Over the last few years, I have been asked from time to time while painting whether I also teach plein air painting – and unfortunately I always had to say no, as I was too haphazard myself to explain to others why I paint what and how. However, after analyzing this for my plein air book and writing it down chapter by chapter, I now have the foundation to be able to teach my way of painting.
I offer the following lessons:
(click for direct link)
Online course
individual workshops
Group workshops (Boesner) – German
Workshop weekend (Meppen)
Painting weekend (Herstelle Castle) – German
Painting trips (Artistravel) – German
Plein air painting in oil for beginners
Domestika online course
The course is in German, with subtitles in many languages and is available to you for an unlimited time after purchase.
In my course you will learn at your own pace everything you need to know to capture the atmosphere of a landscape with your brush outdoors in the open air.
It is divided into a painting school and a visual school.
In the painting school
- I show who or what inspires me
- demonstrate my plein air equipment (incl. material list and building instructions as PDF for a pochade box)
- I explain my color selection and give tips for the correct assessment and mixing of colors
- I will introduce you to the AllaPrima oil painting technique to make it easier for you to get started with oil painting
In the visual school
- I will prepare you with small exercises to simplify even complex scenes
- I’ll show you how you can get fast enough to capture even rapidly changing lighting moods
- you learn to determine the tonal values
- I’ll show you how you can create atmospheric depth in your paintings with the help of color
All of this will prepare you to paint your first plein air painting together with me. Step by step, I will show you how I build up my painting, simplify it and, after roughly blocking in the color, gradually create the painting.
I’ll also tell you my trick for transporting the wet oil painting home.
you have unlimited access to many additional materials – and there is a common forum available to all students where we can exchange ideas and I will answer all your questions, assist you as best I can and, above all, give feedback on your paintings.
But most importantly: I hope to infect you with my passion with this course so that you too can discover the biggest and most beautiful studio for yourself!
english translation
The course is in German, with subtitles in many languages and is available to you for an unlimited time after purchase.
In my course you learn at your own pace everything you need to know to capture the mood of a landscape with your brush outdoors.
It is divided into a painting school and a visual school:
In the painting school
- I show who or what inspires me
demonstrate my pleinaire equipment (incl. material list and building instructions as PDF for a pochade box) - I explain my choice of colors and give tips on how to judge and mix colors correctly.
- I will introduce you to the AllaPrima method of painting in oil to make it easier for you to get started in oil painting.
In the school of vision
- I will prepare you with small exercises to simplify even complex scenes.
- how to become fast enough to capture even fast changing light moods
learn how to determine the tonal values - I will show you how to use color to create atmospheric depth in your images.
All this will prepare you to paint your first plein air painting together with me. Step by step I will show you how I build up my picture, simplify it and after the rough blocking in of the color gradually the picture will emerge.
I also tell you my trick for transporting the still wet oil painting home.
You have unlimited access to many additional materials – and all students have access to a common forum where we can exchange ideas and I answer all your questions, help you as much as I can and, above all, give you feedback on your pictures.
But most importantly: I hope to inspire you with my passion with this course so that you too can discover the greatest and most beautiful studio for yourself: en plein air!
With this link you can register on Domestika and sign up for my online course – and support me at the same time:
Student voices
“I watched your online course and wow, really, it is an enrichment for every plein air painter, whether advanced or beginner. I watched it with joy and regretted that I wasn’t able to watch it years ago, because I “fought” for many of your insights myself through thousands of attempts, a lot of frustration but also happy successes. You bring a complete package, completely practice-oriented, all in all wonderfully to the point… Great explanations and very motivating. That’s all it takes! I had the feeling that you had helped me to put all my puzzle pieces together into a wonderful whole. Now all that remains is for everyone who has seen this course to grab their rucksack, go out and paint, paint, paint…”
(Simone Butz via e-mail)
“Very good course, super structured and easy to follow.
Yo really makes it very clear and gives great tips even for painters who have been painting for a long time.
I am building a pochade box and am looking forward to finally being able to paint outside.”
(Gaby Schmitt via Domestika)
A brilliant course! Thank you for this wonderfully structured course, dear Yo. No questions remain unanswered:
– Starting with all the practical and organizational instructions.
– The color theory is also explained very well, which is so important (not only in plein air painting).
– If you work through all the exercises, you go out very well prepared.
– I also really like the tips for social media and the opportunity to network with the community.
Top!
(Sonja Neumann via Domestika)
“One of the best courses I have taken. Yo Rühmer skillfully imparts her knowledge in an extremely pleasant manner. Having worked as a teacher myself for years, I know what I’m talking about.
Class“
(Bernd Gleissner via Domestika)
One-day workshop
If the online workshop is too impersonal for you, you can also do a very personal and individual workshop with me “in real life”.
Whether you have just started painting or have been painting for a long time, plein air painting is a challenge for everyone – it is too different from painting in a studio.
My workshops therefore focus on the following questions:
- How do I set up my studio in the open air?
- What should I bear in mind when looking for a subject?
- How do I manage to paint fleeting light moods or constantly moving motifs?
- How can I simplify what I have seen?
- How do I find “shortcuts” when painting to be fast enough before my motif changes too much?
