Don’t be afraid of your paints and tools. Be in charge. Whether you work with oils, watercolor, pastels, charcoal, acrylic, conté, or all of these—study them! Experiment endlessly, see what they can do and what they can’t. Master them rather than the reverse.
– Richard Schmid
A NOTE FROM RICHARD
Please understand that while I recommend the products I use, I do so only because they work well for me. I do not guarantee or endorse them or have any business or financial relationship with any manufacturer of them.
I have my favorite materials just as you do. I pick and choose from several different brands to suit my needs. I do not have a degree in paint chemistry or how art supplies are manufactured.
Still, I have taken the trouble over the years to learn enough chemistry and other information, including the developmental history of artists' materials, to understand how my materials behave. I know how I should use them to not only maximize permanence but to get the most out of my colors. I give you what has worked best for me over the years.
– Richard Schmid
For in-depth information about Richard’s tools and materials, we highly recommend adding ALLA PRIMA II COMPANION to your studio library. Written in partnership with Richard, this visually rich and comprehensive guide, written by Katie Swatland, offers a detailed look into Richard's studio practice. Inside, you’ll find exactly how he prepared surfaces, selected paints, brushes, and other materials, applied paint, finished his work, photographed it, and much more. It’s an essential resource for anyone wanting to understand the technical foundations behind creating a great work of art.
For my brushes, I now use Rosemary & Co Brushes exclusively. Rosemary offers a Richard Schmid bundle (my most frequently used brushes).
ROSEMARY & COMPANY
PO Box 372, Keighley
West Yorkshire, BD20 6WZ England
Tel: (01535) 600090
RosemaryandCo.com
My palette knives are Italian-made (bought many years ago), and are very thin and flexible. There are many brands on the market today. Look for the ones called painting knives. They have the delicacy and flexibility necessary for precise painting.
Here is a list of colors on my basic palette and additional colors I use as needed or just for fun. I can duplicate virtually all the other manufactured colors with these few colors (at least those worth bothering with).
MAIN COLOR PALETTE
Cadmium Lemon
Cadmium Yellow Light
Cadmium Yellow Deep
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Red
Permanent Alizarin Crimson (Winsor & Newton)
Alizarin Permanent (Gamblin)
Terra Rosa
Yellow Ochre Pale
Transparent Oxide Red
Transparent Oxide Brown
Viridian
Phthalo Green
Cobalt Blue
Ultramarine Blue Deep
Titanium White
ADDITIONAL COLORS
Cadmium Orange Deep
Cadmium Scarlet
Venetian Red
Cobalt Violet Light
Cobalt Violet Deep
PALETTE
My studio palette is a 21" x 31" piece of 1/4" plate glass. Below the glass, I have an illustration board with a warm gray paper surface. This gray value allows me to judge my light and dark value mixtures accurately.
I have always preferred a glass palette for studio work and my landscape painting because it is easy to clean with a razor paint scraper and alcohol. I use a smaller, lighter-weight window glass for a landscape palette, glued to a very thin piece of gray-painted plywood.
I am often asked what type of paper towels I use. In fact, it's one of the most frequently asked questions I get.
I use VIVA paper towels (not Viva Vantage).
OILS & SOLVENTS
Rectified Turpentine Pure Spirits
Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits
Cold-pressed Linseed Oil
Stand Oil
Lacquer Thinner
Acetone
Denatured Alcohol
VARNISH
I apply a finishing varnish to a painting when it is sufficiently dry. I allow three months for more heavily painted artworks. I no longer use the varnish I have referred to in my books and prior websites because of a recent problem in its application.
Today, I use a conservator varnish, which is entirely stable. It protects my artworks and brings out all of my colors and values, and I can adjust the varnish for any degree of gloss I wish. The varnishes I use are:
CONSERVATOR's PRODUCTS COMPANY
UV Stable Finishing Varnish
UV Stable Matte Varnish
All material and images protected by copyright © Stove Prairie Press and the Richard Schmid Fine Art Foundation 2021 – All Rights Reserved
