How To Paint Like Bob Ross (Painting Night Scenes)

I love using Bob Ross’ oil painting techniques! They are always so easy and fun to use. When I pulled out my oil paints, I had planned to do a painting of a snowy night scene with a barn or house…the reflections in the lake were supposed to be a snowy field, but I guess my vision led me elsewhere! I switched it up to a cold winter night scene by the lake.

My List of Art Lessons on YouTube

On my YouTube channel Rain Frances Art, I offer drawing and painting lessons. Some are time-lapsed and there are shorts there, but the majority now are real-time. Click on this link and it will bring you to my index page where you can browse through over one hundred drawing and painting lessons!

The Supplies I Used for My Bob Ross Style Oil Painting

I used a Dollar Store canvas for this painting. It was 9″ x 12″. The colors I used were Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, and Lamp Black. For brushes, it was back to the Dollar Store! I used a 2″ and a 1″ paintbrush. I could have gotten away without the 2″ to be honest, it was a little big for my small canvas. I had several brushes ready to go so I wouldn’t have to be constantly cleaning them. I used my little #6 round brush but really didn’t need it. I painted my canvas with Dollar Store black acrylic paint the night before so that I had a black canvas.

My Painting Process

My first step was to paint a thin layer of Lamp Black and Prussian Blue onto my canvas. Then, using a criss-cross stroke, I painted on some Titanium White to create the sky. I lightly blended the sky and added the full moon with my finger. At first, I used my round brush, but I couldn’t get enough paint on the canvas to make it look as bright as I wanted it to, so I used Bob Ross’ technique of using your finger! Talk about keeping it simple!

Using my 1″ brush, I tapped some Ultramarine Blue onto the canvas to create some clouds. I tapped some Titanium White above the blue to create highlights. I painted some white below the clouds using a back-and-forth stroke. At first, this was going to be my snowy field, but after blending it lightly, it really reminded me of reflections on a lake, so that’s the direction I went with!

I lightly blended the clouds and sky so that the painting looked a little softer. Using Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White, again, I used a tapping technique to create some bushes in the foreground. Although not pictured, as I was doing a final blend in the sky, I kind of wiped out my moon, so I reapplied the white with my finger.

And that’s my painting! I love doing these easy oil paintings – it’s very much like art therapy for me. Bob Ross has a YouTube Channel where every single one of his Joy Of Painting shows plays for free. I encourage you to watch and paint along with Bob – he is a great teacher and oh-so relaxing to listen to!

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