Mountain Sunset. Painting #64. Happy Little Painting. Bright, Shiny, Pretty.

Mountain Sunset is my 64th oil painting. It’s a warm and wonderful, perfectly brown toned mountain scene with vivid sky colors. It was painted live on Twitch.

“Today I think we’ll do a happy little painting, bright and shiny and pretty, just something that’ll make you feel good.” – Bob Ross

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Mountain at Sunset 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 what 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 64th oil painting.

The Inspiration

The inspiration for Mountain at Sunset was a Bob Ross painting from Joy of Painting episode S12E10. I chose this episode because of the style of mountain Bob paints and the vivid sky colors. Also, since I was painting it live on Twitch, I figured the colors would be something the audience would enjoy. 

Materials

Here are the colors and equipment I used to paint Mountain at Sunset. All of the colors are included with the Bob Ross Master Paint Set. 

Colors

• Alizarin Crimson
• Bright Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Dark Sienna
• Indian Yellow
• Midnight Black
• Phthalo Blue
• Prussian Blue
• Sap Green
• Titanium Hwite
• Van Dyke Brown
• Yellow Ochre

Mediums

• Liquid Clear

Equipment

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

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.

For more medium tips see my Medium Application how-to page.

Tips and Tricks

Mountain

The mountain in this scene is a layered mountain. Most of Bob’s mountains are snow capped so they only have some white and blue highlights/shadows. In this mountain, the highlight color is a marbled mix so many different colors come through. In one knife stroke, you got some bright red, yellow ochre, sienna, and white. If those colors don’t all come through on the first stoke, you can add layers like Bob does in the episode. Play around with the color a bit. I think you’ll be pleased with the results. 

Large Tree Highlights

Throughout the Joy of Painting series, Bob demonstrates different ways to paint the same things. In this episode he demonstrates foliage highlights using the two inch brush. I never tried that technique until this painting. The trick is to get the tip to a somewhat chiseled edge. My brushes are a bit worn so it’s hard to get that edge. If you can get the brush to a narrow point, it should work. So get the brush to a chiseled edge and tap the canvas using just the corner. Use enough pressure to cover how much area you want. Start out light until you find the right touch. It takes a little practice. It’s the same with the one inch brush highlighting only a different shape. It’s all in the pressure of the touch. Just need to find it.

Final Thoughts

Mountain at Sunset is a great painting to practice layered mountains and bright, vivid skies. Liquid Clear really brings out the true value of color. 

Overall, I was pleased with how it turned out. I enjoyed working with the different highlight colors. I love the marbling effect when mixing colors. If you like the marbling effect, this painting is for you. 

You can find this painting and others for sale in my Etsy shop. 

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. Enjoy the time lapse video I made from this painting. There’s almost a major disaster about mid way through! 

Happy Painting!