Try concealing what you are doing. Don't give up your personal space. keep everything close to the vest... or chest in this case.
Pick a location that normal people( people other than artists) would find hard to get to. Be ever vigilant in the woods though, hikers like to sneak up on you.
If you are in the open try looking a little... how do I put this? deranged! People keep there distance if you look like a nut job. Squint constantly. Not only will this help you control the values in your painting but it makes people uneasy and helps to keep them at a safe distance. ( wearing weird shoes helps too)
Here's a neat trick. Set up an empty easel. Pretend you are in the process of cleaning up or just staring out at the horizon ...but actually you can be painting a small color study holding the canvas in your hand...( Artists must be creative in so many ways.)
Finally, stand in a place where they have no way to get behind you. Also dressing like a tourist and pretending to be lost while you are sketching is a good disguise.
I hope this helps any of you who are worried about getting out there and painting plein air. Of course you could just decide to enjoy the day and paint. One of the benefits of having people come over to check on you is....they might buy something.
8 comments:
I actually like having people come around and watch, unless they want to have a long conversation about their aunt who took up painting when she was 80, or how they can't draw stick figures or a straight line ... or one of the other top 10 opening gambits.
I attempted my first outdoor painting session last week while on vacation at Padre Island. I luckily didn't have anyone staring over my shoulder, but I certainly found it difficult as I was aware of all the different aspects and different tools of the trade. Your post was great info for a newbie, and will keep at it.
I love your blog! Art work in process and finished, useful information, lots of our true artist's angst expressed... and, usually somewhere in the text, (healing to an artist like me:) it's often delightfully funny!!
Another tip: winter cityscape painters: Think layers of over-sized carefully mis-matched thrift shop clothes,a warm doofus hat, plastic bags worn over your wool sox inside your hiking boots (foot warmers)... and, the piece de resistance: leave your empty coffee cup on a paint rag in front of where you're working. For some reason people rush by...though it's not fool proof: an occasional person will stop long enough to drop a quarter in your cup for some reason.
Excellent and fun post! But you left out a really good one.. earphones! I am a sociable person, so when I am outside painting I'll talk to all the passersby if they talk to me. It was a problem because I then became so distracted. I finally learned to "plug in" with an ipod and all the banter came to a screeching halt! No one will talk to you when you have earphones in. It works like magic. If you don't remember earphones..another tactic is to try to look angry. That works too (I did it once, but then felt guilty for being mean! lol)
Thanks for the tips
What a RIOT!!! I love this! As some of us are rather shy about painting in public, I have found your tips quite helpful...so basically, look a little nutsy and folks will leave you alone to create in peace. I think my neighbors must look at me much the same way as I stand enlessly in the middle of my garden just breathing the air and watching the light...and the insects, birds and flowers. Then when I take out my camera and begin zooming in, while in my very similar attire as yours, "croc" shoes and all, I'm sure they're peering out their windows saying, "There she is again!" Thanks for the very entertaining tips...and actually I found them very comforting to know I'm not the only one! When my very formal sister and mother show up and I'm looking silly in my attire and/or habits of study, I'll simply say, "Well, I AM an artist," and happily, no reply. It's a handy excuse for a lot of things.... ;o) Jeanne
This addresses my main problem with outdoor painting. Thanks for the tips. When I get around to applying them, I'll let you know how it works out.
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