Fifteen years in preparation, this book offers to the artist and art lover alike the wisdom and technical savvy of a lifetime of painting and teaching. Writing as an acknowledged master, Richard Schmid leads his reader gracefully through the subtleties of painting technique with refreshing clarity and unmatched technical authority. With an emphasis on painting from life, he writes with warm humor about the joys and trials of being an artist. He brings to life the romance of Bravura painting and examines the mysteries of color in fascinating detail. A new view of design is offered, along with insights into the thinking of the great Masters. The virtuosity that painters strive for is presented as an attainable goal, but he also tells us what to do when everything goes wrong. Above all, Richard writes with deep affection to all who strive for self-expression, regardless of their level of skill. He shares his own struggle from art school to the present and offers the things he has learned with the hope that his reader may enjoy the same passage of discovery. Lavishly illustrated, this book provides a unique overview of the rich historical background and theoretical ideas that underlie Direct painting, while examining in complete detail all of its technical problems and solutions. It also covers the full range of artistic subject matter and reveals the one thing a painter must know to capture it all. - Inside front cover.