The Joy of Painting
Encyclopedia
The Joy of Painting was an American
television show
hosted by painter Bob Ross
that taught its viewers basic techniques for landscape oil painting. Although Bob Ross could complete a painting in half an hour, the intent of the show was not to teach viewers speed painting
. Rather, he intended for viewers to learn certain techniques within the amount of time that the show was allowed. The show lasted until 1994, a year before Ross's death.
in Falls Church, Virginia
, through the early-1980s, then WIPB
in Muncie, Indiana
from 1983 until 1994, and later by Blue Ridge Public Television in Roanoke, Virginia
. Most of the series was distributed by what is now American Public Television
.
state broadcaster ERT3
, Turkish
state broadcaster TRT
(with the title Resim Sevinci), German
television (BR-Alpha
), Discovery Real Time
in the UK
, NHK
in Japan
, EBS
in South Korea
and Once TV
in Mexico
, ATV and ICable TV in Hong Kong, IRIB
in Iran
and the Colombia
n state channel Canal Capital
.
The show continues to be broadcast in syndication on public television stations, and continues a multi-million dollar spin-off business bearing Ross's name that sells art accessories related to the show. Re-runs are sometimes packaged under the title Best of The Joy of Painting.
The show airs regularly on the PBS digital subchannel Create.
The show's theme
is "Interlude" by Larry Owens.
, using the wet-on-wet
oil painting technique, in which the painter continues adding paint on top of still wet paint rather than waiting a lengthy amount of time to allow each layer of paint to dry. Combining this method with the use of two inch and other types of brushes as well as painting knives allowed him to paint trees, water, clouds and mountains in a matter of seconds. Each painting would start with simple strokes that appeared to be nothing more than colored smudges. As he added more and more strokes, the blotches transformed into intricate landscapes. The paintings featured colors like titanium white
, phthalo green
(a color used often, but in small quantities), phthalo blue
, prussian blue
, midnight black, dark sienna
, Van Dyke brown, alizarin crimson, sap green, cadmium yellow
(or "cad yellow" for short), yellow ochre
, Indian yellow
, and bright red
. (On occasion, he used burnt umber and permanent red
.) As he painted, he instructed viewers regarding the techniques he was using and added his trademark soothing comments describing the "happy little clouds" and "happy little trees" that he was creating with his brush
. He would also mention snippets of his own life, including his military career and the time he spent in Alaska, family anecdotes, and his affection for small animals, which he raised and set free. The show would occasionally feature a video of Ross with a baby squirrel or deer. He became known for his soothing tone and reassuring comments; "We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents." Each program was shot in real time with two cameras: a medium shot
of Ross and his canvas, and a close-up
shot of the canvas or palette
.
Occasionally, he would introduce a guest painter to host an episode. Guests included Dana Jester and Ross's son Steve.
and Wii
console systems and for the personal computer
. The games would focus on the art of painting in the Bob Ross style. In December 2006, Bob Ross Incorporated dropped developer AGFRAG from the project and began searching for a new developer.
- Barn Collection
- The Bob Ross Workshop
- Seascaping Collection
- Waterfalls Collection
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
hosted by painter Bob Ross
Bob Ross
Robert Norman "Bob" Ross was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He is best known as the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, a television program that ran for 12 years on PBS stations in the United States.-Personal life:Ross was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, and...
that taught its viewers basic techniques for landscape oil painting. Although Bob Ross could complete a painting in half an hour, the intent of the show was not to teach viewers speed painting
Speed painting
Speed painting is a method of painting or illustration, primarily a digital art form, in which one paints on a time budget, using already developed methods to create a piece. Often this term is applied to a different form of art, a time-lapse video of a painting...
. Rather, he intended for viewers to learn certain techniques within the amount of time that the show was allowed. The show lasted until 1994, a year before Ross's death.
