Fisherman’s Trail. Painting #23. Easy Way to Make Your Painting Stand Out

August 12, 2018

Fisherman’s Trail is my 23rd oil painting. Fantastic faux wood grain is the background for a hike into the wilderness and discover a well worn path leading back to a favorite fishing spot.

“Let’s get crazy, what the heck. Take a two-inch brush–this is your bravery test…” – Bob Ross

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Fisherman’s Trail 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 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 23rd oil painting.

The Inspiration

The inspiration for Fisherman’s Trail was a Bob Ross painting that I found out about from a CRI Friday segment I watched on Twitch. I explained what CRI Friday is in my Starry Galaxy post. The CRI for that particular segment was Faye Fletcher. She streamed herself painting a Bob Ross painting from The Joy of Painting episode S28E1. I thought it looked cool and wanted to try my hand at creating that wood grain effect.

Materials

Here are the colors and equipment I used to paint Fisherman’s Trail. All of the colors are included with the Bob Ross Master Paint Set.

Colors

Mediums

Liquid Clear

Equipment

Before We Begin/Medium Application

Liquid Clear

Applying Liquid Clear is much like applying Liquid White. The trick is to not apply too much. You really don’t need a lot. Bob once said on his show that one jar of Liquid Clear will last you a lifetime. He’s not wrong! I still have the first jar I bought nearly 5 years ago. Having the right amount of medium on the canvas will aid in blending everything together.

The best way to apply the Liquid Clear is to dip your brush into the medium then dab it all over the area below the tape. 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. Remember, you don’t need a lot of medium. Once it’s completely covered, take a dry brush or a shop towel and lightly wipe the surface. The medium you need should remain on the surface.

How I Painted This Painting and Lessons Learned

Wood Grain Effect

Creating the wood grain effect is surprisingly simple. It’s also quite fun. The first step is to mix the color. You may think it’s just some Van Dyke Brown. However, that would be just a bit too dark. You have to make this brown on your own. Never fear. It’s easier than you think. Simply take Alizarin Crimson and Sap Green in equal parts and mix them together. That gives you a nice warm brown color.

Next, using the two inch brush, go into a bit of the Titanium white and pull out that brown you made. Since there is no liquid white, you’re going to get the true value on the canvas. To create a realistic wood grain, you need various values with each stroke. That’s where the white comes in. With a bit of white mixed in with the color you just made, go up to the top of the canvas and pull straight down. Just like painting a fence or something. Reload the brush each section until the canvas is full of color and looks like old boards.

The final part of this is going to blow your mind if you haven’t seen it before. Take the fan brush and dip it into a little bit of paint thinner. Dip it then shake it off. Starting at the top of the canvas touch just the tip of your fan brush to the canvas and gently pull down. You’re letting the thinner work itself off the brush. If you use too much pressure, you’ll pull the paint off. After each section, reload and shake and do it again until you get to the other side of the canvas.

It will take a minute but you’ll start to see the thinner have a reaction with the liquid clear. This is what creates the weathered wood grain effect.

Mountains and foreground

The rest of the painting is up to you. You can paint whatever you like now. I went with the original that Bob painted. For tips on mountains and trees, have a look back at some of my previous posts where I cover them in detail.

Fisherman's Trail mountains — Frosty Mountains

Final Thoughts

Fisherman’s Trail is a great way to add something different to your paintings. The wood grain effect is fun, easy, and effective. You can use it with any painting!

Overall, I was pleased with it. My only critique would be my mountain highlights. By this time, I had run out of Titanium white from my original Bob Ross kit so I had to re-order. The paint I received didn’t seem to be the same quality and I think it affected my highlighting. The highlights on this mountain look a bit like frosting. It lacks the breaking effect that I achieved on previous paintings. One paint I’ve found that made a difference is the Titanium white by Windsor and Newton. Though Bob Ross Inc touts their paints as the only one that will get the job done, somewhere along the line, their quality diminished. W&N white paint is a bit thicker making the breaking effect easier to achieve.

Fisherman's Trail wet — Drying in the Kitchen

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 Etsy shop to see other paintings available.

I hope you enjoy this painting. Give it a shot yourself then share a link to a photo of your rendition. Have a question? Comment below. Follow me on all my social media sites to stay up to date on everything and see current works.

Happy Painting!