Oil Painting

Bright Autumn Trees

Materials
Bob Ross Brushes:
2" Brush
1" Brush
#6 Fan Brush
Liner Brush
Large Painting Knife

Bob Ross Landscape Paints:
Alizarin Crimson
Bright Red
Cadmium Yellow
Mountain Mixture
Phthalo Blue
Sap Green
Titanium White
Van Dyke Brown
Liquid White
Other Materials:
Bob Ross Odorless Thinner
18x24 Canvas
Canvas Preparation:
Start by using the 2" 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

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Step 1:
Sky
Load the 2" brush with Cadmium Yellow. Starting in the center of the sky, begin by making sweeping diagonal strokes. Add Phthalo Blue with a small amount of Alizarin Crimson to the brush and use criss-cross strokes to complete the sky. Use the Blue-Crimson mixture to add the water with horizontal strokes. Then, use long horizontal strokes to blend the entire canvas.
Background
Load the 1" brush with Mountain Mixture and tap downward to form the small background trees. Reverse the brush to reflect the trees into the water, then pull straight down and gently brush across to give the reflections a watery appearance. Add Liquid White to the Mountain Mixture to highlight the tiny background trees.

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Step 2:
Load the long edge of the knife with a small roll of Van Dyke Brown to add banks at the water's edge, near the base of the far-away trees. Load the knife with a small roll of Liquid White to cut in the water lines and ripples.
Middleground
Moving forward in the painting, underpaint the larger trees, bushes and grassy areas with the 1" brush and various mixtures of the Mountain Mixture and Sap Green. To create the reflections in the foreground water, pull the dark color straight down into the water, then use the 2" brush to lightly brush across.
Add the path that extends across the water with the knife. Use Van Dyke Brown and short, horizontal strokes. Continue using the knife and the Brown to add the banks, rocks and stones along the water's edge. Highlight the path, banks, rocks and stones with various mixtures of Brown, Blue, and White. Use so little pressure on the knife that the paint 'breaks'. Cut in the water lines and ripples with a small roll of Liquid White on the long edge of the knife.

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Step 3:
Leaf Trees
Load the fan brush with Van Dyke Brown. Hold the brush vertically, start at the top of each tree and pull down to add the trunks. Thin the Brown with odorless thinner and use the liner brush to add the tree branches. Highlight the trunks and branches by adding White to the Brown.
Use the 1" brush and various mixtures of Brown, Blue, Green and Crimson to underpaint the tree foliage and small bushes at the base of the midground trees. Highlight the foliage with various mixtures of White, Yellow, Green, Red and Crimson which have been thinned with Liquid White. Don't just 'hit' at random - working in layers, carefully create individual limbs and branches and bushes. The very pale leaves are made with a mixture of Cadmium Yellow and Liquid White.

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Step 4:
Foreground
Use the fan brush to add the large tree trunk in the foreground, then highlight with a mixture of Titanium White and Van Dyke Brown on the knife. Again, use the liner brush to add the limbs and branches and the 1" brush to highlight the foliage.
Finishing Touches
Add tiny sticks and twigs using the thinned Brown on the liner brush. Finally, load the liner brush with a thinned color of choice to add the most important detail - your signature!
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.