Mountain River. Painting #41. Use Happy Accidents to Your Advantage.

Mountain River is my 41st painting. Relax as the perfect picnic spot emerges from paint filled brushes – quiet peaks on a tranquil lake and luscious green velvety grass.

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Quiet Mountain Lake by Bob Ross. Since my version turned out a bit different, I chose to rename it. 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 this one 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 41st oil painting. 

Inspiration for Mountain River

Created during a period when I resumed painting regularly, Mountain River was inspired by Bob Ross’s techniques from “The Joy of Painting” (Season 19, Episode 2). At the time, I was continuing with my Bob Ross binge on YouTube. 31 seasons of painting videos takes a long time to get through! This piece allowed me to experiment with various techniques and colors. When this painting came up I decided to give it a go for three reasons.

• I wanted to try out the partial black gesso canvas again.
• I wanted to try a different cloud technique.
• I wanted to try a different color mountain with a different color highlight and shadow.

 Colors and Equipment Used.

Mediums

• black gesso
• Liquid Clear

Colors

• Alizarin Crimson
• Bright Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Dark Sienna
• Indian Yellow
• Midnight Black
• Phthalo Blue
• Phthalo Green
• Prussian Blue
• Sap Green
• Titanium Hwite
• Van Dyke Brown
• Yellow Ochre
• Don’t forget the Liquid Hwite!

Equipment

• 2 Inch Brush
• 1 Inch Brush
• #6 Fan Brush
• Large Palette Knife
• Script Liner Brush
• Filbert Brush

Techniques and Process

I chose this painting to explore four specific techniques:

Partial Black Gesso Canvas:

This technique involved using a black gesso undercoat, which led to a unique landmass and added stones due to a “happy accident.” The happy accident being I messed up the perspective of the undercoat landmass. When you do partial black gesso underpainting, it’s not complicated at all. Details don’t matter because you’ll be painting over them. My only other advise is if there is a perspective feature, that you pay attention to that.

Cloud Technique:

I experimented with a new method for creating clouds by leaving open spaces in the sky and blending the Titanium White into the sky. This is quite simple yet effective. By painting clouds this way, you use less paint and you save yourself the hassle of picking up too much under color and having to wipe off the brush.

Mountain Highlights:

I practiced highlighting mountains with different colors, aiming to achieve a unique look for the highlights and shadows. What I mean by this is normally Bob is painting snow covered mountains. I wanted to try mountains that were not snow covered. I believe I was successful even though my mountains were a bit lighter in value.

Two Inch Brush:

I used the two inch brush to create the trees as opposed to the fan brush technique that is common as well as highlighting the grassy foreground. The grassy foreground is something that I always struggle with. The key is a thin highlight color and light pressure in the application.

Outcome and Reflection

While my painting differs slightly from Bob Ross’s original, I am pleased with the results, particularly the non-snow-capped mountains, even if the values are a bit lighter than Bob’s version. The cloud technique proved simple yet effective, and the practice with highlights was invaluable.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed reading about my “Mountain River” painting and feel inspired to try it yourself. If you do, please share your results with me. If you enjoy my blog, consider sharing it with your friends. This painting ended up as a gift to a family member. If you’d like a painting like this for yourself, I have a shop where you can acquire some of my artwork for yourself or as a gift for the happy tree lover in your life. To see what’s currently on the easel, check out all my social media sites. Hope to see you in my comments sections! If you do find your way there from here, leave a comment and let me know. Until next time…

Happy painting!