A vibrant fall landscape inspired by Bill Alexander

Now this is an autumn scene. I haven’t seen foliage this colorful since I lived in New England. Down here in the South, fall color is rare, but Bob Ross taught me that I can create my own world, and Bill Alexander taught me that I am the master and creator next to God. So when I can’t be in the scenery I wish to see, I paint it.

The Inspiration

This one comes from the teacher’s teacher, Bill Alexander. This is only the second painting of Bill’s that I’ve done. You can follow along with Bill in Autumn Lake. In my last fall painting, I leaned heavily on Indian Yellow and Yellow Ochre. This one doesn’t require those colors — but as Bob would say, “It’s your world,” so use whatever you like.

Materials Needed

Colors

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

Equipment

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

Notes From the Easel

I absolutely love how the colors turned out in this one. They’re much more vibrant than my previous fall scene. The only real challenge I had was loading enough paint onto the brush to shape the trees properly. Bill uses the big brush for that, but I prefer the one‑inch brush. The big brush demands a lot of paint

Tips I Picked Up From Bill

Bill’s techniques always come with little gems of wisdom. Here are a few that stood out while painting this one:

1. Make your mountain more distant with a lighter base color.

Use your usual crimson/blue/black or brown mixture, but add a touch of white. It’s amazing how much that makes a difference in the depth.

2. Use crimson in the base color of your bright trees.

Bill used a lot of crimson in the base tree color, especially the ones with the bright colors. This one clicked for me. When you add your highlight color, it naturally picks up a bit of that crimson underneath. If your base is just black and brown, it muddies the highlight. Crimson keeps it lively.

3. Paint your colored trees first.

Highlight them, then add the green trees afterward. This helps keep your bright colors clean and reduces the risk of browning everything out.

Why You Should Try a Bill Alexander Painting

Everyone loves Bob, but Bill Alexander is lesser known and he’s an absolute hoot to watch. His energy, his confidence, his “fire it in!” approach… it’s infectious. If you’ve never tried one of his paintings, give it a shot. You might be surprised by how much you learn.

Closing Thoughts

This painting has already found a home, but you can browse many more originals and prints in my Art Store.

And if you enjoy following along with my art journey, consider subscribing to my various social media channels or joining my email list. I share new paintings, behind‑the‑scenes updates, and studio news.

Happy painting!