Little Ouse Way. Painting #13. Apply your Bob Ross lessons to your own originals.
Little Ouse Way
Date Painted: February 12, 2017
Size: 16 x 20 canvas
Little Ouse Way is my thirteenth painting and my second original. I did not follow along with any Joy of Painting episode. Little Ouse is the name of the river in the painting.
Let’s Get Started
This post is about my original oil painting, Little Ouse Way. 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 or something similar. Next, I will expound a bit about my process. 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 13th overall and my second original oil painting.
The Inspiration
The inspiration for this painting was another photo that someone posted, in a local Facebook group. I wanted to test out my chops again on an original. Like my first original, I came across a photo of a spot near where I lived in Thetford, England. This path leads to that lake I painted and used to walk my dog around there.
I thought it looked like a nice picture and something made me want to paint it. So I decided to try it. It doesn’t look like your typical Bob Ross type scene but, I don’t know, I just felt like giving it a go.
Materials Used
Here are the colors and equipment I used. All of the colors are included with the Bob Ross Master Paint Set.
Colors
- Bright Red
- Cadmium Yellow
- Dark Sienna
- Indian Yellow
- Midnight Black
- Phthalo Blue
- Sap Green
- Titanium Hwite
- Yellow Ochre
- Van Dyke Brown
- Don’t forget the Liquid Hwite!
Equipment
There are a couple colors Bob uses that are not included in the kit that I couldn’t use up until this point. Those colors were Yellow Ochre, Indian Yellow, and Dark Sienna.
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.
Other Items Needed
There are many items you may need to consider before beginning your painting journey. For more visit my Getting Started page.
Process
This is not your prototypical Bob Ross scene so there’s no “formula” to follow. You can still apply a lot of the principles you learn from Bob to your own original. Basically, start at the back and work your way forward.
In my case, I started with the Liquid White like always. You can read more about how to apply Liquid White in my previous posts. Then I made a light gray color by adding an incredibly small amount of midnight black to my two inch brush and applied it over the liquid white. If it’s too dark, add a bit of Titanium White to lighten it. Gray skies can be tricky to do.
The basic principle applies for painting the trees. Put in the dark color first, then highlight. If you recall with highlighting, it requires a lot of paint on the brush so it sticks easier. Think of shape and form. Let the brush do the work for you.
The knife is a great tool to paint simple structures like a bridge. Lay out the basic shape using the knife’s edge and simply fill it in with a dark base color. Like highlighting a mountain, load some color on the knife and gently roll some color over the top. Don’t forget to leave some dark areas. A mixture of bright red and a little bit of dark sienna creates a beautiful brick color.
The foreground is a matter of outlining the shape and filling the area with dark color. Then paint in some grass, bushes or whatever is in your pictures. In my case, I used the knife to paint the path. It was a great way to get some practice with that versatile tool.
Final Thoughts
As you can see from the reference photo, I didn’t paint in the bench. I attempted to at first but it looked like crap so I removed it and covered it up. My favorite part of this painting is the bridge. I really enjoyed painting it and figuring out the right color mixture. Like my first original, I well and truly experienced the joy of painting again while doing this one. Others got to share that joy with me when I went live on Facebook for some of it.
I shared the painting with the original photographer and he was quite chuffed. It was well received when I posted in the group as well. This is another one of many inspired by that small town in Norfolk, England.
Here’s a little shout out to the photographer that took the original photo. His name is Lee Lewis and he specializes in urban exploration and landscape photography. Check him out on his website and Instagram
http://leelewisphotography.co.uk
He does some pretty great work.
I hope you enjoy this painting. 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 has taken me and can take you as a new artist.
This painting is no longer available. I sold it right before I left England. If you want to see more of my work or see what’s for sale, check out my Art Store to see other Bob Ross replicas or another original oil painting available. You can also follow me on all my social media sites.
Happy Painting!
One Reply to “Little Ouse Way. Painting #13. Apply your Bob Ross lessons to your own originals.”