Schmid DVD Review

[Bob Bissett]

Video Review

[Ant Carlos]

I guess I'll take this old topic about RS's publications to bring you my concern on ordering via Richard's website 5 weeks ago. I chose to FAX MY ORDER, as the other option for non-US residents was print and send via snail-mail and I didn't want something to take that long.

I'll copy their shipping method (displayed in their fax page)here:
United States Shipping Options
____ UPS Ground (5-10 Business Days) $12
____ UPS Second Day Air (2-3 Business Days) $16
____ Priority Mail (5-10 Business Days) $12
United States Territories Shipping Options
____ Priority Mail (5-10 Business Days) $12
Canadian Shipping Options
____ UPS Canada Express (5-7 Business Days) $21
Foreign Shipping Options
____ Foreign Mail (10-15 Business Days) $32

OK, the last option applies for me. $32 and there I go to order the famous Hard Cover Alla Prima. I printed and filled the page to be faxed accordingly, plus added my email address in the bottom of the page asking them to email me and confirm my art order was OK. Well, I got the confirmation, but for my surprise the shipping address was totally messed-up (wrong spell for my city, my phone number displayed instead of Zip Code, etc). I emailed back immediately and prompted them to correct the shipping address and that's when my worries started. In the next day I've got an apologizing email from Stove Praire saying that they provided a replacement order which "is scheduled to ship via International Air Mail and should arrive within 3-8 weeks". Notice that the originally announced "10-15 Business Days" in RS's website wasn't taken into consideration. I then phoned Stove Praire (unfortunately not toll-free when calling from Brazil) and was told I'd really have to wait 3-8 weeks.
It's not usual for me to pay $32 for a Mail Service and have wait so many weeks. When I buy art stuff from USA it takes one week, or 10 days at latest. I know there are several Mail Services available, but I always choose the best/fastest/safer one, and the price is pretty much like that (not rarely cheaper).
After 4 weeks I phoned Stove Praire AGAIN asking if my order was on the way, because in my mind they should have a tracking number to check where the pack is. And again, for my surprise, I was told that they don't have a tracking number and gave me no other info then that my order could take up to 12 WEEKS to arrive. So, now it's 12 weeks. Where are those 10-15 business days?
5 weeks are gone now and I find my hopes of getting the book soon is vanishing.
Maybe they should take better care of their customers. I admire Richard Schmid so much and definitely didn't want to suffer such bad feeling about his website and co-workers.
If someone is willing to help me, they have a toll-free telephone number for US residents. Please email me (antcarlos%mgt.com.br) and I'll give you their number and my order number. I wish someone could get from them better information than I did.

Sorry if this is not a pleasing post, but I believe we artists should count on each others when something art-related is beyond our control.

Best regards,

Ant

[Jeff Fuchs]

I don't know if they ever made all four of the videos they originally planned, but I saw the June and November ones. I also bought the book, but it arrived as my mother's health was declining, and I haven't yet had a chance to read it through.

In one of the videos he discusses color charts and how he uses them. This was covered extensively in the book as well.

I find that, after watching several different videos, it seems that there are innumerable ways of approaching the job of painting a picture. I have often commented that if the artists from all these videos were assembled in one room, a fist fight might break out. Each has a different approach, and different philosophy (for instance, Morgan Weistling insists that painting is nothing more than drawing... and don't you forget it. David Leffel says painting is approached with a completely different mindset from drawing. Each has merit, but the Leffel approach works better for me).

The videos on the market today are very useful, and are well worth the money. Their real value is in the diversity of approaches that can be seen from a wide variety of artists.

[Ngaire Winwood]

Jefff

I know you have been on the path of development for a while now, so I am not hesitating to ask you this question.

If you had a choice of three/four videos to watch, one on drawing, one on colour and one on portraiture (oils and pastels), who and why would you feel comfortable about recommending? Not only for a dvd but for vhs and book as well. As you may remember, I am a beginner with very limited experience who is also taking time out to train in isolation geographically, financially and socially due to living down under.

I know it is bit of a tough one to ask you. There has been a few I have read in here over the last hew years who have asked similar questions.

I realise it is up to the individual in the end. Norrowing the field down is the problem.

So far, I am choosing between Daniel Green, John Sanden, Burton Silverman, Zorn, Margret Baugementer ?, Morgan W, Richard Schmid. I also want to get a bust for drawing practice, e.g. one male and one female maybe 'homer' not simpson.

Any suggestions most welcome.

[Steven Sweeney]

Ngaire, are you able to play NTSC format video tapes, or only PAL?

[Ngaire Winwood]

Dear Steven

I have a VHS video player and also a DVD player that came with XBox that my son has, so am able to watch both. What would you suggest to get, I have had a part time job and have saved up a few dollars to get a few instructional videos to help my development?

[Steven Sweeney]

Ngaire,

The formatting problem I was referring to has to do with different recording standards in various parts of the world. For the sake of simplicity, NTSC would be North American, and PAL would be Australian. These days, it's rare to find a video tape player that will play back more than one mode. (For that reason, I had the PAL videos I purchased while living in Australia converted to NTSC DVDs for playback here in the U.S. Unfortunately, those now-useless-to-me PAL videos are shelved about 1250 miles away from me, being held under duress in the dark without food or water, so I can't just pop them into the mail for you. Perhaps later in the fall [your spring, down under].)

I'm betting that you would have to have tapes in the PAL mode, in order to play them on your machine. I was about to offer some available tapes for your viewing, but then I realized that my NTSC-mode videos probably wouldn't work for you.

As for which ones to look for, I guess all I can add to everyone else's lists posted on Forum is that I perhaps found the greatest benefit for the price in videos from Daniel Greene, John Howard Sanden, and anything from Helen Van Wyk. I've viewed dozens of other video/DVD offerings, but those artists all convey heaps of basic but very useful information that will serve you well.

Edit: By the way, I'd get any such instructional materials on DVD, rather than video, if possible. The time is foreseeable when video playback devices will be pretty much obsolete, and video tape itself degrades over time. Also, the DVD format permits you to easily skip around in the presentation.

That's just a caveat, from someone who nonetheless still owns a turntable and several hundred LP record albums.

[Ngaire Winwood]

Thanks Steven. I appreciate your reply.

[Ant Carlos]

Finally I got my copy of Richard Schmid's Alla Prima Book. It took 11 weeks to arrive. I can't say I am happy for the long wait. But I am really happy for the book. Thanks Bob for helping me along with SP. I'd suggest them to update the original ad on their website "Foreign Shipping Options - Foreign Mail (10-15 Business Days) $32" to 8-28 weeks instead, just like they did after I had already ordered and started complained.
Anyway, this is a happy end for me. There were moments when I thought it was lost forever.

Best regards,

Ant