Alla Prima - the teaching standard for classical painting instruction. This must have book offers to painters the wisdom and technical savvy of a lifetime. Writing as an acknowledged master, Richard Schmid leads his reader gracefully through the fundamentals and subtleties of painting technique with refreshing clarity, authority and deep affection to all who strive for self-expression, regardless of skill level.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
244 of 247 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I can hardly praise this book enough. It is full of experience and concrete knowledge.
The text is made of 10 chapters, plus an introduction:
1. Good ideas and free advice
2. Direct painting
3. Starting
4. Drawing
5. Values
6. Edges
7. Color and light
8. Composition
9. Technique
10. The magic
It has 193 pages, and is full of Schmid's paintings, almost all of them oils.
WHAT THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU:
It teaches you how to OBSERVE 3-D REALITY AND TRANSLATE IT ON A FLAT SURFACE AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN. The way of achieving it is to paint LIGHT ITSELF (what you see), not the very object with descriptive minutiae (what you know). Meticulous and painstaking painting tends to be naive in most hands.
Schmid asks you to clear up your mind and trust your instinct. THE HOW BECOMES OBVIOUS ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHAT AND THE WHY.
Some of his most insistent advices are: keep it SIMPLE; don't overwork; don't use ostentatious techniques; don't make random guessing brushstrokes; do a minimum of trial and error (correction wastes time); rather be BOLD than shy, but do it without hurrying and without any thoughtless bravado. Also, EXCESSIVE BLENDING IS LIKE MUMBLING WHEN YOU SPEAK.
He teaches you that, as you start, you sholud focus on one specific problem. Set a GOAL and do it in the time available. Limiting your time helps to SIMPLIFY your works. Simplify values by SQUINTING. If edges remain sharp when you squint, paint them sharp; if they go fuzzy, paint them fuzzy. Trust your squinting.
Schmid insists on the fact that, unlike common belief, most mistakes happen with drawing, not with colour. He says there is no comprehensive colour law; but there's something close to it: COOL LIGHT PRODUCES WARM SHADOWS, AND WARM LIGHT PRODUCES COOL SHADOWS. His palette has as many as 12 colours, not one more, because more than that is unnecessary (and often, the fewer colours, the better), as we can see in the colour charts--a perfect way of mixing all colours with one another until exhausting all possible combinations of two colours plus white. (Besides, don't overmix too many colours, or else you'll obtain MUD colour.)
He recommends: Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre Light, Cadmium Red, Terra Rosa, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Red, Viridian, Cobalt Blue Light, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Titanium White. There is no black, since he uses different mixtures of browns or reds with blue for getting a substitute for black.
He says what good lighting is for painting.
His ideas about colour harmony and composition are very down-to-earth and full of common sense. No mystic babblings or over-intelectualized theories.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOESN'T TEACH YOU:
It doesn't deal with technical intricacies about different kinds of canvases, papers, grounds, turpentine, brushes, easels, palettes, and materials in general. (Pigments do have his full attention.) It doesn't ignore technique, but it's not the core of the text. (For that subject, you can read Ralph Mayer's book on materials.) Since the book deals with painting in general no matter what medium you use, it doesn't speak about classical Old Master examples (no Leonardo, Velazquez, Rembrandt, Hals, Rubens or any painter in particular). You can apply the lessons to oils, acrylics, tempera, gouache, or even watercolour. By the way, there's a very brief part about using the palette knife, which obviously couldn't be applied to watercolour, for instance. Since the book focuses on Direct Painting the way Sorolla, Sargent or many late-19th century artists did (without mentioning them much), you will find no details about Renaissance or Baroque ways of applying paint. There are not many words about glazing, for instance. There are no words about perspective or anatomy, either, for this is not a handbook for painting specific subjects, but about how to observe light and colour in general.
I love this book! Had I found and read it a long time ago (despite its high price), I would have saved years of an agonizing, careless and method-less hit-and-miss process that had no sense at all in my learning.
Schmid has a very specific method. Maybe it's not meant for all painters, but if you love Sorolla or Sargent, this is THE METHOD for you, no matter whether you are a mere beginner or an experienced artist. And even if you aim at a very different style than that of the artists just mentioned, this book can help you a lot. Trust me!
The text is made of 10 chapters, plus an introduction:
1. Good ideas and free advice
2. Direct painting
3. Starting
4. Drawing
5. Values
6. Edges
7. Color and light
8. Composition
9. Technique
10. The magic
It has 193 pages, and is full of Schmid's paintings, almost all of them oils.
