Available Lessons

In this lesson we join Richard back in his studio, a year later, as he finishes his painting of the nasturtium blooms. He explains in detail the process of how he completed this piece and how he borrowed from nature to create his composition. High-resolution images of the final stages, as well as the completed piece, are included. Lastly, the benefits of working over dried paint is also explored, and in addition, methods are presented to help maintain freshness in a piece that was started from life. 

In this installment, we join Richard in his studio as he demonstrates how to properly stretch both a blank canvas and one with a finished painting on it. He explains the advantages of painting on a canvas taped to a board, and illustrates the ease with which it may be stretched afterwards. He also shows how he prepares the back of  a canvas to ensure a long life for the painting. Lastly, as a special treat, he shares a few paintings from his personal collection!

Contained in this lesson are over 50 sequential images showing the initial field session for Richard's painting of Captain John’s garden tomatoes. The first part of this demonstration spans a full afternoon of painting, from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon. This painting day is a wonderful example of how Richard carefully selects and arranges nature to compose his paintings.

As the year winds down to begin anew, it is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect, look ahead, and prepare for a new start by instituting, or improving upon, a few routine professional practices. In this installment, the importance of keeping a complete painting catalog will be addressed. Proper brush maintenance procedures will also be explained and demonstrated. Lastly, in the spirit of starting the year with a fresh perspective, included is a list of a few contemplative questions to promote thinking and assessment of your art related goals in the coming months. 

There is little more exciting than painting outdoors on a beautiful clear day under the warmth of the sun. It is an energizing and thrilling experience to be out in the elements capturing Nature as she is illuminated by a light of shimmering brilliance!

In this lesson we will explore the properties of sunlight. We will take a look at some of the common characteristic patterns that occur and study various examples of sunlight paintings from numerous artists including: Schmid, Sorolla, Potthast and Vinogradov. The challenges of working under sunlight conditions will be addressed, as well as suggestions for ways to handle them. In addition, Richard shares his experience and discoveries from a lifetime of study, and summarizes his observations in his Grand Unified Theory of Light! Lastly, as a special treat we travel with Michelle Dunaway to Spain for a peek into the studio of Joaquin Sorolla, as she shares images from her trip and a few details of the paintings in Sorolla’s studio.

With summer in full swing, it is time for another outdoor painting excursion! Take a front row seat and join in the adventure as Richard paints Rachel Arnold reading amongst the lilies. Contained in this demonstration are a series of sequential images showing the various stages of Richard’s garden painting. This initial plein air sitting spans a period of three hours in the late morning of a hot August day. This is a great lesson in understanding how Richard blocks-in a painting by simplifying the main elements into paintable shapes.

This next lesson is dedicated to the further exploration of composition, and its use as a tool of expression. Exercises will be presented and demonstrated that can be used and applied when analyzing your own work for its compositional strength, as well as those works you admire to help uncover exactly what it is about them that makes them successful. 

In addition, problem solving techniques will be provided that can be performed to assist in determining the most powerful and effective compositions when faced with your own subjects. These are problem solving tools that can be used repeatedly to help discover solutions, and to refine your communication skills through the use of arrangement. High resolution images of Richard's paintings are included as examples to further clarify concepts. Lastly, as a special treat, also included are a few sequence shots of Richard's painting, “Russian Doll.”  

Thus far, two lessons have been dedicated to canvas preparation, and emphasis placed on the importance of a good surface on which to paint. The benefits of working on a custom primed lead ground have been explained and illustrated through the use of examples, but little has been covered regarding the working properties of this type of canvas. 

Painting on a lead primed surface is unique, and can present challenges if you are unfamiliar with its behavior. It is common to experience a bit of a learning curve with this type canvas, especially if you are switching from using a more absorbent kind. Successful and manageable working conditions on a lead primed canvas or panel requires a bit of knowledge and experience in the way oil paint can be used and applied. Compared to more absorbent commercial canvases, painting on your own hand-made lead primed surface can feel like slick and slippery business. 

This lesson will explain and illustrate ways oil paint can be used on a lead ground, and assist in unlocking the invaluable working properties that this surface provides. It will present suggestions for application that yield favorable painting conditions, and recommend ways to avoid ending up in pools of muddy paint. High-resolution images are included as working examples. In addition, this installment will revisit the painting featured in Richard’s instructional DVD, White Pine, by highlighting a few key developmental stages that further demonstrate manageable paint application techniques. To assist in your studies, included is a high-resolution image of the final piece to be used in conjunction with the video.  

Out of pure excitement, sheer fear, or frantic desire to capture a subject, it is very easy to haphazardly rush through a painting. Things such as tree branches, leaves, and stems are some of the first things to fall victim to quick and careless brushstrokes. These thoughtless strokes can often arise simply out of an eagerness to get to the more ‘important’ or ‘interesting’ parts of a painting⎯but it is these subtleties that can add great strength to a piece, and require your undivided attention!

This lesson explores the importance of slowing down, and the joy that lies in careful consideration of the subtleties. Richard and Nancy comment on the significance of attentive observation, and emphasize how selectively chosen, subtle nuances can greatly enhance what you wish to say about your subject. Nancy explains how the simple act of asking good questions can be of great help and act as your own personal guide through the painting process. High-resolution images are included as examples to illustrate concepts and demonstrate ideas. In addition, Richard offers further insight into his painting, “​Poudre River Rapids,” by pointing out key areas of interest and explaining his observations and the choices he made that helped to tell his story. 

