by
Bob Ross
show:
Best of the Joy of Painting
Materials Needed:
Tools:
1” Foliage Brush
#3 Fan Brush
#2 Script Liner Brush
#5 Painting Knife
Liquid White
Canvas
Bob Ross Oil Colors:
Alizarin Crimson
Bright Red
Cadmium Yellow
Mountain Mixture
Phthalo Blue
Sap Green
Titanium White
Van Dyke Brown
Canvas Preparation
Start by using the 1” brush to cover the entire canvas with a thin, even coat of Liquid White. With long horizontal and vertical strokes, work back and forth to ensure an even distribution of paint on the canvas. Do NOT allow the Liquid White to dry before you begin.
Step 1
Sky
Load the 1” brush with Phthalo Blue and paint the sky with criss-cross strokes. Add the water with long horizontal strokes. Then, use long horizontal strokes to blend the entire canvas. With the fan brush and circular strokes, paint the clouds with Titanium White. Blend out just the base of the clouds with a clean, dry 1” brush, then use sweeping upward strokes to lightly blend and ‘fluff’ the clouds.
Underpainting the Mountain
With firm pressure, shape just the top edge of the mountain with the knife and Mountain Mixture. Then, use the knife to remove the excess paint.
Step 2
Highlighting the Mountain
Use the 1" brush to ‘pull’ the paint down toward the base, completing the entire mountain shape.
With the knife and Titanium White, add snow to the right sides of the mountain peaks. Paying close attention to angles, use so little pressure that the paint ‘breaks’. Add snow to the shadowed sides of the peaks with a mixture of Titanium White and Phthalo Blue. Tap the base of the mountain with the 1” brush then gently lift upward to create the illusion of mist.
Background
Underpaint the small leaf trees at the base of the mountain with the 1” brush and Mountain Mixture. Then reverse the brush to reflect some of this dark color into the water. Use the 1" brush to pull the reflections straight down, then gently brush across.
Highlight the small trees with the 1” brush and mixtures of Yellow and Sap Green. Be careful not to cover all of the dark base color. Again, reverse the brush to reflect the highlights into the water. Use the 1” brush to pull down the reflections then lightly brush across.
Use Liquid White on your knife to cut in the background water lines and ripples.
Step 3
Evergreens
The evergreen trees are made with the fan brush and Mountain Mixture. Load the brush to a chiseled edge, hold the brush vertically and touch the canvas to create the center line of the tree then, use one corner of the brush to form the top branches. Working back and forth apply more pressure as you move down the tree, allowing the branches to become larger as you near the base.
Use the same dark mixture on the 1" brush to underpaint the leaf trees and grassy area at the base of the trees. Reflect this dark color into the foreground water.
Use a mixture of Van Dyke Brown and Titanium White on the knife to add the tree trunks. Highlight the evergreens with the fan brush and the leaf trees with 1” brush using various mixtures of Yellow, Green, Red and Crimson.
Step 4
Foreground
Using Mountain Mixture, underpaint the large foreground evergreens with the fan brush and the leaf trees with the 1” brush.
Highlight the foreground trees and bushes with various mixtures of Yellow, Green and Alizarin Crimson. Again, working in layers, create individual trees and bushes; be very careful not to destroy all of your dark underpaint. Reverse the brush and reflect these highlight colors into the foreground water. With a clean, dry 1” brush, use a VERY light touch to pull down the reflections and gently brush across.
Use Van dyke Brown on the knife to add the banks along the foreground water's edge. Be very careful of the angles here.
With a mixture of White and Van Dyke Brown, highlight the banks with the knife, applying so little pressure that the paint ‘breaks’, creating the impression of small rocks and stones.
With a small roll of Liquid White on the long edge of the knife, cut-in the foreground water lines.
Final Touches
Use the point of the knife to scratch in small sticks and twigs. Then, use the liner brush and very thin paint to sign your painting with pride!
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