So, do you want to know EVERYTHING about painting?
Well, you won’t actually learn anything about painting by reading about it in this article, but in his thoughtful instructional book, “Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting”, which is well into it’s ninth print-run, award-winning artist Richard Schmid does indeed offer up superb insights, which serve greatly in aiding fellow artists on their personal journey towards unraveling many of the core concepts, and more elusive, if not easily-neglected, seeming mysteries of their craft.
From the beginning of his introduction, Schmid appropriately notes to his readers that “Alla Prima” (or direct life painting) is primarily a book about how he approaches painting, and from the standpoint of using oil-based media as his tool of expression.
Abundantly included throughout the book, and alongside Schmid’s key-thoughts, are dozens of examples of his work, which are also dutifully noted themselves to help further expound on the general rules explained throughout each of the ten-chapters.
These chapters, which are filled with keen, valuable mental reinforcement, and reasoning that every artist will benefit from absorbing, consist of the following–
-GOOD IDEAS AND FREE ADVICE
-DIRECT PAINTING
-STARTING
-DRAWING
-VALUES
-EDGES
-COLOR AND LIGHT
-COMPOSITION
-TECHNIQUE
-THE MAGIC
While embarking on many of the finer-points covered inside, it may at times be considerably difficult to choose between continuing to read on, or setting the book aside in favor of putting Schmid’s offerings into direct practice, and in the moment.
Perhaps ultimately though, it’s the ability to compel others in this fashion, that is the true “magic” of Schmid himself.
*To view more information on Richard Schmid, and his best-selling book “Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting“, be sure to visit his website at richardschmid.com
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