Painting Trees

I feel like Bob Ross made decisions that were centered around the technical aspects of the painting as opposed to about the artistic vision he had.  In "Happy Trees" he only mentioned making "basic tree shapes" when referring to the painting itself, but he mentioned what to do with the brush more often.  Unlike Ross, the four Disney artists draw each of their oak trees differently based on how they view the tree in their mind.  Each artist's vision plays into how they set up their easel, what paints they use, and how they structure the tree on the canvas.

I think Bob Ross' style is characterized in a more technical manner; he seems more directly concerned with how objects are painted in terms of brush technique (and how to get to the final painting) as opposed to what the final result should look like.  In contrast, the Disney artists' style is more artistically driven, in the sense that their own perception of the tree directly affects what decisions they make in their drawing, and ultimately what their final result will look like.  As an audience member, I feel like an art student when watching one of Bob Ross' videos; as he focuses on the technical aspect of painting, he does so in an instructive manner.  On the other hand, the Disney artists make me feel more like someone attending an art showcase.  Watching each of the four artists paint the oak tree differently was inspiring, and it seemed to focus more on the diversity of each interpretation, as well the differences between each initial idea.

In describing his moves, Bob Ross once again refers a lot to technique and how the picture is painted.  At the start of "Happy Trees" he keeps mentioning to "bend the brush" when drawing the leaves on a tree, and one can physically see how he does this on his easel.  Similarly, he talks about scraping the knife hard across the canvas when drawing the tops of mountains.  On the other hand, as the Disney artists paint their trees, each artists talks about how they perceive the tree, and how it affects their design.  For instance, Walt Peregoy describes the tree as "a marvelous piece of engineering." He then attempts to reproduce it "graphically," focusing more on shapes and patterns that are commonly found in architecture.  In contrast to Walt, Josh Meador believes the tree is "a living thing, full of personality." In turn, Josh uses oil paint and lighter fluid (which dries quickly), and paints fast in order to capture the tree in the moment.