It is a fitting choice to make Richard Schmid the first review of this blog. Schmid is the quintessential artist's artist. If you are a realist or an artist with realist aspirations chances are you would like his work if you do not already know of him. It seems that most people like Richard Schmid however there are more than a few people a little annoyed that so many other people like him as much as they do. Along with this popularity comes attention and a great deal of parroting. Schmid has written, Alla Prima: Everything I know About Painting, one of the best books on painting and if it isn't in your library it ought to be. As one might imagine Schmid's preferences for painting are some of those most often quoted by aspiring painters. And if all of this were not enough, Schmid comes off as one of the most pleasant men there could be which makes for an enhancement when he is on camera.Some artists are more interesting than others. Each has different qualities. When viewing a painting DVD it really makes a difference if you like the manner in which the artist works the canvas. At the top of my list is Richard Schmid. The way he handles a brush and palette knife is like no other. It is particularly interesting to see him begin by spreading on larger masses of paint which he eventually shapes with the aid of his palette knife.
Years ago before the DVD became the practical standard, Richard Schmid produced a couple of videos. One has proven to be a very popular demonstration of a portrait sketch done before a live audience, The Captain's Portrait. The other was the first in a series of landscape demonstrations, November. There was a long gap between that first landscape video and the next in the series, June. As of this writing there are five demonstration and two presentation DVDs available. Four of the five demonstrations are landscapes and the fifth is the portrait sketch demonstration. Most of his DVDs are split in two sections, usually the painting is worked on then he spends some time describing different concepts and addressing questions. With all of these filmed demonstrations, Schmid has been showing how he paints as opposed to teaching the audience or viewer how they should paint. He may have a few comments that apply to everyone but the essence of these demonstrations are opportunities to see how he works. There are instructional art DVDs but Schmid's are not in that category.
One ought to keep in mind that these are informal demonstrations and not what might be described as hardcore academic lessons. The presentation style is similar to a casual get together with an experienced artist/friend. Schmid paints and talks. He explains a few things and may or may not use a visual aid while touching on a subject. His intent is merely to touch on a few topics and one should not expect an in depth course on any subject. This does leave many questions unanswered that we might have brought up if we could be there in person with him but you just have to accept and not allow yourself to become unreasonably frustrated with this restriction. It would be one very long and very dry experience if any DVD could present everything you need to know about painting. The process takes time and a variety of experiences and opportunities while experimenting and growing to be fully understood. You need to experiment and process information to gain understanding. Show and Tell is not enough. Fortunately, Richard has written an excellent book. Within the book he encourages people to get out and paint, create color charts, etc. Reading alone isn't going to get you where you want to be either.
A lot of people like Schmid's personality. He has a wonderful way of expressing himself. His words are often poetic while being informative. You get the impression he is a great guest or host. I have popped in a DVD to fall asleep by countless times when I needed something to soothe me. Of course this is not to imply Schmid is boring in any way. This is an important aspect in a DVD. It definitely is a plus if you like the person. One of the benefits of owning a DVD is that you may have several reasons to play one over time. I have painted, prepared for painting, read, eaten and slept with a DVD playing and I may not have looked at the screen more than a few moments here and there. Other times I have viewed sections or sat all the way through with all of my attention focused on the screen. Schmid gets high marks for being a nice guy. On video he can feel like a friend in the studio to me and to other people I have discussed this with.
November was Schmid's first landscape video. The format follows Richard as he paints the picture and then returns to the same spot the following day with a few artist friends and answers questions. This is adequately filmed with multiple cameras capturing his palette, the canvas and the landscape he is using as a subject. When I first acquired this DVD my impression of the demo painting was that it was less developed than I had been accustomed to seeing in Schmid's work. Yet there is a distinct quality that is Schmid's alone and it is amazing to see one developed from a blank canvas to a finished painting.
You have the opportunity to observe how he handles the palette knife. Schmid could paint competitively using only his fingers. With a palette knife he is deadly. Although this is oil painting, Schmid uses a knife to carve out and shape the paint like a sculptor. His precise draughtsmanship comes through the paint loosely applied to the canvas.
The significant external factor limiting his work is time. Having traveled all over the United States and Europe painting on location Schmid has produced paintings covering every season and a wide range of environmental conditions. He knows there is only so much time before the light and sometimes weather changes. In the November DVD he is dealing with the cold temperature, some snowfall, and shifting light caused by passing clouds and the position of the sun changing over time. After the painting session is over there is a Q&A session with a group of painters comprised of friends and his wife Nancy Guzik.
On multiple levels Schmid is quite capable of inspiring people. You can observe how Schmid manipulates paint with his brushes and palette knife and pick up a few ideas that you can take with you in your own ventures outdoors. To me, this DVD is the equivalent to watching a film of a favorite musician performing. You should not expect to learn how to play an instrument but observing the principal in action has its own special benefits and level of entertainment while this is not to say you won't learn anything in the process.
Richard Schmid Paints the Landscape: November
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Rating: Art
Summary: A cold day out painting with one of the most admirable and warm artists in the world of art. If you like the work of Richard Schmid, you will enjoy this DVD.
For more information visit:
Richard Schmid's Official Website
Images © Richard Schmid
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