Anyone know the world record for # of times scraping a canvas ...

TonyM

On a serious note, I am trying to learn how to make a mountain that looks like a mountain. I paint the canvas, and after realizing it looks like crap, I scrape it down and start again. I am using 3 different 12X16 canvas boards for my practice.

I do have a question. After scraping a canvas and wiping off as much remaining paint as I can with a rag/paper towel, do I let the remaining paint dry before trying again? I have been letting the board pretty much dry, then reapplying liquid white on my next attempt. Is this the correct way to reuse a canvas board?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Sunnylady

TonyM Tony, nothing bad if it dries. On top of dried paint you can apply magic white.
Nothing bad if you apply magic white on top of slightly wet paint. It will give some tint though and you may need to control colors on the pallet with a bit of more titanium white.
You also can use a rag with paint thinner to wipe your practice canvas to let it be cleaner if you feel that is needed.
But in short whatever feels comfortable to you is the way to go.
Oil paint will stick on top of dried or wet oil paint.
just do not apply acrylics/gesso on top of any oil paint. It is supposed to unstick and flake.

Sunnylady

Only one thing I would suggest try to go to 1620 canvas board. This is smallest size you feel somewhat comfortable with Bob Ross size tools. 1824 gives best ratio of brush sizes to canvas/boards/paper.

HLarson3

Just keep going! The article on mountains here is very helpful…especially the tip about putting the highlight paint on cardboard for a few minutes to help with drying and paint breaks in the snow on the mountain.

https://www.twoinchbrush.com/articles/making-the-snow-break-on-the-mountain-important-discoveries

“Wild Creates” also has an excellent video about painting Bob Ross mountains on YouTube.

I am still learning about painting mountains. Recently I discovered that the way I was holding the knife was greatly hindering its ability to “float” freely down the canvas. For me, the knife should be so loose that it will freely rotate if I tap the knife with my other hand. That meant taking my index finger off of the knife blade, and only holding onto the handle, and not “bracing” the back of the handle into my palm, too!