I'm amazed how, after numerous attempts, I can finally make a hut!!
This is a Bob Ross painting, from his 30th season of the "Paint Along Series".
When things stop making sense to me, which happens quite often, I picture myself living in a hut like this - on a small hill, that overlooks a tiny brook and the mountains afar. No-one to give me company except for the family of trees behind my hut. The view of the setting sun, and the countless colors it splashes on the sky, right before it goes down. No sound, except for the rushing and gushing of the pacifying stream running nearby. A view like this can calm anyone's heart and mind.
The truth is, that such calmness and tranquility can only be found in Bob Ross's paintings. So, I decided, since I cannot be in a place like this physically, let's paint this, and mentally get transported to this adobe of serenity.
It was quite simple to do this one, and with the right set of brushes and colors, the entire experience becomes really soothing.
The stage is setup, let's begin!
I have a 16 x 20 inch canvas, with several 2 inch brushes, two fan brushes and two 1 inch brushes.
The colors I have taken are
Burnt Sienna
Ivory Black
Crimson
Sap Green
Titanium White
Permanent Red
Indian Yellow
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Yellow
I took a picture, at every step, just to show you, how the entire process looks like. There are times, when something wrong will happen, one wrong brush stroke, and you will feel like throwing away the canvas and redoing everything. However just remember, "No mistakes, only happy accidents!", and believe in yourself and keep going.
I made some mistakes here and there and my final painting, isn't a replica of Bob's painting, but the joy of getting the small details right is simply amazing. Like, this time, after numerous failed attempts, I was finally able to get the look of the hut right. I feel like the trees still need a lot of work, but I did achieve a few other wins.
The key is to keep going!
Step 1 : Covering with liquid white. I always use a mix of liquid white and liquid clear. The painting process after this becomes so much easier and relaxing. Otherwise you are only struggling to get the color to spread on the canvas.
Step 2 : You will use the same brush until Step 4. Start with making the sun, with Indian Yellow, growing outwards in layers, with cadmium yellow and then yellow ochre. Use criss-cross patterns to make the layers.
Step 3 : Now continue the layering with crimson. Then make a mix of sap green and crimson, to make a burgundy color, and continue the layering with that color.
Step 4 : Mixing ivory black and burnt sienna, cover the corners of the canvas.
Step 5 : Smooth everything out using a clean brush. Using your fingers, take some white paint and make a circle in the middle, signifying the center of the sun.
Step 6 : Then using the burgundy color you made, with a little bit of white, make some distant hills and lift their edges up to signify the distant trees on them.
Step 7 : Make some distant evergreen trees and then cover the remaining canvas the the same burgundy color. Make white marks for the flowing water, using the palette knife. Then make some hills using dark sienna color, by tapping the brush.
Step 8 : Put grass on the closer hill, using cadmium yellow and sap green. Make some evergreen trees.
Step 9 : Make a hut!!
Step 10 : Complete the look of the grass, and make a path leading from the door of the hut using a fan brush. Make two tree trunks, with out leaves, to complete the painting.
“All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.”
Great effort ❤️