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Bright Autumn Trees

by Bob Ross

Materials

Bob Ross Brushes:

2" Brush
1" Brush
#6 Fan Brush
Liner Brush
Large Painting Knife

Bob Ross Landscape Paints:

Alizarin Crimson
Bright Red
Cadmium Yellow
Mountain Mixture
Phthalo Blue
Sap Green
Titanium White
Van Dyke Brown
Liquid White

Other Materials:
Bob Ross Odorless Thinner
18x24 Canvas

Canvas Preparation:
Start by using the 2" brush to cover the entire canvas with a thin, even coat of Liquid White. With long
horizontal and vertical strokes, work back and forth to ensure an even distribution of paint on the canvas. Do
NOT allow the Liquid White to dry before you begin.
Step 1:
Sky
Load the 2" brush with Cadmium
Yellow. Starting in the center of the
sky, begin by making sweeping
diagonal strokes. Add Phthalo Blue
with a small amount of Alizarin
Crimson to the brush and use criss-
cross strokes to complete the sky.
Use the Blue-Crimson mixture to
add the water with horizontal
strokes. Then, use long horizontal
strokes to blend the entire canvas.

Background
Load the 1" brush with Mountain
Mixture and tap downward to form
the small background trees. Reverse
the brush to reflect the trees into the
water, then pull straight down and
gently brush across to give the reflections a watery appearance. Add Liquid White to the Mountain Mixture to
highlight the tiny background trees.

Step 2:
Load the long edge of the knife with
a small roll of Van Dyke Brown to
add banks at the water's edge, near
the base of the far-away trees. Load
the knife with a small roll of Liquid
White to cut in the water lines and
ripples.

Middleground
Moving forward in the painting,
underpaint the larger trees, bushes
and grassy areas with the 1" brush
and various mixtures of the
Mountain Mixture and Sap Green.
To create the reflections in the
foreground water, pull the dark color
straight down into the water, then
use the 2" brush to lightly brush
across.

Add the path that extends across the water with the knife. Use Van Dyke Brown and short, horizontal
strokes. Continue using the knife and the Brown to add the banks, rocks and stones along the water's edge.
Highlight the path, banks, rocks and stones with various mixtures of Brown, Blue, and White. Use so little
pressure on the knife that the paint 'breaks'. Cut in the water lines and ripples with a small roll of Liquid
White on the long edge of the knife.
Step 3:
Leaf Trees
Load the fan brush with Van Dyke
Brown. Hold the brush vertically,
start at the top of each tree and pull
down to add the trunks. Thin the
Brown with odorless thinner and use
the liner brush to add the tree
branches. Highlight the trunks and
branches by adding White to the
Brown.

Use the 1" brush and various

mixtures of Brown, Blue, Green and
Crimson to underpaint the tree
foliage and small bushes at the base
of the midground trees. Highlight the
foliage with various mixtures of
White, Yellow, Green, Red and
Crimson which have been thinned
with Liquid White. Don't just 'hit' at random - working in layers, carefully create individual limbs and branches
and bushes. The very pale leaves are made with a mixture of Cadmium Yellow and Liquid White.

Step 4:
Foreground
Use the fan brush to add the large
tree trunk in the foreground, then
highlight with a mixture of Titanium
White and Van Dyke Brown on the
knife. Again, use the liner brush to
add the limbs and branches and the
1" brush to highlight the foliage.

Finishing Touches
Add tiny sticks and twigs using the
thinned Brown on the liner brush.
Finally, load the liner brush with a
thinned color of choice to add the
most important detail - your
signature!

You are free to print this project

from our website as long as it is for
your personal painting use only and not for further copying or reproduction.