Rolling Hills. Painting #8. First Time Experiencing the Joy of Painting.

June 30, 2018

Rolling Hills
Date Painted: January 22, 2017
Size: 16 x 20 stretched canvas

“Isn’t it fantastic that you can change your mind and create all these happy things?” -Bob Ross

Rolling Hills is my eighth oil painting. My new found artistic hobby kept rolling along. See what I did there? This one was painted the very next day after Grandeur of Summer. I was still on a painting kick from my Christmas gift and the new paints I added to my collection. I was eager to utilize the new colors. With Bob’s help, I was able to captivate the graceful and uncommon qualities of distant sloping hills and a peaceful nearby lake while experiencing the joy of painting.

Let’s Get Started

This post is about my version of Rolling Hills 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 Rolling Hills 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 eighth oil painting.

The Inspiration

The inspiration for this piece was Rolling Hills.

I chose to follow this episode because of the colors in the sky. The purple clouds complement the yellow sky and so do the purple hills. Yellow and purple are what’s known as complementary colors. Colors directly across from each other on the color wheel are complementary colors. Using complementary colors the right way can really make your art more interesting. Of course, at the time I painted this, I had know idea that I was doing that.

The hills are another reason I chose this one. I wanted to try Bob’s technique of differing values between layers of landscape features. This painting had a good color variation in the foliage so it was another great opportunity to use the extra Bob Ross colors I had recently ordered. I still had the colors that came with my Bob Ross Master Paint Set. The new colors allowed me to add a lot more variation and interest to my painting again. It made a big difference in my opinion.

Materials Required

Here are the colors and equipment I used.

Whether you want to continue on your journey after painting your first masterpiece from the Bob Ross Master Kit DVD or painting for the first time, here are the colors and equipment you will need for this painting. The kit includes everything you need to paint this painting in particular as well as many other spectacular Bob Ross masterpieces. Getting this kit will eliminate the anxiety of buying the right brushes made of the right materials or the right oil paints with correct firmness or pigment ratios. Everything you need is there and ready to go.

Colors (included in the master kit)

Additional Colors (not included in the kit)

Equipment

There are a couple colors Bob uses that are not included in the kit that I couldn’t use up until this point. These colors are not critical to this painting’s composition. However, in this particular composition, I think they’re essential. The reason I list them under a separate heading is because you could complete this painting without those. They are listed as additional colors that you need to get if you want to paint it just like Bob Ross or like I did here.

I’ll admit, the kit can get a bit pricey. So here is an alternative starter oil paint set. Windsor and Newton is a solid brand. The only thing is it doesn’t come with any brushes or instructions.

W&N Oil Paint Starter Set

Additional Items to Get Started

If this is your first time painting, you’ll need a few essential items. The Bob Ross kit doesn’t include everything you need to get started painting. It does include all the brushes and paint you need but in order to paint your own masterpieces you’ll need a few more things. I have you covered however.

Canvas

Stretched canvas is optimal here. You can paint on many surfaces but if you’re just getting started, I advise you to go with a basic stretched canvas. Most already come ready to paint on right out of the packaging. Above all, avoid canvas boards with this technique. Canvas boards tend to soak up the liquid white which is critical for this style of painting.

Easel

You’ll want a sturdy easel to hold your painting surface. The kit I mentioned above does include a carrying case which I used as a makeshift easel. Beware if you do this, however. The canvas is not secure. You could also lay the canvas flat on a desk or table. With that being said, you don’t require an easel but it sure makes life easier!

Palette

The kit I keep mentioning over and over? There’s a reason. It really is a great starter kit to kick start your new painting hobby. You’ll need something to squeeze your paint onto. The kit comes with a small wooden palette. You can squeeze the paint directly onto it. However, if you want to keep your palette clean and smooth, you can put some palette paper on it. If you don’t have the kit, you can use paper plates or a piece of glass or Plexiglas. However, I highly suggest not using paper plates and use a hard flat surface.

Therefore, a nice large palette will be useful. You’ll need a palette that is big enough to give you sufficient area to mix lots of colors with the knife and big brushes. Plus, a proper palette makes you feel like a REAL artist! It did for me anyway.

Odorless Paint Thinner

The only small drawback with oil painting is the solvents required. You need to clean your brushes and odorless paint thinner or odorless mineral spirits work the best. To keep it contained, you’ll need a bucket. The Bob Ross company has the perfect thing. This bucket and screen combo will keep your thinner contained and secure. Surely after you clean your two inch brush, you’ll want to beat the devil out of it! But you certainly don’t want to do that in your home. Bob comes through again with a brush beater rack. Put this inside a box or waste basket and you can beat the devil to your heart’s content!

Before We Begin

Every Bob Ross painting begins by covering the canvas with a medium. In most paintings he starts off with the medium known as Liquid White. Liquid White is a thin, fluid paint. Much thinner than the normal oil paint. This makes it easy to apply and mix with other colors right on the canvas.

