Richard Schmid Paints Landscapes: Creative Techniques in Oil

An early showcase of Schmid’s virtuoso technique, focused entirely on landscape painting in oils. Long out of print but worth tracking down if landscapes are your primary interest.

Why Start Here

This book predates the Alla Prima series and focuses specifically on painting landscapes outdoors and from reference. It covers materials, color, composition, edges, values, perspective, and outdoor light with the same practical clarity Schmid brought to his later writing. Eight fully illustrated step-by-step demonstrations walk you through complete paintings from start to finish.

If your goal is specifically landscape painting rather than a broad foundation in representational technique, this book gets there more directly than Alla Prima II. But for most painters, the broader book is the better starting point, and this one makes a fine companion piece.

What to Expect

A focused, compact guide at 143 pages. The original edition is a collector’s item and can be expensive on the secondary market. A revised edition called The Landscapes is available through Schmid’s official site. The writing is clear and instructive, the demonstrations are detailed, and the gallery of finished landscapes at the end shows what the techniques look like at their best.