Day 103 – Bob Ross Tutorial

Bob Ross and his program, The Joy of Painting have been a part of pop culture since the 80s. His bushy hair and calm tones whilst gently instructing the audience how to create his “happy little trees” have become iconic, instantly recognisable and easily parodied.

Although I’d never actually seen a video or done a tutorial, I’m quite new to painting anyway, it seemed a perfect choice when enjoying a quiet Easter Sunday at home. I found one of the German TV channels has a great library of episodes, all in English. We put it on, grabbed our watercolours, and got painting.

My immediate first reaction was amazement – I had no idea how incredibly relaxing I would find it. It was like watching ASMR videos – all my hairs stood up and it was so soothing. His calm and laidback delivery, combined with his no-stress approach to painting (“there are no mistakes, just happy accidents” is one of his famous lines for a reason) meant it was so nice to follow along. What was most amazing though, is that we actually managed to produce something that neither of us had previously thought possible. Yes, it was soothing, but it was also a fantastic tutorial!

We both enjoyed this so much, that I think it might become a weekly thing. The only downside to this is that we’re going to have duplicate paintings everywhere, but if that’s the price we pay for a weekly dose of relaxation, then I’ll take it.