Production
Broadcast by non-commercial public television stations, the show was first produced by WNVCMHz Networks
MHz Networks is a Northern Virginia based independent, non-commercial educational broadcaster operated by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation. The legal broadcast callsigns for the two stations of MHz Networks are WNVC and WNVT...
in Falls Church, Virginia
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
, through the early-1980s, then WIPB
WIPB
WIPB digital channel 23 is the local Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for Muncie, Indiana and East-Central Indiana. The station and its studios are located on the campus of Ball State University...
in Muncie, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
from 1983 until 1994, and later by Blue Ridge Public Television in Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
. Most of the series was distributed by what is now American Public Television
American Public Television
American Public Television is the largest syndicator of programming for public television stations in the United States.-History:...
.
International broadcast
, The Joy of Painting has been shown in many countries worldwide, such as GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
state broadcaster ERT3
ERT3
ET3 is the third television network of the ERT, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation. It broadcasts nationwide from Thessaloniki. It has regional studios operating in various cities across the country, including Florina, Komotini and Alexandroupolis and on the islands of Paros, Mytilini and...
, Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
state broadcaster TRT
Turkish Radio and Television Corporation
The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, also known as TRT , is the national public broadcaster of Turkey and was founded in 1964. Around 70% of TRT's funding comes from a tax levied on electricity bills and a sales tax on television and radio receivers...
(with the title Resim Sevinci), German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
television (BR-Alpha
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
), Discovery Real Time
Discovery Real Time
Discovery Real Time is a factual television channel owned by Discovery Networks Europe.It was originally launched in the UK in March 1992 as TLC, a British version of the US channel of the same name...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, EBS
Educational Broadcasting System
Educational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Once TV
Once TV
Once TV México, Spanish for México Eleven TV is a Mexican educational broadcast television network owned by Instituto Politecnico Nacional. The network's flagship station is XEIPN channel 11 in Mexico, Distrito Federal. It broadcasts across Mexico through local television affiliates, cable...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, ATV and ICable TV in Hong Kong, IRIB
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcaster, or IRIB, , formerly called the National Iranian Radio and Television until the Islamic revolution of 1979, is a giant Iranian corporation in control of radio and television which is among the largest media organizations in Asia and Pacific region, and a regular...
in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n state channel Canal Capital
Canal Capital
Canal Capital is a Colombian local public television channel, launched 3 November 1997, operated as an industrial and commercial company in the Bogotá Capital District. It broadcasts in Bogotá by VHF Channel 2 and via satellite. Its programming is general, though focused on political, cultural, and...
.
The show continues to be broadcast in syndication on public television stations, and continues a multi-million dollar spin-off business bearing Ross's name that sells art accessories related to the show. Re-runs are sometimes packaged under the title Best of The Joy of Painting.
The show airs regularly on the PBS digital subchannel Create.
The show's theme
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
is "Interlude" by Larry Owens.
Format
Each show began with Ross standing with a blank canvas in front of a black background. In under thirty minutes, he would turn the blank canvas into an imaginary landscapeLandscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
, using the wet-on-wet
Wet-on-wet
Wet-on-wet is a painting technique in which layers of wet paint are applied to previous layers of wet paint. This technique requires a fast way of working, because the art work has to be finished before the first layers have dried....
oil painting technique, in which the painter continues adding paint on top of still wet paint rather than waiting a lengthy amount of time to allow each layer of paint to dry. Combining this method with the use of two inch and other types of brushes as well as painting knives allowed him to paint trees, water, clouds and mountains in a matter of seconds. Each painting would start with simple strokes that appeared to be nothing more than colored smudges. As he added more and more strokes, the blotches transformed into intricate landscapes. The paintings featured colors like titanium white
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891. Generally it comes in two different forms, rutile and anatase. It has a wide range of...
, phthalo green
Phthalocyanine Green G
Phthalocyanine Green G, also called phthalo green, Pigment Green 7, Copper Phthalocyanine Green, C.I. Pigment Green 42, Non-flocculating Green G, Polychloro copper phthalocyanine, or C.I. 74260, is a synthetic green pigment from the group of phthalocyanine dyes, a complex of copper with chlorinated...
