depends on the scene. Sometimes it seems like I use half a tube in an hour.

[June Shull]

Hank, just had another thought...maybe I should use MORE white paint when I paint out. I'm going to really go for it! Experimentation often leads to break throughs.

[Hank Buffington]

I only started painting plein air this summer and painting in the studio just isn't the same to me anymore. I haven't painted snow yet but when I said 'scene' I meant like some mornings have been hazier than others or when I've painted in the rain every single color is a tint and requires white. For how I paint it seems that pretty much anything that isn't in the immediate foreground is a tint. I also wonder how much of that is a factor of where I live and how the light is here. When I lived in Vermont the light seemed so much clearer and things looked much crisper than here in central Pennsylvania.

In my studio I revert back to my pre-plein air practices and things are glazed and layered so I probably use much less white in a studio painting. I would REALLY like to paint more plein air so I can bring that outdoor freshness to my larger studio paintings. I'm trying to build up to working larger outside too hoping that will help with transitioning back inside.

[Gregg Caudell]

I feel white is overused. 90% of all plein air paintings use too much white. I think it is because atmosphere effects everything and we are inclined to achieve value with white. I'm not sure it is possible to not use white but it is a challenge that preoccupies my efforts. I try to use white as a color and to get my values by mixing analogous pigments. I say this and still use white more than any other color. Bill Reese has an interesting approach in his book, "The Painter's Process." Mix your value first and then the chroma. It's a hard excercise to accomplish but I think one that is worth the effort.

[jason crandley]

my old artist friend would tell me, "Now you dont use white when you paint out side, as it is the one color that stays wet for longer" now i have to say he was right, but you need it.

[Joanne Hopper]

Hi June -
I do use less white en plein air - I'm working more quickly and more thinly - at least at first and tend to let the white of my canvas board come through the color more - sort of like the principle of watercolor. This makes for a nice luminosity, and then I tend to put in a bit more white toward the end of the process if I need to bring up highlights. However, I'm just as likely to scrape away paint for highlights and use the white of the gesso underneath for them -

[Alfred Currier]

I'm really not sure whether I use more or less during plein air. I do, however, use an alkyd white while traveling. Everything it touches will dry faster. My process is to paint thin to thick, dark to light, and leaving my darks thin and transparent. The results are that the thicker lighter values generally have a touch of alkyd. Now, could I paint without white? Last summer I took an extended bicycle/painting trip to Vancouver Island. I carried too much weight but, that's another story. My first painting day was at a market in Victoria. When I started painting, I realized that I didn't pack my white paint. I was a little frantic but, I did have naples yellow so I gave it a shot. My partner took off on her bike in pursuit of white. It felt like she was gone for days but eventually came back after a couple of hours. The reality and end result was a very lively painting but using the white at the very end was just what it needed. Would I leave home without it?.....nah.

[Raya]

White paint and plein-air painting? I will forever be reminded of my first attempt at doing plein-air. I bought the easel, paint and other equipment which included a suitcase to hold everything and then flew off to France with a painting buddy in tow…both of us successful studio painters but neophytes of painting outdoors. After arriving at the hotel in a small and charming village where many Impressionist painters painted we did a quick walk around, found our spot and went for our equipment…just a 15 - 20 minute fast walk each way (maybe ¾ of a mile). You probably know where I’m going next with this story…. Exhausted from the hike with our equipment and supplies we set-up for the first time and began to paint. Each of us faced problems and set backs…for me my white paint was back at the hotel and no I wasn’t going back for it! My first painting was just horrible.
Now I always double check my paints, even pre-loading my palette (I work in oils) before I head out. White is essential for me in achieving the subtle color variations within my far distance views. I also love Naples yellow and often use it for my canvas under-tone. I too use aylkd white to speed drying time.
My friend and I were so discourage after that first disastrous day; we called a friend who organized painting trips in Europe…she said not to worry, she had space that weekend for us in Giverny and she and the teacher she hired would get us straightened out. Plus we got to paint in Monet’s Garden! I’ve love plein-air painting ever since.

[william f. reese]

Gregg Caudell said:

I feel white is overused. 90% of all plein air paintings use too much white. I think it is because atmosphere effects everything and we are inclined to achieve value with white. I'm not sure it is possible to not use white but it is a challenge that preoccupies my efforts. I try to use white as a color and to get my values by mixing analogous pigments. I say this and still use white more than any other color. Bill Reese has an interesting approach in his book, "The Painter's Process." Mix your value first and then the chroma. It's a hard excercise to accomplish but I think one that is worth the effort.

Gregg, what I said was, "first select the hue or color, red, yellow, blue, or green, then adjust this pure color to value, and then adjust the chroma." By the was this will require a lot of white. A white window sill indoors is darker than the darker half tones out doors.

[Gregg Caudell]

Ahhh....thanks for the corretion. I've loaned the book you wrote, "Painter's Process", out to a number of painters. They really like it. If they don't get my copy back *=(Rod this is YOU) I'll have to get another. It's a no nonsense approach that really works for me.
About white. I've discovered that their are a number of different whites. The type you use can really effect the painting. Grumbacher titanium is thicker than Gamblin. Gamblin has a ropey smooth white called flake white replacement that takes a bit longer to dry whereas Grumbacher makes MG white that has an accelerated drying time (4 hrs and its totally dry). All this because I paint from the tube without any medium or turp. Simple is best.

william f. reese said:

Gregg Caudell said:

I feel white is overused. 90% of all plein air paintings use too much white. I think it is because atmosphere effects everything and we are inclined to achieve value with white. I'm not sure it is possible to not use white but it is a challenge that preoccupies my efforts. I try to use white as a color and to get my values by mixing analogous pigments. I say this and still use white more than any other color. Bill Reese has an interesting approach in his book, "The Painter's Process." Mix your value first and then the chroma. It's a hard excercise to accomplish but I think one that is worth the effort.

Gregg, what I said was, "first select the hue or color, red, yellow, blue, or green, then adjust this pure color to value, and then adjust the chroma." By the was this will require a lot of white. A white window sill indoors is darker than the darker half tones out doors.

[Joanne Hopper]

Thanks for the info on some of the brands of white. I'd like to go to a quicker drying white without using alkyd. Have you - or anyone - used the Sennelier Titanium white - was wondering about drying time with it because I've heard it's a really nice white??
Thanks so much -