The Making of Art -The Manual
Charcoal and graphite allowed artists to draw outdoors, Watercolour allowed them to sketch landscapes in colour and, much later, the collapsible metal paint tube made oil paint portable helping to spark a wave of en plein air paintings.
The French Impressionists are, of course, widely known for their love of painting outside but American Artists like Winslow Homer, Russians such as the ‘Wanderers’ Group and British Artists like those of the Newlyn School embraced the practice too. Not forgetting one Dutchman, in particular, who produced hundreds of plein air paintings in his own unforgettably vibrant, post-impressionist style. A chap called Van Gogh.
…And, I’m sure all of them had to get used to people peering over their shoulder!