(a color used often, but in small quantities), phthalo blue
Phthalocyanine Blue BN
Phthalocyanine Blue BN, also called monastral blue, phthalo blue , is a bright, greenish-blue crystalline synthetic blue pigment from the group of phthalocyanine dyes....
, prussian blue
Prussian blue
Prussian blue is a dark blue pigment with the idealized formula Fe718. Another name for the color Prussian blue is Berlin blue or, in painting, Parisian blue. Turnbull's blue is the same substance but is made from different reagents....
, midnight black, dark sienna
Sienna
Sienna is a form of limonite clay most famous in the production of oil paint pigments. Its yellow-brown colour comes from ferric oxides contained within...
, Van Dyke brown, alizarin crimson, sap green, cadmium yellow
Cadmium pigments
Cadmium pigments are a class of pigments that have cadmium as one of the chemical components. They are highly toxic and can produce cadmium poisoning. Most of cadmium produced worldwide is used in the production of nickel-cadmium batteries, but about half the remaining consumption, which is about...
(or "cad yellow" for short), yellow ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
, Indian yellow
Indian Yellow
Indian yellow, also called euxanthin or euxanthine, is a xanthonoid. It is transparent yellow pigment used in oil paint. Chemically it is a magnesium euxanthate, the magnesium salt of euxanthic acid. It is a clear, deep and luminescent yellow pigment...
, and bright red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
. (On occasion, he used burnt umber and permanent red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
.) As he painted, he instructed viewers regarding the techniques he was using and added his trademark soothing comments describing the "happy little clouds" and "happy little trees" that he was creating with his brush
Brush
A brush is a tool with bristles, wire or other filaments, used for cleaning, grooming hair, make up, painting, surface finishing and for many other purposes. It is one of the most basic and versatile tools known to mankind, and the average household may contain several dozen varieties...
. He would also mention snippets of his own life, including his military career and the time he spent in Alaska, family anecdotes, and his affection for small animals, which he raised and set free. The show would occasionally feature a video of Ross with a baby squirrel or deer. He became known for his soothing tone and reassuring comments; "We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents." Each program was shot in real time with two cameras: a medium shot
Medium shot
In film, a medium shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. The dividing line between "long shot" and "medium shot" is fuzzy, as is the line between "medium shot" and "close-up"...
of Ross and his canvas, and a close-up
Close-up
In filmmaking, television production, still photography and the comic strip medium a close-up tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots . Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene...
shot of the canvas or palette
Palette (painting)
A palette , in the original sense of the word, is a rigid, flat surface on which a painter arranges and mixes paints. A palette is usually made of wood, plastic, ceramic, or other hard, inert, nonporous material, and can vary greatly in size and shape...
.
Occasionally, he would introduce a guest painter to host an episode. Guests included Dana Jester and Ross's son Steve.
Video game
In March 2006, AGFRAG Entertainment Group announced that it was in the process of developing a video game based on The Joy of Painting for the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console systems and for the personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. The games would focus on the art of painting in the Bob Ross style. In December 2006, Bob Ross Incorporated dropped developer AGFRAG from the project and began searching for a new developer.
DVD releases
DVD releases are grouped into collections such as:- Barn Collection
- The Bob Ross Workshop
- Seascaping Collection
- Waterfalls Collection
Funding
- The Martin/F. Weber Company
- North Light Books
- The Artist's Magazine
- Hobby LobbyHobby LobbyHobby Lobby is a privately held retail chain of arts and crafts stores based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is formally called Hobby Lobby Creative Centers.Founded by David Green on August 3, 1972, the chain has more than 456 stores in 39 states...
Stores - MichaelsMichaelsMichaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
Arts and Crafts Stores - The Bob Ross Memorial Fund (for closed-captioning)
- Watercolor MagicWatercolor MagicWatercolor Artist, formerly Watercolor Magic, is an American bi-monthly magazine that focuses on watermedia techniques, trends and artists...
- Langnickel