- How do I judge and mix the colors I see in front of me to reflect the mood on location?
- How do I create depth in my paintings?
- How do I transport an oil painting while it is still wet?
I’ll show you how you can learn to get to the point quickly with the help of small color sketches – and how you can implement what you’ve learned in your larger plein air painting.
We paint in Frankfurt and the surrounding area. – and currently also in the Palatinate, around Bad Dürkheim.
Individual lessons:
Duration by arrangement (3-5 hours) – 45 €/hour (50€ in English)
For one-to-one lessons, I will of course adapt the course and content to your level and your individual ‘problems’.
If you sign up for “individual lessons” in pairs, the price is reduced to 30,-/hour/person (40€ in English)
For a small surcharge* I can provide
– equipment (easel/pochade box) on loan
– materials (paints/painting medium/painting board)
* 5-15,- €/person, depending on scope
Group workshop:
Duration: 6 hours with break – Group size 3-6 – 150 € /person
Dates
Due to the organizational effort involved, I am not organizing any group workshops myself at the moment, but I can offer you the opportunity to book me as a group.
Feel free to send me an e-mail if you are interested in a workshop!
Below you will find group workshops that are organized for me by other providers:
One-day workshop at boesner (German)
Course description (Text Boesner catalog)
Learn how to quickly capture the mood of a landscape with a brush. We will practice simplifying the motif with small color sketches, which will help us to get to the point more quickly in our plein air painting. The instructor will also give you lots of tips for your open-air studio: how do we avoid unnecessary baggage, how do we transport the painting while it is still wet? We paint with oil paints. The course is suitable for all levels, but previous experience with oil paints is always helpful. After a short introduction, we will go out into nature to paint within walking distance of the boesner branch.
Duration: 6 hours – Group size 6-12 – 89 € /person
Dates
July 17, 2026 (not yet bookable)
Boesner Shop Frankfurt
Painting weekend at Herstelle Castle
Course description (Text Burg Herstelle)
This course is an introduction to plein air painting in oil.
Previous experience with oil paints is helpful, but I am also happy to introduce you to the Allaprima painting technique, which is suitable for beginners.
(…)
Workshop procedure
Friday: Introduction for beginners
For all those who are painting outdoors in oils for the very first time, I will give a basic introduction to the materials on Friday afternoon in the studio and show various models of easels and pochade boxes.
Afterwards I will demonstrate the application of paint in the AllaPrima painting method and you can familiarize yourself with it at your leisure in the studio.
Saturday and Sunday
The grounds, with their old trees, beautiful gardens and magnificent views, offer many different motifs – and for those who dare, the castle also offers the opportunity to venture into architecture.
We start the workshop with small oil sketches, so-called pochades.
The small format takes away the fear of starting, forces you to simplify and thus helps you to concentrate on the essentials when painting. With each of these small paintings you practise the hardest part of painting, the beginning of the picture.
The next day I will paint a demonstration in “normal” format, approx. DinA4, explaining in detail why I paint what and how and answering all your questions. Afterwards you will have ample opportunity to apply what you have learned and seen in “large format”. I will be at your side with help and advice.
Optional: Monday and Tuesday
For advanced students, or those who just can’t get enough, there is the option of extending the workshop by 2 days.
Depending on the weather, we will paint the beautiful surroundings in the immediate vicinity of Herstelle Castle on these days.
The course then takes on the character of an excursion, which means we are on foot and carry everything we need with us.
If the weather does not allow you to paint outdoors, there is a sheltered painting area at Herstelle Castle.
Food and drink is also provided for on all days: meal breaks are of course planned, but can be taken individually at any time.
In order not to interrupt the individual painting flow, the “pleasure breaks” can be interspersed as desired. Small packed lunches or a cold “buffet table” are also available.
Various booking options,
depending on duration: 220 € to 500 €/person
Dates
July 31 – August 2 (or 4), 2026
Herstelle Castle (near Kassel)
1 week workshop in Brittany
organized by Herstelle Castle
Advance notice
Together with Herstelle Castle, we are planning a one-week workshop in Brittany.
The Breton coast with its rocks and sandy beaches offers endless motifs, even if it doesn’t make it easy for us to paint them on site due to the very changeable weather and the often very strong wind. Participants should therefore definitely be weatherproof!
For this reason, too, this course is aimed specifically at advanced students: previous knowledge of oil painting (alla prima Malweise) should be available, experience en pleinair is also helpful.
The exact location, schedule and costs have not yet been determined.
The course is not yet bookable: if you are interested, please send me an e-mail.
max. number of participants: 10
Date
third week of June 2026
Costs + location are not yet fixed
Painting trips (1 week) via Artistravel (German)
Allgäu
“En plein air” is French and means “in the open air”. And that is exactly where the largest and most beautiful studio in the world is located! This course is a wonderful introduction to the art of plein air painting.
Date
July 20-24, 2026 – Group size 6-12 – € 540,- per person (course only)
Review of Artistravel painting trips 2021-25
If you are interested in a painting trip but are still unsure what to expect: in this blog entry I have summarized a painting trip to the Allgäu day by day.
