View this post on Hive: Trying To Paint Like Bob Ross (And Failing!)

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So I turned it into a Flower instead..!

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^{This is the first painting I've created using a palette knife}

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Following a Bob Ross tutorial is the trending thing to do on YouTube lately. I'm not sure if this is because of the way he breaks down the process into easily managed brush strokes or whether people find some sort of therapeutic comfort in his voice. Either way, he is an incredible painter and teacher.

The tutorial that inspired the above picture piece is called Catus At Sunset but as you can see, my artwork did not result in a sunset...

I guess that's what Bob refers to as a happy little accident but let's face it, Art is not about being perfect, it's also about the experimentation and learning that happens along the way. That's how we grow and improve. (see, I even sound like an artist...)

To be honest, I didn't think I could achieve the full painting and that was never my aim but what I did take away from the lesson was the method Bob used to create the sunset effect with the sun glowing through the clouds for his background.

It seemed fairly straight forward and I really thought I could pull (at least) that much off... and now, I don't know if oil vs acrylic has anything to do with the outcome but I DID NOT achieve the same effect as Mr Ross. IDK, prehaps I didn't beat enough devil outta that brush...

The method involved painting the first layer with a bright yellow. When dry, I used some contact paper to cut out a circle placed it on the canvas to mask out the sun.

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^{So far, so good}

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After that was a layer of black and then a layer of transparent crimson then Bob used simple brush strokes to create the clouds, radiating out from the sun. He loaded his brush with yellow paint and starting at the centre, he worked his way to the edge while his brush picked up more and more crimson each time, creating some beautiful orange and crimson tones along the way.

Ok, so mine didn't work out that way..!

In the end, my happy little accident led me to finish the painting using a palette knife; a technique I've not tried before and I'm really happy with the result even if it's nothing like my original vision...

It might not be a masterpiece but to me, the painting is a reflection of my ability to let go of failure (negatives) and redirect my attention to success (positives).

Have I mastered this ability? maybe not, but I think I'm a better artist for just making the attempt.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post, I really do appreciate your time.

And remember to keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you're thinking...!

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