The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross

Bob Ross teaches the 'wet-on-wet' oil painting technique on *The Joy of Painting*. This method involves applying layers of oil paint directly on top of still-wet paint, allowing him to blend colors directly on the canvas. It enables viewers to finish an entire landscape painting in a single 30-minute episode.

*The Joy of Painting* was originally broadcast on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), running from 1983 to 1994. Ross filmed over 400 episodes of the show, mostly in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana. The series was funded entirely by Ross's own line of painting supplies.

Before he was a television host, Bob Ross served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant. He was stationed in Alaska, where the snowy mountains and rugged landscapes heavily inspired his future paintings. He famously learned the wet-on-wet technique from a television painter named William Alexander.

Bob Ross relies on a specific set of oil paints, most notably Phthalo Blue, Titanium White, Liquid White, and Sap Green. He uses these base colors to create his signature elements like 'happy little trees' and snowy mountains. He strongly encouraged his viewers to buy his exact brand of liquid white to achieve the same wet-on-wet blending effects.