Northern Lights, part 3. Painting #59. Another Cabin Chance?

This is Northern Lights, part 3. Meaning this is the third time that I’ve done this particular scene. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 to see how they all compare. What is the cabin chance in this one? This is also the third painting I streamed on Twitch.

Inspiration

I wanted something visually striking—something that would showcase the magic of the wet-on-wet technique. So I chose a familiar scene from The Joy of Painting, Season 8, Episode 13: Northern Lights. The black canvas setup always gets a reaction, especially when you lay down the under color and then reveal the glow with titanium white.

Materials Needed

Colors

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

Equipment

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

Difficulties and Tips 

This scene is a fan favorite, and for good reason. If you’re planning to try it, here are a few things I’ve learned—especially now that I’ve painted it three times.

Liquid Clear: Less is more. You only need a thin coat—just enough to make the underpaint move. A few dabs, scrubbed in well, will do the trick. Too much and you’ll lose control of the highlights. For tips on applying Liquid Clear, I got you! How to apply Bob Ross mediums.

Cabin Chance: This was my first time actually attempting the cabin. I’ve always struggled with them, but streaming gave me a reason to push through. It didn’t come out perfect—it looks a little weathered and broken down—but that kind of character works in a scene like this. You can tell I need more practice with cabins.

Knife Technique: The large knife can be your friend if you understand its angle. Perspective depends on consistency. A typical Bob-style cabin is about two knife lengths wide and two long, if you’re holding the knife at the right angle. It’s hard to explain, but watching Bob do it helps. His muscle memory is the real tutorial.

Streaming and Beyond

I turned this Twitch stream into a time lapse and uploaded it to YouTube—check it out if you want to see the process unfold. I’m experimenting more these days: streaming, filming, editing, even rethinking how I photograph the finished pieces. It feels good to be building momentum again.

If you’re following along, you can find all my social links at the top of the homepage. Like, follow, subscribe—whatever fits. And if you try this scene yourself, drop a comment. I’m happy to share more tips. Catch me live next time at Domkizzle  on Twitch. Hope to see you there.

I’m overall pleased with how everything turned out.

Happy painting!