I still don't think I would be a very good painter, but I really enjoyed the tips and tricks for plein air painting in miniature in this little book.

Remington Robinson has an unusual painting practice: he paints miniatures en plein air using an empty Altoids tin as an easel, palette and storage case. Already popular on TikTok and Instagram, this book shares his work with a wider audience. In it, Robinson describes his process, materials and tools and shares several mini-tutorials using his work as example.

I had not seen his social media presence, so I looked it up and discovered why he has gone viral. His short videos are compelling and a bit quirky, which is just what TikTok audiences eat up. The book, I think, has a different purpose. It is intended for people who want to try to do it themselves. The accessibility of the process, however, is a bit misleading. While most people can have easy access to Altoid tins, only established painters would have (or want to acquire) the specialized paints, brushes, and other necessities he uses. While he explains concepts like perspective and backwash, for example, which would be appropriate for beginners, he works in oil which is one of the more difficult (and expensive) media.

I think this book would be a fun read for painters wishing to shake up their practice a bit, particularly those who have already worked with oils, miniatures, and plein air painting, I won't be trying it, at least not with paints - I can't imagine my hands being steady enough to hold a tin with one hand and paint detail with another. But the book did give me ideas for other media, like ink, colored pencils and even fine tipped markers, that would be more friendly and less messy. And I know other artists who would eat this up, and I will certainly be recommending it to them.

I have reviewed other Quarto books related to art and craft, and have enjoyed every one of them. Thanks to Quarto and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I adore this book and Remington's art is amazing! I travel both for work and leisure quite a bit and always travel with a small vintage cigarello tin of watercolor half pans and my favorite watercolor journal. I cherish the memories and love looking back at my creations!

This is a must read for anyone looking to practice their art on a portable scale and to hone their technique.

5 stars!

Mini Plein Air Painting is a fantastic painting book showing you how to create mini-masterpieces in old altoids tins. I loved how calm the artist/author was in accepting however you want to create your paintings. The information was detailed and helpful, but you felt like there was no pressure to follow along with each step. I will definitely be setting up my painting kit soon!

Thanks to NetGalley, Remington Robinson, and Quarto Publishing for the chance to read & review!

I've been following Robinson's work on Instagram and I'm a fan of his miniart. This books is a collection of tutorials for aspiring artists who would like to replicate his style. The explanations are plain and understandable for beginners and each step is illustrated with a photo. It's a nice set of step-by-step minipaintings that would help to train one's skills. I really enjoyed it, as the illustrations are georgeous.

I've seen the videos of Robinson's paintings online and absolutely loved them, so I was curious about what exactly this book would entail. I was expecting a bit of an art book with maybe some commentary on his process and stuff, and there was some of that, but this book is more of an how to for anyone who may be interesting it trying out painting miniatures. The book is written in an engaging way that's easy to follow and while I would assume a level of foreknowledge would be needed for this type of art, Robinson has done a great job of making this book appeal to absolute beginners as well as more advanced artists.

I’m familiar with Remington’s work from Instagram and I was very excited to read about his process. I loved learning the details of his materials and methods. Everything is laid out in a clear, straightforward way. I use watercolor myself, but I’m very inspired to grab an Altoid box for myself and take it outside and start painting. This book will inspire you!
Thank you for the eARC!

Mini Plein Air Painting with Remington Robinson is a well written and illustrated tutorial and technique guide for miniature oil painting by Remington Robinson. Due out 31st July 2024 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 144 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an unusually complete technique guide to mini-painting on the go with accessible takeaways for painters of all levels and experience. Painting on smaller surfaces is less intimidating than full size canvases, the materials are *much* more transportable in a self-contained metal tin (like Altoids), and less paint is used, allowing students to use better quality materials with richer, more saturated pigments, giving better results, encouraging more practice.

The author has a calm and inclusive voice in the tutorials, giving a good background on his own artistic process, inspiration, materials, setup, working techniques, and composition. The second part of the book (~78%) is taken up by the step-by-step tutorials, 12 in all.

The subjects are varied and include both architectural and natural/landscape projects. They cover a variety of lighting and various perspective studies. It's a mixed bag and there are lessons for beginners to professional painters which can also be expanded to full size subjects.

The danger is that this book will be dismissed in some areas as "niche" because of the miniature size and paint box setup; there is really good info and technique here for oil painters of all types and worth a look.

Five stars. It would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home studio, gift giving, and for painting and activity groups. Very good guide (not just for miniature painting).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Good beginner's guide, hampered by the author not being an experienced in-person instructor | To begin, I should probably be clear that I paint, all my paintings are small to miniature (max 7 inch square, min 1 inch square, usually 3x3" or 3x5"), I do paint en plein air, I have a mini travel kit, I have never seen anything by the author before, and I'm a gouache painter. All this means that much of what the book presents is familiar to me, but most of the tutorials are absolutely contrary to the way my paints work. Not a criticism, oils and gouache are very different. I think if I was trying to paint for the first time from this book, I would fail. Painting terms are used repeatedly before they are defined, and then they aren't well-defined. Text explanations of how to load and hold a brush are more confusing than helpful, and the specific tutorials feel more like "how to copy this painting" than "how to master this style". Further, it's difficult to know who the intended audience is. As a TikTok star, probably mostly creatives on the younger side, but on the very first page of the Getting Started section, Robinson explains how he "simply" uses his miter saw, sandpaper, and primer to create a 5cm x 8cm painting surface. Not super accessible.
All that said, for people with discretionary funds, maybe a little background in artistic endeavors, people who learn well from still photos and text, and people who want to copy for awhile to gain the muscle memory and color eye (a learning technique in fine art that goes back hundreds of years to the houses of the masters), this looks to be an excellent spur for getting out and actually painting!

This is a very insightful book about oil painting miniatures. It is very accessible and I would I
Imagine that the skills in the book could be used with any number of art mediums and a small tin.
Inspiring stuff!

Wow! What a cool form of painting. Each piece is a little masterpiece in perfect miniature. Plenty here to inform and inspire!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Incredibly talented to paint in such miniature! Each is a tiny masterpiece!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had not heard of this type of painting before, and after reading this incredibly helpful how-to, I believe I can take up this artistic practice and fully enjoy it. Info-rich and instructive for artists new and old!

Awesome introduction to micro painting from a leader in the style. Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster for access to this digital arc. I think this title makes the perfect gift; the materials are so easy to gather, its small and can easily travel. I can see making a whole little set included with this book as a gift. I have watched Remington Robinson's art take over the internet. I was fascinated with his style and wondered how he set up his scenes, his work is always well composed. This title opened the oyster, and really expanded on the nuanced artists ways. A delightful read bound to make an impact on my skill. Recommend it for all ages interested in art. Excellent pictures, a masterful presentation.

Very beautiful paintings. I remmeber seeing the altoid paintign a longtime ago. Few minths ago I saw the pool painting. ANd now I looked up some videos. Its fun to be able to relate to the paintings - the poppy one.. the mixed colors in the box look so cool too. The instructions and comments on the creative process are engaging. Monochromatic exercises. Snow colros and seeing details. composition, so many things to learn. Just this morning saw an acrylic painting layer by layer and wondered how the artists put in so much time and effort to finish a painting. The altoid one wont take that long.