Winter Frost. Painting #9. What is the Cabin Chance?

July 1, 2018

Winter Frost
Date Painted: January 24, 2017
Size: 16 x 20 canvas

“You can do anything here — the only prerequisite is that it makes you happy.”

Winter Frost is my ninth oil painting. I was well and truly hooked on my new artistic hobby. Since I wanted to continue painting different types of scenes and features, I chose my first full winter scene. With the help of Bob Ross, I was able to paint a cold mountain-scape, with a vibrant sun low in the sky in this warm and cozy snowy paradise.

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Winter Frost 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 Winter Frost 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 ninth oil painting.

The Inspiration

The inspiration for Winter Frost came from S10E12. I chose it because of the colors of the sky and the sun. I was still having fun and choosing paintings that either had pretty colors or allowed me to try different techniques. One new technique was painting a sun in the sky. I have to admit I liked the idea of a bit of finger painting. We’ll get to that later. This was also my first full winter scene.

Materials Required

Here are the colors and equipment I used to paint Winter Frost.

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 for this painting. 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)

Additional Colors (not included in the kit)

Indian Yellow

Equipment

There is one color Bob uses that is not included in the kit This color is important but not critical to this painting’s composition. That color is Indian Yellow. You could mix a bit of Cad Yellow and Red if you’re in a pinch for a sun color. The reason I list them under a separate heading is because you could complete 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 or like I did here.

I’ll admit, the kit can get a bit pricey. So here is an alternative starter oil paint set. Windsor and Newton is a solid brand. The only thing is it doesn’t come with any brushes or instructions.

W&N Oil Paint Starter Set

Additional Items to Get Started

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 tend to soak up the liquid white which is critical for this style of painting.

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! This was the first painting I was able to use this new easel. It absolutely made life ten times easier. I still have it almost 4 years later. Works great!

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 paperon 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. You’ll need a palette that is big enough to give you sufficient area to mix lots of colors with the knife and big brushes. Plus, a proper palette makes you feel like a REAL artist! It did for me anyway.

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!

Before We Begin

Every Bob Ross painting begins by covering the canvas with a medium. In most paintings he starts off with the medium known as Liquid White. Liquid White is a thin, fluid paint. Much thinner than the normal oil paint. This makes it easy to apply and mix with other colors right on the canvas.

I’ve watched every single Bob Ross episode and there are only two episodes where he demonstrates the application of Liquid White. Yet, he does not explain exactly how to apply it except in the one hour special video linked in Grandeur of Summer. Well, I’m here to help try to put into text what Bob was able to verbally explain.

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. I’ve been getting better with the liquid white with each painting. 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. But, 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. Bob suggests using a light gray primer on your canvas. This will make it easier to tell where you have applied the liquid white.

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 or use a clean, dry brush and go over it. The brush will pick up any excess from the canvas. The liquid white you need will remain on the surface.

How I Painted This Painting and Lessons Learned

Sky

This sky came out pretty well overall, I feel. As in my last painting, Rolling Hills, some brush strokes are visibly not blended. However, I think it works very well in Winter Frost. A nice little happy accident that gives us a cool effect. I liked using the 1” brush for the sky. It feels like a bit more control.

While painting the sky, I was skeptical about the brown that Bob uses. I mean brown isn’t the prettiest of colors. Add a little bit of blue to it, and it makes a sort of gray color which makes it look much better in my opinion. Also, it sort of looks like a cloud. If you don’t want your sky to look brownish, make it a dark blue instead. I’m not a fan of brown in the sky in general. It’s something that Bob does occasionally if you watch more Joy of Painting episodes.

When painting multiple colored skies, the rule of thumb is to blend from light to dark. That means start blending out the brush strokes or colors together in all the light areas before moving to the darker colors. When painting something like the sun, where you use a bit of finger paint, you usually get a thick layer. This thick layer of paint makes blending difficult because the paint will smear. Bob demonstrates how to mitigate this. Simply take the knife and zip it off. Don’t zip to the side. Quickly slide under it and lift away from the canvas.

Mountains.

Until Winter Frost, I think my mountains in Grandeur of Summer were my best. At this point, these mountains were my best. I was able to achieve that classic Bob Ross “breaking” snow look. I angled the highlights to give them more depth. What really makes these mountains stand out is that subtle red tint in the snow. Juuuuust enough to make it look like a bit of sunlight reflection. I think the reason I was able to get that breaking look was because I was a bit loose with the knife. That is the key. Just let it happen. No pressure with the knife.

Trees/Foreground

Every now and then Bob demonstrates different techniques for painting various features. Typically, he uses the fan brush to create distant evergreen trees. It’s not often that I feel brave enough to try those unfamiliar techniques. In this episode, he demonstrates painting distant trees using the one inch brush. I was brave enough to try it here and I think it works out well. It gives the distant tree line a thicker, fuller look.

Coming forward to the foreground trees, they are just your basic evergreens and foliage made with the fan brush and one inch brush, respectively. Nothing too technical here. There is a tip I can give you for highlighting both. Bob rarely demonstrates this tip. A lot of the time when using a light color such as white for highlighting in the wet on wet technique, you are going to pick up a lot of that under color as you go along. Simply give your brush a little wipe on a paper towel and reload it with the highlight color. Do this whenever you start to bring dark color into your highlights.

Cabin Chance

If you’ve watched this episode, you’ll probably notice that there’s something conspicuously missing. As you can see from the video, Bob adds a little cabin in the corner. He does this in a lot of his paintings. I chose not to put the cabin in because, well, it’s my world. No, but really, it’s because I didn’t feel confident enough to try to paint one yet. I’ve always had trouble with perspective in drawing so I wasn’t ready to paint a cabin. This was the first of his paintings I even attempted. Truth be told, I never really cared much for cabins in Bob’s paintings. I have painted cabins since then and I’ll explain the technique later.

Final Thoughts

Around the time of this painting, Winter Frost turned out to be one of my favorites. The other one being Mountain Reflections. As I mentioned before, at this point in my artwork I was simply doing the same paintings as Bob on The Joy of Painting. I was just having fun. The slightly different part about this one is the tree. I decided to make it a birch tree type instead of the type Bob put in his at the last minute. That tree that I put in is…something else.

While doing that, I had that feeling again like I did my last painting. That feeling was the joy of painting that Bob has talked about many times on the show. I was feeling that most while I was using the liner brush to paint the sticks and twigs on the tree. The more you start to venture onto your own thing and get that feeling, the more confident you become and the more you want to do it. That was certainly the case for me and one of the reasons I’m still painting. It was only a minor change but quite enough to make me feel like an artist.

I hope you enjoy this version of Winter Frost. Give it a shot yourself then share a link to a photo of your rendition. 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. This painting ended up as a gift to a family member. If you want to see more of my work or see what’s for sale, check out my Art Store to see other paintings available. You can also follow me on all my social media sites.

Happy Painting!