WHAT THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU:
It teaches you how to OBSERVE 3-D REALITY AND TRANSLATE IT ON A FLAT SURFACE AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN. The way of achieving it is to paint LIGHT ITSELF (what you see), not the very object with descriptive minutiae (what you know). Meticulous and painstaking painting tends to be naive in most hands.
Schmid asks you to clear up your mind and trust your instinct. THE HOW BECOMES OBVIOUS ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHAT AND THE WHY.
Some of his most insistent advices are: keep it SIMPLE; don't overwork; don't use ostentatious techniques; don't make random guessing brushstrokes; do a minimum of trial and error (correction wastes time); rather be BOLD than shy, but do it without hurrying and without any thoughtless bravado. Also, EXCESSIVE BLENDING IS LIKE MUMBLING WHEN YOU SPEAK.
He teaches you that, as you start, you sholud focus on one specific problem. Set a GOAL and do it in the time available. Limiting your time helps to SIMPLIFY your works. Simplify values by SQUINTING. If edges remain sharp when you squint, paint them sharp; if they go fuzzy, paint them fuzzy. Trust your squinting.
Schmid insists on the fact that, unlike common belief, most mistakes happen with drawing, not with colour. He says there is no comprehensive colour law; but there's something close to it: COOL LIGHT PRODUCES WARM SHADOWS, AND WARM LIGHT PRODUCES COOL SHADOWS. His palette has as many as 12 colours, not one more, because more than that is unnecessary (and often, the fewer colours, the better), as we can see in the colour charts--a perfect way of mixing all colours with one another until exhausting all possible combinations of two colours plus white. (Besides, don't overmix too many colours, or else you'll obtain MUD colour.)
He recommends: Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre Light, Cadmium Red, Terra Rosa, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Red, Viridian, Cobalt Blue Light, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Titanium White. There is no black, since he uses different mixtures of browns or reds with blue for getting a substitute for black.
He says what good lighting is for painting.
His ideas about colour harmony and composition are very down-to-earth and full of common sense. No mystic babblings or over-intelectualized theories.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOESN'T TEACH YOU:
It doesn't deal with technical intricacies about different kinds of canvases, papers, grounds, turpentine, brushes, easels, palettes, and materials in general. (Pigments do have his full attention.) It doesn't ignore technique, but it's not the core of the text. (For that subject, you can read Ralph Mayer's book on materials.) Since the book deals with painting in general no matter what medium you use, it doesn't speak about classical Old Master examples (no Leonardo, Velazquez, Rembrandt, Hals, Rubens or any painter in particular). You can apply the lessons to oils, acrylics, tempera, gouache, or even watercolour. By the way, there's a very brief part about using the palette knife, which obviously couldn't be applied to watercolour, for instance. Since the book focuses on Direct Painting the way Sorolla, Sargent or many late-19th century artists did (without mentioning them much), you will find no details about Renaissance or Baroque ways of applying paint. There are not many words about glazing, for instance. There are no words about perspective or anatomy, either, for this is not a handbook for painting specific subjects, but about how to observe light and colour in general.
I love this book! Had I found and read it a long time ago (despite its high price), I would have saved years of an agonizing, careless and method-less hit-and-miss process that had no sense at all in my learning.
Schmid has a very specific method. Maybe it's not meant for all painters, but if you love Sorolla or Sargent, this is THE METHOD for you, no matter whether you are a mere beginner or an experienced artist. And even if you aim at a very different style than that of the artists just mentioned, this book can help you a lot. Trust me!
89 of 91 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is by far the best book I have ever seen on the subject of oil painting. Not only do you get to admire many lucious images of a modern master's work, Richard Schmid generously shares his knowlege with humour, clarity and detail. A long look at both the technical and emotional aspects of painting, written with great commitment and depth. Though the price is daunting, consider it a worthy indulgence. You could buy ten other books on this subject and still not obtain such a complete reference source as this one book. On top of the excellent content, the book is beautifully made to last a lifetime (and more!), and printed on top quality paper. Splurge on this; you won't be disapointed!
68 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I can hardly praise this book enough. It is full of experience and concrete knowledge.
The text is made of 10 chapters, plus an introduction:
1. Good ideas and free advice
2. Direct painting
3. Starting
4. Drawing
5. Values
6. Edges
7. Color and light
8. Composition
9. Technique
10. The magic
It has 193 pages, and is full of Schmid's paintings, almost all of them oils.
