Mountain Reflections. Painting #4. Bob Ross Painting Binge Continues.

Mountain Reflections
Date Painted: January 2, 2017
Size/Surface: 16 x 20 stretched canvas

“Remember how free clouds are. They just lay around in the sky all day long.” –Bob Ross

Mountain Reflections is my fourth oil painting. This painting takes us to a beautiful lake hideaway nestled below a towering mountain. At the time of this painting, I was so pleased with how they were turning out. The holiday time off afforded me plenty of time to play with the Bob Ross Master Paint Set, I got for Christmas so I took full advantage. This one makes 4 days in a row of paintings! 

Why do I number my paintings and date them? The purpose of doing that is to show progression over time. I, or anyone, can go back and compare a painting I painted in 2017 or 2018 to one I painted in 2020 and see where I’ve improved or how quickly I improved. 

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Mountain Reflections by Bob Ross. First, I’ll talk about the inspiration for this painting. When I talk about inspiration in this blog, it will normally be why I chose a certain subject or Bob Ross episode to follow. Then, I will go over the colors and equipment I used and that you will need if you want to try your hand at it. Next, I will expound a bit about my process and how to paint Mountain Reflections even if you are a beginner and new to painting with Bob Ross. Finally, I’ll wrap up with some lessons that I learned from painting this picture and things I could have done better or wished I had known. So join me on this trip down memory lane as I recap my fourth oil painting. 

The Inspiration

The inspiration for this piece was Joy of Painting episode S12E2. I chose to do this episode because of the vibrant foliage colors and the vivid reflections. Mountains are always fun to do as well! I painted all the major components that are in this episode in my last three paintings. However, the primary reason I chose to try this scene was for the reflections. Additionally, I wanted to try putting a smaller mountain in front of the large one.

Materials Required

Here are the colors and equipment I used. Everything needed to do this painting comes with the Bob Ross Master Paint Set, with the exception of a few extra colors. 

Whether you want to continue on your journey after painting your first masterpiece from the Bob Ross Master Kit DVD or painting for the first time, here are the colors and equipment you will need. The kit includes everything you need to paint this painting in particular as well as many other spectacular Bob Ross masterpieces. Getting this kit will eliminate the anxiety of buying the right brushes made of the right materials or the right oil paints with correct firmness or pigment ratios. Everything you need is there and ready to go. 

Colors (included in the master kit)

• Alizarin Crimson
• Bright Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Midnight Black
• Phthalo Blue
• Sap Green
• Titanium Hwite
• Van Dyke Brown
• Don’t forget the Liquid Hwite!

Additional Colors (not included in the kit)

• Yellow Ochre
• Indian Yellow
• Prussian Blue 
• Dark Sienna

Equipment

• 2 Inch Brush
• 1 Inch Brush
• #6 Fan Brush
• Large Palette Knife
• Script Liner Brush

There are a few colors Bob uses that are not included in the kit so I couldn’t use them.  In most areas of the painting, you can barely tell so they’re not crucial to the composition of this painting. The reason I list them under a separate heading is because I completed this painting without those. They are listed as additional colors that you need to get if you want to paint it just like Bob Ross. 

For example, he uses Prussian blue in the mountain color and for the shadow color. You can use Phthalo Blue here and it won’t make much difference.  That’s what I did. Bob uses yellow ochre and Indian yellow a lot in foliage highlights. Since I didn’t have them yet, I didn’t use them. Use a little bit of bright red and cad yellow to give you some orange variations. 

Additional Items Needed for Oil Painting

If this is your first time painting, you’ll need a few essential items.  The Bob Ross kit doesn’t include everything you need to get started painting. It does include all the brushes and paint you need but in order to paint your own masterpieces you’ll need a few more things. I have you covered however. 

Canvas

Stretched canvas is optimal here. You can paint on many surfaces but if you’re just getting started, I advise you to go with a basic stretched canvas.  Most already come ready to paint on right out of the packaging.  Above all, avoid canvas boards with this technique. Canvas boards are cheap, yes and are commonly used by beginner artists due to their low cost. They simply do not work for this technique. You can get low cost stretched canvas at any art store and usually in bulk deals. 

Easel

You’ll want a sturdy easel to hold your painting surface. The kit I mentioned above does include a carrying case which I used as a makeshift easel.  Beware if you do this, however.  The canvas is not secure.  You could also lay the canvas flat on a desk or table. With that being said, you don’t require an easel but it sure makes life easier!

Palette

The kit I keep mentioning over and over? There’s a reason.  It really is a great starter kit to kick start your new painting hobby.  You’ll need something to squeeze your paint onto. The kit comes with a small wooden palette. You can squeeze the paint directly onto it. However, if you want to keep your palette clean and smooth, you can put some palette paper on it. If you don’t have the kit, you can use paper plates or a piece of glass or Plexiglas. However, I highly suggest not using paper plates and use a hard flat surface. Therefore, a nice large palette will be useful.

Odorless Paint Thinner

The only small drawback with oil painting is the solvents required. You need to clean your brushes and odorless paint thinner or odorless mineral spirits work the best. To keep it contained, you’ll need a bucket. The Bob Ross company has the perfect thing. This bucket and screen combo will keep your thinner contained and secure. Surely after you clean your two inch brush, you’ll want to beat the devil out of it! But you certainly don’t want to do that in your home. Bob comes through again with a brush beater rack. Put this inside a box or waste basket and you can beat the devil to your heart’s content! 

