This will be my fifth year participating in Pleinairpril.
What is PleinAirpril and how do you participate?
Simply put: Paint or draw outside every day during April.
PleinAirpril is a daily art challenge started by the WarriorPainters (an art group based in California) to encourage artists to get outside and paint from life. Originally it was meant as a way to celebrate Earth Day but quickly become much more than that. Over the years they shared competition rules, prizes, themes, and grew the challenge to an internationally known event. The name cleverly combines “Plein Air” with “April.”
You can participate in PleinAirpril wherever you live. Simply paint outside every day during April, and share a photo of your result online with the hashtag #PleinAirpril. Of course you don’t have to share, but it’s fun to be part of the community. In fact if you tag @WarriorPainters on Instagram they will often reshare your work, you can easily find lots of other artists. It’s a very enthusiastic community.
My Goals for Pleinairpril 2026
This year I’m going to focus on GREENS. I struggle every year to adjust my eyes to the very intense light we receive in the Scottish highlands (intense compared to winter). Last year I noticed that it was a challenge to see the subtle shifts in warm and cool greens, but I started to do small green studies and that really helped. This year I want to take it to the next level, particularly in regards to color temperature and contrast.
Why Green?
Partially because it’s one of my favorite colors. But mainly because it’s one of those things I have to actively study all the time to improve my paintings. I find that it’s one of the trickiest colors to get right. Plus, Scotland is suddenly COATED in green during April and May, so it’s the perfect way to jump headfirst into this challenge.
Inspiration in Theme
Each year, WarriorPainters creates a prompt or theme to inspire people. On their website, they shared this year’s theme:
“Instead of strict prompts, we encourage you to interpret Harmony in Contrast in your own way. Here are a few ideas to get you started:”
- Light vs. shadow
- Warm vs. cool
- Chaos vs. calm
- Bold vs. subtle
- Soft vs. structured
- Natural vs. industrial
- Monochrome vs. rainbow
- Now vs. then
This is great for days when you feel a little meh. If you need a boost of inspiration, pick a theme, then find a subject. Combine the two and paint!
My Curriculum for Pleinairpril 2026
Since I only have 30 days, my curriculum has a narrow focus (think of it more like a framework or study guide)
At first “green” is a very vague goal, but I can easily study it in a variety of subjects. In my own garden there are hundreds of subjects that would allow me to study it in a variety of lighting situations.
- Moss and lichen on trees and rocks
- Leaves budding and changing throughout the month
- Flowers and leaves that pop up in spring
- Light falling across the grasses at different times of day
- Overgrown greenhouse studies
- Nearby forests and lochs
If I decide to go farther afield, I’m sure to find plenty of green.
My Guidelines
Each Study must include:
- Value study
- Color swatches / test swatches
- Photo of subject for future reference
Time: between 30-90 minutes
Color palettes: I’ll use a limited palette at all times. Each week I’ll switch up my colors to encourage more exploration. Adding a new yellow or blue changes everything, and keeps things interesting. Comparing color palettes will help me explore the huge variety of greens and narrow down some helpful mixing recipes.
The most important thing will be to stay inspired! A 30-day painting challenge is just that – a challenge. I know from experience that I need to change things up each day to stay inspired and creative. Therefore being able to jump between different subjects will be key.
So, who’s in??
My Painting Gear Pleinairpril 2026
This year my plan is to paint with gouache on beige paper. Beige paper forces me to use my gouache a little thicker. On white paper I often revert to watercolor techniques, like glazing. But since I want to improve my green mixing skills, this is a great opportunity to encourage that.
Below I have a video sharing my plein air gear if you want more information. I also have a full list of supplies on my Supply Page (updated regularly).
Watch the Video
Watch past years of my Pleinairpril studies
Complete list of Pleinairpril Playlists by year:
2025 ➤ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPXRG6jaep0VdnB6giWDwnscAnQlPFwN_
2024 ➤ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPXRG6jaep0XY1pcfEC4dHtwRPs-cjjB_
2023 ➤ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPXRG6jaep0URirRbAIP9Wlt7kPh21XSz
2022 ➤ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPXRG6jaep0UMzJ_OUiAJgzebXB1JaZJB
This page contains affiliate links. If you decide to purchase something with my links, I get a tiny store credit so I can buy more art supplies, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!