WHAT THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU:
It teaches you how to OBSERVE 3-D REALITY AND TRANSLATE IT ON A FLAT SURFACE AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN. The way of achieving it is to paint LIGHT ITSELF (what you see), not the very object with descriptive minutiae (what you know). Meticulous and painstaking painting tends to be naive in most hands.
Schmid asks you to clear up your mind and trust your instinct. THE HOW BECOMES OBVIOUS ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHAT AND THE WHY.
Some of his most insistent advices are: keep it SIMPLE; don't overwork; don't use ostentatious techniques; don't make random guessing brushstrokes; do a minimum of trial and error (correction wastes time); rather be BOLD than shy, but do it without hurrying and without any thoughtless bravado. Also, EXCESSIVE BLENDING IS LIKE MUMBLING WHEN YOU SPEAK.
He teaches you that, as you start, you sholud focus on one specific problem. Set a GOAL and do it in the time available. Limiting your time helps to SIMPLIFY your works. SIMPLIFY values by SQUINTING. If edges remain sharp when you squint, paint them sharp; if they go fuzzy, paint them fuzzy. Trust your squinting.
Schmid insists on the fact that, unlike common belief, most mistakes happen with drawing, not with colour. He says there is no comprehensive colour law; but there's something close to it: COOL LIGHT PRODUCES WARM SHADOWS, AND WARM LIGHT PRODUCES COOL SHADOWS. His palette has as many as 12 colours, not one more, because more than that is unnecessary (and often, the fewer colours, the better), as we can see in the colour charts--a perfect way of mixing all colours with one another until exhasusting all possible combinations of two colours plus white. (Besides, don't overmix, or else you'll obtain MUD colour.)
He recommends: Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre Light, Cadmium Red, Terra Rosa, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Red, Viridian, Cobalt Blue Light, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Titanium White. There is no black, since he uses different mixtures of browns or reds with blue for getting a substitute for black.
He says what good lighting is for painting.
His ideas about colour harmony and composition are very down-to-earth and full of common sense. No mystic babblings or over-intelectualized theories.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOESN'T TEACH YOU:
It doesn't deal with technical intricacies about different kinds of canvases, papers, grounds, turpentine, brushes, easels, palettes, and materials in general. (Pigments do have his full attention.)It doesn't ignore technique, but it's not the core of the text. (For that subject, you can read Ralph Mayer's book on materials.) Since the book deals with painting in general no matter what medium you use, it doesn't speak about classical Old Master examples (no Leonardo, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Hals, Rubens or any painter in particular). You can apply the lessons to oils, acrylics, tempera, gouache, or even watercolour. By the way, there's a very brief part about using the palette knife, which obviously couldn't be applied to watercolour, for instance. Since the book focuses on Direct Painting the way Sorolla, Sargent or many late-19th century arists did (without mentioning them much), you will find no details about Renaissance or Baroque ways of applying paint. There are not many words about glazing, for instance. There are no words about perspective or anatomy, either, for this is not a handbook for painting specific subjects, but about how to observe light and colour in general.
I love this book! Had I found and read it a long time ago, I wolud have saved years of an agonizing, careless and method-less hit-and-miss process that had no sense at all in my learning.
Schmid has a very specific method. Maybe it's not meant for all painters, but if you love Sorolla or Sargent, this is THE METHOD for you, no matter whether you are a mere beginner or an experienced artist. And even if you aim at a very different style than that of the artists just mentioned, this book can help you a lot. Trust me!
(By the way, Schmid gives very good advice at his site: www.richardschmid.com.)
The text is made of 10 chapters, plus an introduction:
1. Good ideas and free advice
2. Direct painting
3. Starting
4. Drawing
5. Values
6. Edges
7. Color and light
8. Composition
9. Technique
10. The magic
It has 193 pages, and is full of Schmid's paintings, almost all of them oils.
WHAT THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU:
It teaches you how to OBSERVE 3-D REALITY AND TRANSLATE IT ON A FLAT SURFACE AS DIRECTLY AS YOU CAN. The way of achieving it is to paint LIGHT ITSELF (what you see), not the very object with descriptive minutiae (what you know). Meticulous and painstaking painting tends to be naive in most hands.
Schmid asks you to clear up your mind and trust your instinct. THE HOW BECOMES OBVIOUS ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHAT AND THE WHY.
Some of his most insistent advices are: keep it SIMPLE; don't overwork; don't use ostentatious techniques; don't make random guessing brushstrokes; do a minimum of trial and error (correction wastes time); rather be BOLD than shy, but do it without hurrying and without any thoughtless bravado. Also, EXCESSIVE BLENDING IS LIKE MUMBLING WHEN YOU SPEAK.