How I Painted This Painting and Lessons Learned

Mountain Reflections was my fourth oil painting.  I painted it on January 2, 2017.  This post was first published in summer of 2018.  Then I updated it in 2020 to add more substance and give you some more tips and encouragement to start painting. With all that being said, I have to go back and try to recall how I painted this one and the feelings associated with it. So let’s take it step by step. 

Liquid White

How to apply liquid white. The first thing to do with any Bob Ross painting is to apply the liquid hwite. The trick is to not apply too much.  At the time of this painting, I had not mastered the liquid white trick. I may have put just a tad too much on in some places.  Having the right amount of medium on the canvas will help lighten your value in the sky and aid in blending everything together.  

I learned later that the best way to apply the liquid white is to dip your brush into the white then dab it all over the canvas. After you’ve dabbed it, then you start to spread it around. However, you don’t paint it on like you’re painting a fence. With this medium, you have to spread it around and scrub it in. Really get tough with it.  Don’t worry, you’re not going to hurt your brush. 

Make sure the medium is spread evenly. To do this, I use the light of the room or outdoors.  For example, I look at the canvas at different angles to pick out dry spots.  To check if you have applied the right amount, lightly press your fingers on different spots on the canvas. You should be able to see your fingerprint.  If you can’t, then you’ve put too much on.  Don’t worry.  Simply take a paper towel and lightly wipe the canvas.  The liquid white you need will remain on the surface.

Sky

There’s not much I can say about the sky. I recall having fun painting the clouds. The only suggestion I would have, when the sky is a single color, is to vary the amount of pressure you apply with the two inch brush. Keep the brush moving all around the canvas using the little criss cross strokes Bob talks about. This will add a bit of variation and interest to your sky overall and give it more depth. 

Clouds

Do you struggle with painting happy clouds? It’s really not difficult. Clouds are free and fluffy so have fun with them! Using the fan brush in this case, the trick is to keep the brush moving. You don’t have to move fast, however. Do a little circle motion then move the brush and continue. The cloud is not gonna look right at first. Don’t worry about that. We’re gonna fix it. After the basic cloud shapes are in, take just the corner of the two inch brush and touch it lightly to the bottom of the cloud. Let me say that again. Lightly.  

Using the same circular motion you did with the fan brush, lightly blend out the bottom of the clouds. Remember, stay at the bottom. Then, using extremely light pressure, gently lift up from the bottom of the cloud in a backwards “C” like motion. Another way to think of it is a big exaggerated circular motion where you only barely touch the canvas with the brush on the clouds. Does that make sense? The best way to learn is to watch Bob Ross closely as he paints happy clouds. Basically, you want your clouds light at the bottom. 

Mountain

The mountains in this painting turned out well, overall. The paint was “breaking”, meaning you can see little gaps of the color underneath. The only minor critique I have of these mountains is similar to my previous paintings. The sharp angles of the highlights and shadows. Mainly the shadows. To avoid this, you have to be loose with the knife. Don’t fret so much about where the shadow starts. Change up your angle of attack. 

The last couple of mountain paintings I did, there appears to be a dark line above the start of the highlight. This is due to not starting the highlight stroke above the mountain outline. That’s a key trick in order to avoid that type of happy accident. Begin your highlight stroke just on the outside edge of the mountain highlight. 

One of the reasons I chose this episode to follow was because of the smaller mountain in front of the larger one. I failed at that.  I mean the mountain looks fine in itself but it’s not set apart from the larger one in the back. The reason is because I didn’t create enough mist on the large background mountain. Additionally, I didn’t bring it far enough down the canvas to make it appear closer.  So remember those two little tricks for painting a separate small mountain in front of a large main mountain. Create a dark, misty base, then start painting in the smaller mountain close to the base. 

Trees/Bushes

There’s nothing I can say about the trees and bushes in this painting. My evergreen shapes are getting better though they still need a bit of work. I’m overall happy with the bushes and highlights. I feel there’s plenty of contrast as well as shape and form. They could use a bit more color variation but I didn’t have those extra colors. To add some variation, I added more yellow here and there with a touch of red to the yellow. You have to be careful when adding red to your highlight color because when you go back to the green, you’ll end up with a brown color because of course, green and red mixed make brown. 

Notice the dark areas I left in the bushes. Creates a nice contrast.

Additional Tips

The reflections in this painting are my favorite part. When putting in reflections, the best way to go about it is to paint in the feature then turn the brush upside down and paint it in reverse. Start with the dark underlayer of course, even for the reflections. Then, using the two inch brush, lightly sweep down to blur it a bit. After that, continue painting the highlights of your feature. For this part, take notice of the color on your brush when varying the colors. If you paint one part of the bush or tree yellow/green, turn it around and paint the reflection of that highlight as well. Then move on to your yellow ochre or red and do the same thing. This ensures you match your reflection colors to your main colors. Finally, gently sweep down then across to finish your reflections. 

Final Thoughts

I like this painting a lot! At this point, it was my favorite one of the four that I had done. This scene turned out to be popular among my friends and family and I had three requests to paint it again. They will be featured in future posts. 

Note: These are not the highest of quality photos. I took them on my old iPad in a poorly lit garage. I don’t have any other photos aside from the one below because I no longer have this painting in my possession. This one ended up as a gift to my father. It looks awesome hung in a frame above the fireplace. 

I hope you enjoy this painting. I’d love to know your thoughts. Tell me what you like about each painting. What could be better? Have a question? Comment below. Subscribe to my blog to stay up to date and be notified when a new post is live and learn more about the Bob Ross method and how far it can take you as a new artist. Check out my Art Store to see paintings for sale. You can also follow me on all my social media sites. 

Happy Painting!