Who was Bob Ross? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Robert Norman Ross

Died At Age: 52

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Jane Ross (m. 1977 - her death. 1992), Lynda Brown (m. 1995 - his death. 1995), Vivian Ridge (m. 1965 - div. 1977)

father: Jack Ross

mother: Ollie Ross

siblings: Jim Ross

children: Bob Ross, Morgan Ross, Steven Ross

Born Country: United States

Artists & Painters American Men

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

Died on: July 4, 1995

place of death: Orlando, Florida, United States

Cause of Death: Lymphoma

City: Daytona Beach, Florida

U.S. State: Florida

Recommended For You

1

What painting techniques did Bob Ross use?

Bob Ross was known for using the wet-on-wet technique, where oil paints are applied on top of still-wet paint to create blending and soft edges.
2

Did Bob Ross have formal art training?

No, Bob Ross was primarily a self-taught artist and learned much of his painting techniques through trial and error.
3

What was the inspiration behind Bob Ross's happy little trees?

Bob Ross often found inspiration in nature and believed that trees were a symbol of life and growth, which is why he frequently painted them in his landscapes.
4

How did Bob Ross come up with his signature catchphrase, "happy little clouds?"

Bob Ross developed his signature catchphrases, including "happy little clouds," as a way to make painting more accessible and enjoyable for his audience, encouraging them to embrace mistakes and find joy in the process.
5

What was the significance of Bob Ross's afro hairstyle?

Bob Ross's iconic afro hairstyle was a personal choice and became a recognizable part of his image, often associated with his friendly and approachable demeanor during his painting demonstrations.

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Childhood & Early Life

Bob Ross was born on October 29, 1942 in Daytona Beach, Florid,a to Jack and Ollie Ross. While his father worked as a carpenter, his mother was a waitress. Young Ross spent much of his growing up years in Orlando, Florida. He had a half-brother, Jim.

Bob Ross studied only till class 9, after which he dropped out of school to assist his father as a carpenter. It was then that he lost a part of his left index finger. The loss, however, was inconsequential when it came to learn the art of painting.

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Career

At the age of 18, Bob Ross was enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he worked as a medical records technician. Subsequently, he rose to the rank of ‘Master Sergeant’, serving the U.S. Air Force Clinic at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The lofty Alaskan mountains and the scenic landscapes became a muse for many of his works.

During his military career, he developed artistic skills after attending an art class at the Anchorage USO Club. He used his break time to create art and worked on his painting technique. In his 20 years of military service, his painting skills improved significantly. He mastered the ‘wet-on-wet’ painting style that allowed him to finish painting on the inside of novelty gold pans in less than 30 minutes.

Ross became more and more involved in painting to the point that he started earning more by selling his painted gold pans than he did at his military job. It was then that he retired from the Air Force, as a ‘Master Sergeant’, completing 20 years of service, in 1981.

Immediately after retiring from the military, he started promoting his painting technique. However, the effort did not pay off well. After two years of struggle, Ross finally launched his flagship television show, ‘The Joy of Painting’, as an attempt to cater to a wider audience. The show had its first run on January 11, 1983.

‘The Joy of Painting’ provided a resurgence for Ross’s career graph. Through it, he taught his viewers a quick-study technique in oil painting that used a restricted palette of paints, and broke down the process into simple steps.

‘The Joy of Painting’ was an absolute hit and made him famous worldwide. More than a decade later, its last episode was telecast on May 17, 1994. Though the show was terminated, its reruns continue to appear in many broadcast areas and countries even today.

Alongside the show, Ross became an entrepreneur. He started his company, Bob Ross Inc., through which he sold his own line of art supplies and how-to books. The company even marketed painting classes taught by instructors trained in the ‘Bob Ross method’. Furthermore, his show became a precursor to promote his classes and products and led to greater profits.

Major Works

Bob Ross’s greatest contribution as a painter has been his effort to resurface the historical art form ‘alla prima’ or ‘direct painting’ which is more popularly known as ‘wet-on-wet’ technique. Though oil painters have used this technique since the 16th century, the art form lost its popularity during the later centuries until Ross made efforts for its resurgence. What’s more, he not only popularized the technique, but marketed a special line of paints and stationeries to make it handy for new painters.

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Personal Life & Legacy

Bob Ross was thrice married. His first marriage was to Vivian Ridge in 1965 and and had a son, Steven Ross. Like his father, Steven was a talented painter and had mastered senior Ross’s technique. He even became a Ross-certified instructor on ‘The Joy of Painting’. Ross and Vivan divorced in 1977.

He then married Jane Ross in 1977, who eventually died of cancer in 1992.

In 1994, Ross was diagnosed with lymphoma. The illness forced his early retirement. He was last seen in the final episode of the show that aired on May 17, 1994.

In 1995, shortly before his death Ross got married to Lynda Brown. He breathed his last on July 4, 1995, at the age of 52. His body was interred at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Gotha, Florida.

Despite his early death, Ross has had a strong legacy that gives a peek into his greatness as an artist. Television shows such as ‘Family Guy’, ‘The Boondocks’, ‘Peep Show’, and the YouTube series ‘Epic Rap Battles of History’ have given references of him in several episodes.

Google celebrated his 70th birth anniversary with a Google Doodle on October 29, 2012. It portrayed Ross with his easel, painting the second “g” of the Google logo on top of a nature landscape.

In 2016, Netflix added his series ‘Beauty Is Everywhere’ in their lineup, including episodes from his original series. Furthermore, Twitch.tv commemorated his 73rd birthday by hosting a nine-day marathon of Bob Ross’s ‘The Joy of Painting’ series.

Facts About Bob Ross

Bob Ross was a former military drill sergeant in the Air Force before pursuing a career in art, showcasing his unexpected transition from strict discipline to a calming painting style.

He adopted his iconic permed hairstyle as a cost-saving measure early in his career when he was struggling financially, proving that even his signature look had a practical purpose.

Bob Ross never sold his paintings during his lifetime, choosing instead to share his art with the world through his television show and inspiring countless individuals to pick up a paintbrush themselves.

He developed his soothing voice and ASMR-inducing speech patterns while working as a part-time bartender, demonstrating how life experiences can shape a person's unique characteristics.

Bob Ross was an animal lover and often featured his pet squirrels and other critters on his show, adding an extra dose of charm and whimsy to his already beloved program.

Bob Ross Biography

You wanted to know

What painting techniques did Bob Ross use?

Did Bob Ross have formal art training?

What was the inspiration behind Bob Ross's happy little trees?

How did Bob Ross come up with his signature catchphrase, "happy little clouds?"

What was the significance of Bob Ross's afro hairstyle?