He teaches you that, as you start, you sholud focus on one specific problem. Set a GOAL and do it in the time available. Limiting your time helps to SIMPLIFY your works. SIMPLIFY values by SQUINTING. If edges remain sharp when you squint, paint them sharp; if they go fuzzy, paint them fuzzy. Trust your squinting.
Schmid insists on the fact that, unlike common belief, most mistakes happen with drawing, not with colour. He says there is no comprehensive colour law; but there's something close to it: COOL LIGHT PRODUCES WARM SHADOWS, AND WARM LIGHT PRODUCES COOL SHADOWS. His palette has as many as 12 colours, not one more, because more than that is unnecessary (and often, the fewer colours, the better), as we can see in the colour charts--a perfect way of mixing all colours with one another until exhasusting all possible combinations of two colours plus white. (Besides, don't overmix, or else you'll obtain MUD colour.)
He recommends: Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre Light, Cadmium Red, Terra Rosa, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Red, Viridian, Cobalt Blue Light, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Titanium White. There is no black, since he uses different mixtures of browns or reds with blue for getting a substitute for black.
He says what good lighting is for painting.
His ideas about colour harmony and composition are very down-to-earth and full of common sense. No mystic babblings or over-intelectualized theories.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOESN'T TEACH YOU:
It doesn't deal with technical intricacies about different kinds of canvases, papers, grounds, turpentine, brushes, easels, palettes, and materials in general. (Pigments do have his full attention.)It doesn't ignore technique, but it's not the core of the text. (For that subject, you can read Ralph Mayer's book on materials.) Since the book deals with painting in general no matter what medium you use, it doesn't speak about classical Old Master examples (no Leonardo, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Hals, Rubens or any painter in particular). You can apply the lessons to oils, acrylics, tempera, gouache, or even watercolour. By the way, there's a very brief part about using the palette knife, which obviously couldn't be applied to watercolour, for instance. Since the book focuses on Direct Painting the way Sorolla, Sargent or many late-19th century arists did (without mentioning them much), you will find no details about Renaissance or Baroque ways of applying paint. There are not many words about glazing, for instance. There are no words about perspective or anatomy, either, for this is not a handbook for painting specific subjects, but about how to observe light and colour in general.
I love this book! Had I found and read it a long time ago, I wolud have saved years of an agonizing, careless and method-less hit-and-miss process that had no sense at all in my learning.
Schmid has a very specific method. Maybe it's not meant for all painters, but if you love Sorolla or Sargent, this is THE METHOD for you, no matter whether you are a mere beginner or an experienced artist. And even if you aim at a very different style than that of the artists just mentioned, this book can help you a lot. Trust me!
(By the way, Schmid gives very good advice at his site: www.richardschmid.com.)
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
Simply the very best book on painting I have read. Would most definitely recommend it to anyone and feel that any painter could benefit from reading it.
Published 4 days ago by Kristbjorg Whitney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
The author provides an excellent discussion on the elements which contribute to great art. The images are excellent and the book is very informative.
Published 14 days ago by Eric Perkins
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good--with a grain of salt.
A pretty good book written by a pretty good painter. There are bits of sound advice about painting, and interesting and helpful perspectives on painting and technique. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Ry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Art instruction book ever
This book is not only great for all the technical information you need to know when oil painting, but it's also funny and full of no-nonsense and practical advice. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rubygirlm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
This book is excellent! I reread frequently. Good pictures. Good advice. I'm hoping to be a better painter by following this book.
Published 1 month ago by Gwen
5.0 out of 5 stars
An artists bible..
As an artist, I am always interested in learning new ways and techniques of others. I would have loved the chance to sit and chat or spend an afternoon painting with this great... Read more
Published 2 months ago by njgrumm
5.0 out of 5 stars
As Promoted
This book already has great reviews as it is written by a great artist. It is quite advanced for my skillset, but I can see it is going to be quite useful as I progress. Read more
Published 3 months ago by art is life
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alla Prima: Everything Know About Painting
A timeless book from an artist who generously shares what he knows; it has been very valuable to me and I will continue to refer to it in the futrue.
Published 4 months ago by Sue Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars
For me
I am an artist and Richard Schmid is one of my heroes. His work is wonderful and he isn't stingy with his advice. The book is easy to read and is very inspiring.
Published 4 months ago by armoandleo
5.0 out of 5 stars
if you only could have one book
This guy is a master. I love his work. This is not a "how to" book, rather it's full of advice. There are lots
of photos of his paintings. Read more
of photos of his paintings. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Kahil
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