Craig Nelson: Plein Air in Oil

Capture the mood of a moment with Craig Nelson's Plein air oil painting techniques. 

In this oil video workshop, you'll learn to be observant and decisive enough to paint inviting landscapes within the time constraint of a shifting sun.

In his oil painting lesson, Nelson pushes you beyond static green trees and boring blue water to find the variations and intriguing accent colors that make nature complex and beautiful. Nelson shows you what to look for and what to leave out, and you'll see inset shots of his view to help you follow his progress. He shows you how to paint layers of foliage to avoid a flat look and how to translate the nuances of water and reflections to your canvas.

Nelson preaches patience with detail and constantly moves across the painting to keep his composition fresh. He takes the piece back to the studio for just enough touch-up to improve his design while maintaining the essence of his single-session Plein air experience.

BONUS CLIP: Negative Painting with an Egbert

In this clip from his video oil painting workshop, Plein Air in Oil, Craig Nelson uses a long-handled brush to manipulate the paint that's already on his panel. He adds detail to a stand of trees by painting over it with his sky color and softens the edges in a patch of foliage.

CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG NELSON
In this relaxed, candid conversation with Craig Nelson we asked him questions we thought you would most like to ask if you could have dinner with an artist.

After graduating from Art Center College of Design with distinction, Craig began his career working in Los Angeles for recording companies and motion picture studios, creating portraits and other subjects with strict deadlines. Craig's countless movie posters include "The Cowboys", "Slapshot", and "Homeward Bound" among many others. His album cover credits include, "Sammy Davis Jr. Live", "Rick Nelson, Country" and "Natalie Cole, Thankful" along with many more.

Collectors include, James Garner, Neil Simon, Toyota Corporation, UCLA Dental and Law School, the U.S. Air Force, UCSF Dental School and many more. He has won over 200 awards of excellence and several gold medals. The "Arts for the Parks" national competition awarded Craig the Grand Teton Natural History Award for a painting entitled "Dining Alone". His work is collected in the United States, Asia as well as Europe.