I’ve watched every single Bob Ross episode and there are only two episodes where he demonstrates the application of Liquid White. Yet, he does not explain exactly how to apply it except in the one hour special video linked in Grandeur of Summer. Well, I’m here to help try to put into text what Bob was able to verbally explain.

Liquid White

How to apply liquid white. The first thing to do with any Bob Ross painting is to apply the liquid hwite. The trick is to not apply too much. I’ve been getting better with the liquid white with each painting. Having the right amount of medium on the canvas will help lighten your value in the sky and aid in blending everything together.

I learned later that the best way to apply the liquid white is to dip your brush into the white then dab it all over the canvas. 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. Bob suggests using a light gray primer on your canvas. This will make it easier to tell where you have applied the liquid white.

To check if you have applied the right amount, lightly press your fingers on different spots on the canvas. You should be able to see your fingerprint. If you can’t, then you’ve put too much on. Don’t worry. Simply take a paper towel and lightly wipe the canvas or use a clean, dry brush and go over it. The brush will pick up any excess from the canvas. The liquid white you need will remain on the surface.

How I Painted This Painting and Lessons Learned

Sky

The colors in the sky are my favorite part of this painting. The blending could have been a bit better. If you look closely, you can see a lot of brush strokes. Between the blending and the brush strokes, looking back, I think I may not have used quite enough liquid white. You can see a similar thing in the water at the bottom. Don’t neglect the water when blending sky colors at the bottom. You never know what may or may not be covered up.

By this time in my painting experience, less than a month, I got better at the liquid white application but I hadn’t mastered it yet. If you try this one, follow the tips for applying liquid white above. Take a little bit of extra time to try to blend the colors more seamlessly and blend out the brush strokes.

Hills

This was my first time painting this type of feature. It was one of the reasons I chose to replicate this particular Bob Ross painting. In my opinion I needed some work. The trick to this is to mix the right values. Value mixing was still pretty new to me at this point.

First issue I can critique, looking back, are the sharp outlines of each hill. They are sharp and not blended out quite enough. I can’t recall my ~~mistake~~ happy accident in applying the paint for this feature. In addition to the sharp outlines, I did not make the farthest hill light enough. One thing I’ve learned over the years is to start out too light if in doubt. It’s a lot easier to make a value darker once you’ve put paint to canvas but it’s a son of a gun to make it lighter.

I don’t think there’s quite enough value difference between the layers to create that illusion of distance. Additionally, it didn’t help that I made the back hill a wee bit too big. Therefore, most of the crimson color in the sky was covered up. That itself is not really a big deal. It’s just a minor consequence of a too large distant hill. Coming forward with each hill, they got a little bit darker but due to not making the farthest one light enough, there was only so dark I could go.

Vegetation/Foliage

There aren’t a lot of separate features and layers in this painting. So, in this section, I will cover the grassy area and the trees/bushes.

I think the painting gets better the farther forward you come. The grassy area came out pretty good. Much better than the grass in my previous paintings. I can’t recall what I did differently to previous grassy area attempts. Perhaps I used more liquid white to thin the paint. Or maybe I simply learned from looking at my previous ones.

Foliage highlights have been a conundrum for me. One painting I’ll absolutely nail it then the next one I’m a mud mixer. Consistency with that type of feature had always been an issue for me for a couple years. I think I’m a lot better now and way more consistent. The foliage highlighting in this painting is one of those times where I nailed it, in my opinion. Those extra colors that I first got to use in Grandeur of Summer made a huge difference.

What also helped was Bob’s more detailed explanation of how to apply them. In this video, Bob explains foliage highlight technique and tips for painting striking highlights without becoming a mud mixer. That just might be why they turned out the way they did. Is it a coincidence that the foliage in my last painting turned out pretty good when Bob gave a more detailed explanation?

Final Thoughts

At this point in my artwork I was simply doing the same paintings as Bob Ross on Joy of Painting. I was just having fun. It was still blowing my mind that I didn’t totally suck and I was doing something that I’ve wanted to do for so long. When I got to the end, something didn’t look right. It didn’t quite look like Bob’s. Therefore, I improvised. This was the first painting I did that I added something different from Bob’s piece. As I was doing that, a feeling came over me. I’m pretty sure that feeling was the joy of painting. Bob has talked about it many times on the show. He’s totally right. Once you start to try doing your own thing, you truly experience the joy of painting. That little bush at the end was enough to give me that feeling.

Overall, I like this painting simply because of the colors. The technical bits could be improved but I feel it’s minor. 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. Subscribe to my blog to stay up to date and be notified when a new post is live and learn more about the Bob Ross method and how far it can take you as a new artist.

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 Art Store to see other paintings available. Also, you can follow me on all my social media sites.

Happy Painting!