Hey, @JosephDurham!
First of all, welcome!!!
Second, as a newbie painter myself, I can't give you great advice and critiques, but I can tell you what I've learned from my two paintings...(more will be done, eventually, work gets in the way!).
So, first of all, Bob is brilliant, and was painting for many many years before his first episode of The Joy of Painting. Remember that.
Second, practice. Then practice more. And more. And even more. Bob's techniques ARE super easy to follow....once you are used to using the tools, and how holding this this way does this but holding it that way does that. Practice will also help you get a feel for how much pressure to use to apply the paint to your painting with different tools and for different effects.
Third, Bob completes his paintings in less than 30 minutes. You WILL NOT do this, not at first. Take your time. The oil will still be wet, whether the painting takes you 30 minutes or five hours. Rushing to keep up with Bob will end up frustrating you, and painting should be a source of joy, not frustration. My first two paintings both took me about 2.5 hours. The first one was a bloody disaster, the second one much better than the first, but still needing tons of improvement. The great thing about how we watch Bob these days is that we won't miss anything if we go slower than he does...ah, the beauty of pause and rewind.
I looked at your painting, and I see nothing that won't improve with a bit of practice to get used to the tools and how much pressure to apply and when. (Bob just makes it look so easy!)
Remember, I am just as novice as you are, so I'm unable to give good critiques. But, do not be afraid to slow down, take your time, and practice. And don't try to make an exact replica of Bob's work, remember what he always says, "This is your world."
I look forward to seeing future paintings from you.
