• Bob Ross

  • Always need liquid clear on black canvas?

On my last black canvas painting with Bob, he didn’t specifically mention using liquid clear on top of or under (which way to do it?) the initial underpaint colors, but I had a difficult time getting the colors in the sky to blend and attaining the proper “brilliance” level in the sky, so I think he just forgot to say it. Should the clear be added before or after those first transparent colors?

Now tonight I was scoping out “Black Seascape” from season 12 for a future painting, and again he didn’t mention using the liquid clear, only that the initial transparent colors should not be allowed to dry.

What to do here? What do you guys do?

    I love doing the black canvas paintings but on most of them I’ve had some sort of “preliminary (un)happy accident” like this and I want to avoid that! Thanks in advance everyone.

      Hello, Bob's technique relies on having a wet background, so on a white canvas you would use liquid white to start, on a black canvas you would use liquid clear. If you don't have a black canvas you can make one as follows.
      Paint a white canvas with black gesso and leave to dry for a couple of hours or over night. This is important because water-based paint and oils don't mix.
      When completely dry add a thin even coat of liquid clear, (not too much).
      Now you're ready to paint with oils so you can now add your transparent colour.
      The liquid clear will help you coat the canvas with the transparent colour and anything you add on top of that.
      A good video to watch is bob's northern lights so you can see what can be done. Good luck.

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