Cat in the Basket

Materials:
Bob Ross Brushes:
Floral Brush-3/4"
Floral Brush-1/2"
Floral Filbert Brush
Floral Small Round Brush
Liner Brush
Bob Ross Soft Paints:
Cadmium Yellow Light
Flower Pink
Mauve
Sap Green
Titanium White
Turquoise
Ultramarine Blue
Bob Ross Mediums:
Oil Paint Medium
Gray Gesso
Odorless Paint Thinner
Other Materials:
18x24 Double-Primed, Stretched Canvas
Paper Palette
Permanent Black, Fine Line, Felt Tipped Marker
Soft paper towels
Foam applicator

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Step 1
Canvas Preparation
Start by using a foam applicator to cover the entire canvas with a thin even coat of Bob Ross Gray Gesso and allow to dry completely before you begin. The Gray Gesso will automatically create the shadowed areas of the cat and the basket.
Use the small round floral brush and a very, very thin mixture of Titanium White and Odorless Paint Thinner to lightly sketch the kitten in the basket. Be sure the entire kitten fits inside the basket! Outline the kitty's eyes, nose and mouth with a fine-line permanent black, felt-tipped marker. Add the black irises to the kitty's eyes with the marker.
When the sketch is dry, cover the entire canvas with a very, very thin coat of Paint Medium. Remove excess medium by blotting with a soft paper towel.

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Step 2
Underpainting the Cat
Continue using the small round brush to underpaint the kitty's eyes with a thin mixture of paint medium and Ultramarine Blue. Underpaint the nose with thinned Flower Pink. Use the 1/2" brush and thinned Flower Pink and Titanium White to paint the inside of the kitty's ears.

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Step 3
Background
Use the 1" brush with a mixture of Flower Pink and Titanium White to paint the background on the left side of the cat. Add Turquoise and Mauve on the right side. The shadowed area under the basket is Ultramarine Blue and Mauve.

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Step 4
Painting the Cat
Highlight the kitten with the filbert brush and Titanium White. Starting at his nose and working outward, create his fur with a series of short strokes - be careful not to completely cover the Gray gesso. The light in this painting is coming from the right. Allow the left side of the kitten to remain quite dark and in shadow.

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Step 5
Painting the Basket
'Weave' the basket with the filbert brush and Titanium White. Use short, curved horizontal strokes, again allowing the Gray gesso to create the shadowed areas of the wicker.

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Step 6
Underpainting Flowers
With various thin mixtures of paint medium, Ultramarine Blue, Mauve, Turquoise, Flower Pink and White, use the 3/4" floral brush and loose criss-cross strokes to block in the blue hydrangea. Don't think 'flowers' yet - just loosely block in the basic clump shapes.

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Step 7
Underpainting Foliage
Now, underpaint the foliage with the 3/4" brush and thinned mixtures of Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green and Cadmium Yellow Light.

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Step 8
Painting Flowers and Cat Eyes
Use the Floral Filbert Brush and Titanium White to add clusters of tiny florets to the clumps of flowers. Don't get carried away! A few will do it just fine! With the small round floral brush, add centers to the florets with tiny dots of Cadmium Yellow. Highlight the leaves with the 3/4" floral brush and Cadmium Yellow.
Use the small round floral brush and thinned Titanium White and Ultramarine Blue to lighten the kitten's eyes - just a single, tiny crescent-shaped stroke on the lower portion of each eye.
If necessary, reinforce the dark iris with the small round brush and a tiny amount of Black. Highlight the nose and each eye with a single, tiny dot of Titanium White.

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Step 9 - Final Touches
Use the liner brush and very thin mixtures of paint medium and Sap Green, Cadmium Yellow and Titanium White to add stems and tendrils. The kitten has his eye on a single, tiny leaf. 'Wind' a stem around the basket handle, then add the leaf with the 1/2" floral brush. Use the filbert brush to add additional flowers spilling out of the basket.
When you are satisfied with your painting, use the liner brush to sign your painting. To load the liner brush, thin color of your choice to an ink-like consistency by first dipping the liner brush into paint medium. Slowly turn the brush as you pull the bristles through the paint, forcing them to a sharp point. Carefully sign your painting - you first name, last name or both names - reloading the brush as necessary. You can sign in the lower right corner, left corner, or one painter we know signs right in the middle of his painting! Stand back and admire your masterpiece!
You are free to print this project from our website as long as it is for your personal painting use only and not for further copying or reproduction.