Northern Lights part 2. Painting #18. More Black Canvas Fun.

July 25, 2018

Northern Lights part 2
Date Painted: March 5, 2017
Size: 16 x 20 canvas

Northern Lights part 2 is my 18th painting and depicts a snowy landscape with the notorious lights of the northern sky using the black canvas technique.

Let’s Get Started

This post is going to be a little bit different than my previous. It is still about Northern Lights part 2, my second time painting this scene. I will still post the video reference and colors/materials. Following that, I will do a sort of comparison to my first attempt and see what I had improved on at the time. So join me on this trip down memory lane as I recap my eighteenth oil painting.

The Inspiration

Northern Lights part 1 turned out to be pretty popular. It made it to the front page of Imgur, which I didn’t realize or know that it was sort of a big deal I guess, and I received a lot of inquiries about it. Someone messaged me on my newly set up Facebook page and requested the Northern Lights painting. I told the gentleman that it had already been sold but I was happy to do it again if he was interested. He stated he was. So I did it. After I finished it, I contacted him several times to arrange payment and collection and he quit responding. Not a huge deal since I didn’t mind painting it again. It gave me some practice with the technique again. And in the end, I gave it to my brother and his wife for Christmas.

For this one I followed along with S8E13 of The Joy of Painting. I didn’t really follow along as much as I used it for reference.

Here are the colors and equipment I used.

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. Although, I don’t recommend this one for a first timer. 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)

Mediums

Black Gesso. If you don’t have black gesso, get yourself a black canvas to save a little prep time.
Liquid Clear

Additional Colors (not included in the kit)

Equipment

There are a couple colors Bob uses that are not included in the kit. The Dark Sienna is not critical for it is used in the highlight of the cabin. You can make the highlight color by mixing some Van Dyke Brown with a bit of Titanium White. That is if you are brave enough to try the cabin. 😉 If you’re still working with your starter kit, you should have everything you need to paint Northern Lights. If you want to add a little bit more sparkle, I recommend getting yourself some Phthalo Green. Though not necessary, it’s a wonderful color to add to that dazzling sky.

For more items and materials you may need, check out my Getting Started page.

Before We Begin

Every Bob Ross painting begins with a little canvas prep and medium application. Liquid Clear is essential to paint a stunning black canvas scene. To see how to prep and apply the liquid clear, see my first post about Northern Lights.

Let’s See What’s Different

Sky/”Curtains”

The poor quality photos make it a bit hard to see the colors properly. The most noticeable difference is the number of auroras or curtains, as Bob calls them. When I painted the first one, I was having fun with the auroras so I painted an extra one. The second one, I went with the standard three auroras. Also, you can see a bit more crimson in the second one. The second one is a bit more whiter. It was either the paint I used or, more likely, I didn’t blend it as much as the first one.

Mountains

The mountains aren’t too much different. Like the last painting, it looks a bit like frosting. This was due to the paint. It wasn’t as thick as the paint I got in the Bob Ross kit. When it comes to a thick paint to make clouds and highlights, I’ve found that a non Bob Ross brand paint works better and I’ve now switched to. That brand is Windsor & Newton’s Titanium White. Which mountain do you prefer?

Foreground

There are two noticeable differences here. In the first one, I added more bushes and I used the knife to put in the snow. I can’t remember why I didn’t put in as many bushes. In the second version, I used the fan brush to paint the snow in. One thing I’m not too keen on in the second one is the bushes. The few that I put in all look the same shape. There’s no depth.

Final Thoughts

Turned out just as good as the first one overall. I’ve found that black canvas type paintings are pretty popular. They’re fun to do as well. They help create all kinds of cool different effects. I had a lot of fun making the auroras. Once again, I elected to not put in the cabin. I still wasn’t confident in my ability and I wasn’t the greatest fan of Bob’s cabins.

This post has been more of a comparison to my first version. If you would like more how tos and lessons learned with the black canvas technique, visit my first post about Northern Lights. It was also a lesson learned about doing custom paintings or commissions.

Note: Again, I don’t have any quality photos of this one. I took them on my old iPad in a poorly lit garage where I painted at the time.

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. You can also follow me on all my social media sites. You can also fine my art for sale in my art store or my Etsy shop.

Happy Painting!