It is a common occurrence to begin a painting from life and be unable to bring it to a desired level of finish in one session. Often, subjects are intricate and demand a multitude of sittings. Unfortunately though, it is sometimes impossible to return to your subject for a second or even a third sitting. The model may be unavailable, the flowers may have died, the weather might have changed, the snow may have melted, or perhaps travel plans do not allow for a return visit. There are many reasons to run out of precious time with your chosen subject. What is an artist to do?

The second part of this series is dedicated to the destiny of these uncompleted pieces and offers suggestions and solutions for how to bring them to a desired level of finish. It explores how best to critique your own work, and offers techniques for gaining a fresh perspective, both in the field, and back in the studio.

In addition, photography, and its inherit limitations are discussed, and ways to overcome them are presented. Throughout the lesson Richard offers his advice and expertise on these topics. He discusses the difficulty of finishing a piece in the studio that was started from life, and offers suggestions for how to successfully overcome these challenges. High-resolution images of selected works by Richard are included throughout the lesson to reinforce concepts.

Varnishes are used to bring out the freshness of color, and afterwards, when a painting is finished, to protect and preserve the surface. Final varnishing is critical and vital to ensuring that a painting endures a long life.

In this lesson, varnishes and their properties are explored, including tips and tools for using and applying intermediate and final varnishes. In addition, Richard shares his experience with varnishing and demonstrates his procedure for applying a final varnish.

In the previous volume, the nature and behavior of light was explored from a scientific point of reference. Given the discussions about particles and lightwaves, you may have even thought you had opened up a section of a physics textbook, rather than an article about art! Approaching the study of light in this way is essential for the artist in the same way as studying the physics of sound and the mechanics of a piano is to a master pianist—it is all part of learning the craft. Harnessing this fundamental knowledge will bring a more refined approach to your work and aid in improving observation skills.

In this next section on the palette, more practical applications will be presented to this somewhat abstract thinking about light and color. The palette and the inherent limitations of working with pigments will be explored. In addition, ways to approach painting relationships to effectively portray what you see will be covered, including advice and a demonstration from Richard on how to paint the illusion of light.

This lesson spends the day with Richard at one of his favorite painting spots in the fields of the Putney Barn. On this day in October, Richard sketches the house and trees on the property and discusses the art of landscape painting. This installment recounts the day’s events and includes over 20 sequential images illustrating the various stages his painting underwent. Also included are detailed descriptions of his color mixtures, his paint application techniques, and reasons behind his choices.  

As artists, we often need to send images of our works to clients for potential sales, to magazines for print, and to galleries for review. In addition, we need salable prints that are an accurate representation of our original works and most simply, on occasion, need accurate reference photographs from which to work. This is why accurate color representation is crucial, and why it is extremely important to have an understanding of color management and the associated tools and procedures for obtaining successful results.

In response to an abundance of requests, this lesson will focus on color management issues in relation to your camera, computer monitor, and printer—including calibration and profiles. In addition, this article will include important tips for taking accurate photographs of your paintings, reference photos, or any other important business related images where capturing accurate color is crucial. It will explain the benefits of working in a RAW camera format, the importance of custom in-camera white balancing, correct exposure, and will recommend two essential tools to aid in achieving color continuity between numerous devices.

In 2006, on July 22, Richard gathered the Putney Painters for an impromptu afternoon demo at the barn to paint freshly picked garden lilies. This lesson documents the day's events and show Richard's demonstration. Contained in this lesson are over 20 images showing each stage in the development of his lily painting. This sequence of images gives insight into the developmental process of painting from life in a single session. Join in watching over the master's shoulder as he paints these colorful garden flowers! 

This lesson focuses on optimizing your working surface by re-coating an existing primed canvas with a lead ground, custom designing it to suit your needs. Contained in this lesson is a detailed procedure describing the process of re-coating primed canvas with white lead. This is a great way to fix canvas that fails to meet your standards and improve upon it by creating your own custom, ideal painting surface! Re-covering a canvas with lead will fix absorbency issues, uniformity within the working surface, and also allow for full control over the surface texture. Safety concerns and precautions of working with lead are also discussed. 

This lesson focuses on the versatile tool of squinting and explores the power behind its use. Also included in this article are over 75 images showing each stage in the development of Schmid's painting, “​Orange and Violet Pansies.” This sequence of images gives insight into the developmental process of building a painting. You will see how Richard began and how he played out the middle game, which lead to the completed painting below.

This first part of this lesson series discusses the importance of the preliminary stages of a painting, as decisions made at this point will determine the entire course of the work. It explains the thinking process Richard goes through before he starts a painting, and stresses the value in painting studies as a way to solve problems. Also included are two demonstrations of how to paint ears, and details regarding ear anatomy.

This lesson contains over 45 images showing each stage in the development of Schmid's painting, “Adele in our Garden.” This sequence of images gives insight into the developmental process of building a painting. You will see how Richard began and how he played out the middle game, which lead to the completed painting below.

This lesson contains over 85 images showing each stage in the development of Schmid's painting, “​North Garden Peonies”. This sequence of images gives insight into the developmental process of building a painting. You will see how Richard began and how he played out the middle game, which lead to the completed painting below.