Hidden Forest River. Painting #40. A Story of Acrylic and Oil Paint Teamwork.

Travel into the density of an evening grove and discovers the beauty of a gentle, hushed rippling river meandering through the forest.

It’s time to get the ole blog rolling again. After nearly five months of displacement, I’ve finally moved back into my house. It’s not 100% finished—still waiting on a major kitchen item, a few interior touch-ups, and some exterior work—but it’s livable. And that’s a huge relief.

While I was away, I managed a few small blog updates using the photos stored in my media library. But once those ran dry, I had to hit pause and wait until I could get back home.

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Forest River 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 Forest River 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 40th oil painting. 

Inspiration

I remember when I painted this one. I was on a bit of a hiatus for no particular reason. The last painting prior to this was done in February. Why did I go so long without painting? I really can’t say. It may have been when I was looking back at all my paintings and realized that I hadn’t painted in a while. Whatever the case it had been far too long between paintings.

When I take a break from painting, I like to get back into it by following along with Bob. This one is from S27E12 of The Joy of Painting. I chose to do this one because the gesso under paint looked cool and I wanted to try out those effortless rocks he’s known for.

Here are the colors and equipment used.

Colors

• White Gesso
• Black Gesso
• Liquid Clear
• Bright Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Dark Sienna
• Midnight Black
• Phthalo Blue
• Phthalo Green
• Prussian Blue
• Sap Green
• Titanium Hwite
• Van Dyke Brown

Equipment

• Black Canvas (optional if you don’t want to use the black gesso)
• 2 Inch Brush
• 1 Inch Brush
• #6 Fan Brush
• Large Palette Knife
• Script Liner Brush
• Filbert Brush

Notes From the Easel

I’m pleased with this on overall. The most challenging part of this painting was the gesso under painting. I had to mix the black and white to get the right shade of grey for some parts of the trees. That took some time to dial in, but I enjoyed the process. This was also my first time trying the double loading technique on the filbert brush. I wasn’t as effortless as Bob but the technique worked and I had fun.

You may have seen the gif of him making it look effortless.

Other than the gesso and the double loading technique, everything else is straight forward. This is a good one to take in your own direction. Lots of room for improvisation such as wildlife, fallen trees, or anything you might come across on a walk through the forest.

It was a fun painting to do. Give that a try. You may not make it look so easy but the technique does work.
I hope you enjoy this painting. Have any questions or comments? Let me know. This painting was sold but if you’re looking for some Bob Ross style artwork or decor, check out my Art store (when it get’s renovated) or my Etsy shop in the mean time. Don’t forget to check in with me on my socials!

Happy Painting!

Update!

I don’t usually do this but I went back and made some adjustments. Here’s the updated version. What do you think? Which version is better?