Pair of Cherries. Painting #98. Trying Traditional Oil Painting

Pair of Cherries is my 98th oil painting and is painted using traditional oil painting techniques.

Let’s Get Started

This post is about a cherry still life oil painting that I did. 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 or other artist tutorial 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 98th painting. 

The Inspiration for Pair of Cherries

This painting is a replica of a tutorial I followed. If you’ve seen my other work you realize this is quite the different subject matter and style. Somehow I came across the artist Lena Danya on YouTube. She has an oil painting for beginners series on her channel. Since I like to explore other styles, her cherry tutorial seemed like a good way to dip into traditional oil painting by trying a new style and subject. 

Materials Needed

Mediums

Galkyd Gel  

Colors

Alizarin Crimson
Cadmium Red Light

Ultramarine Blue
Cadmium Lemon

Titanium White
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber

Equipment

Blick Bristle Filbert Brush Size 4
Princeton Synthetic Angle Brush
Blick Masterstroke Liner Brush 

Techniques

This painting started out with a process that is not talked about much if at all in the Bob Ross et al wet on wet technique. That process is toning. Toning the canvas or surface is the process of covering the surface with a thin color other than white and often used in traditional oil painting. Usually it’s some sort of brown shade. An all white surface tends to wash out the value of color. Covering the canvas with a color tones that down and helps bring forward more accurate tones. I used Burnt Sienna mixed with some paint thinner.

Something else I did differently that I don’t normally do is sketch out the subject before painting. For this I used the grid technique. I’m not the best at drawing but the grid technique is a great aid for something like this. 

This traditional painting technique took a long time yet it was extremely relaxing to do. The Bob Ross style is fun to do because it’s relatively quick and instantly gratifying. This style takes a little more patience. I also used a bit more traditional style oil paints over the Bob Ross paints.  Since this was a tutorial I followed, there’s not really many tips I can provide. All I can say is be patient. 

Final Thoughts

This took a lot longer than I thought and was way more of a challenge.  I’m used to doing paintings in one session over a couple of hours. It was challenging yet fun and extremely relaxing. I enjoy trying new techniques and approaches to art. Certainly different from my typical Bob Ross landscapes. 

I hope you enjoy this painting. In art, you can’t be afraid to try new things. If you’re looking to expand from the Bob Ross style and landscapes, try a still life. It’s pretty relaxing.  Comment below.  If you want to buy this one or see more of my work or see what’s for sale, check out my art store. You can also follow me on all my social media sites. I also have a gallery on this very website to see all my work that has ever been done. 

Happy Painting!