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Bob Ross
	Bob Ross at his easel

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Bob Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter and television presenter. Born in Daytona Beach, Florida, he spent 20 years keeping medical records for the U.S. Air Force before becoming famous worldwide with his television program The Joy of Painting.

He studied engineering in college, and while he never studied at any upper-level design academies or fine arts schools, he did state once that he had attended art school "as a pup". Ross was a vegetarian known for and well known for his fondness for wildlife, including caring for orphaned squirrels and other little animals until they were old enough to take care of themselves.

Ross has a son Steven from his first marriage to Linda. Steven occasionally appeared on The Joy of Painting and is a Bob Ross-certified instructor. Ross and Linda's marriage ended in divorce in 1981. Ross married again, this time to Jane. Jane died of cancer in 1993. Ross died of lymphoma at the age of 52.

Television show

Ross is best known as the host of the public television series The Joy of Painting, which ran from 1983 to 1995 and is still shown in reruns in many broadcast areas. During each half-hour segment, Ross would instruct viewers in the art of oil painting using a quick-study technique that kept colors to a minimum and broke paintings down into simple steps that anyone could follow.^[1] Ross acknowledged that the appearances of the landscapes he painted (typically mountains, lakes, and snow and log cabin scenes) were strongly influenced by his years living in Alaska, where he was stationed for the majority of his Air Force career.

He repeatedly stated on the show his belief that everyone had inherent artistic talent and could become accomplished artists given time, practice, and encouragement, and to this end was often fond of saying, "We don't make mistakes, we just have happy little accidents." Ross later founded his own successful line of art supplies and how-to books, and also offered painting classes taught by instructors trained in the "Bob Ross method". When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."

Ross also filmed random wildlife footage, squirrels in particular, usually from his own garden. Small animals often appeared on his show, even during some of his trickier works, as he would often take in injured or abandoned squirrels and other assorted wildlife and look after them.

Painting

Ross utilized the wet-on-wet oil painting technique, in which the painter continues adding paint on top of still wait paint rather than waiting a lengthy amount of time to allow each layer of paint to dry.^[1] Combining this method with the use of large painting knives and fan brushes allowed Ross to paint trees, water, clouds and mountains in a matter of seconds. He often credited Bill Alexander for teaching him this method, even though it is his own patented style, and was more a reference to some of his inspiration.

In many episodes of Joy of Painting, Ross noted that one of his favorite parts of painting was cleaning the brush, specifically the act of drying off a brush he'd dipped in cleaner by rapping it against the easel frame. He would often smile and even laugh out loud regularly during this practice as he, in his words, "Beat the devil out of it".

After his death, Bob Ross Incorporated donated most of his paintings to charities and public television stations.^[1]

Video game

In March 2006, AGFRAG Entertainment Group announced that it was in the process of developing a Bob Ross game for the Nintendo Revolution DS systems, as well as a PC version. The games were said to focus on the art of painting, based on Ross' Joy of Painting series.^[2] In December, 2006, Bob Ross Incorporated dropped AGFRAG from the project and began searching for a new developer.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Bob Ross biography at Rotten.com
^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-03-31). "Bob Ross Paints on Revolution: Yes, it's true - the famous cult painter goes virtual on Nintendo's new generation platform". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
^ Ashcroft, Brian (2006-12-07). "Bob Ross Game Still On, Folks". Kotaku. Retrieved 2007-10-21.

External links

Template:Persondata

[RottenBiography-1] Bob Ross biography at Rotten.com

[2] Casamassina, Matt (2006-03-31). "Bob Ross Paints on Revolution: Yes, it's true - the famous cult painter goes virtual on Nintendo's new generation platform". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-10-21.

[3] Ashcroft, Brian (2006-12-07). "Bob Ross Game Still On, Folks". Kotaku. Retrieved 2007-10-21.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 '''Bob Norman Ross''' ([[October 29]], [[1942]] – [[July 4]], [[1995]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[painter]] and [[television]] presenter. Born in [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], he spent 20 years keeping medical records for the [[U.S. Air Force]] before becoming famous worldwide with his television program ''[[The Joy of Painting]]''.
+He studied engineering in college, and while he never studied at any upper-level design academies or fine arts schools, he did state once that he had attended art school "as a pup".  Ross was a vegetarian known for and well known for his fondness for wildlife, including caring for orphaned squirrels and other little animals until they were old enough to take care of themselves.
-Ross has a son Steven from his first marriage to Linda. Steven occasionally appeared on ''The Joy of Painting'' and is a Bob Ross-certified instructor. Ross and Linda's marriage ended in divorce in [[1981]]. Ross married again, this time to Jane. Jane died of cancer in [[1993]]. Ross died of [[lymphoma]] at the age of 52.
+Ross has a son Steven from his first marriage to Linda. Steven occasionally appeared on ''The Joy of Painting'' and is a Bob Ross-certified instructor. Ross and Linda's marriage ended in divorce in [[1981]]. Ross married again, this time to Jane. Jane died of cancer in [[1993]]. Ross died of [[lymphoma]] at the age of 52.
 ==Television show==
-Ross is best known as the host of the [[public television]] series ''The Joy of Painting'', which ran from 1983 to 1995.  During each half-hour segment, Ross would instruct viewers in the art of oil painting by painting an entire landscape over the course of the program, usually also providing a running commentary on the process as he worked. He was known in particular for, like his predecessor [[William Alexander (television painter)|Bill Alexander]], frequently [[anthropomorphization|anthropomorphizing]] the inanimate subjects of his paintings and describing them in such terms as "happy little trees." Ross acknowledged that the appearances of the landscapes he painted (typically mountains, lakes, and snow and log cabin scenes) were strongly influenced by his years living in [[Alaska]], where he was stationed for the majority of his Air Force career.
+Ross is best known as the host of the [[public television]] series ''[[The Joy of Painting]]'', which ran from 1983 to 1995 and is still shown in reruns in many broadcast areas.  During each half-hour segment, Ross would instruct viewers in the art of oil painting using a quick-study technique that kept colors to a minimum and broke paintings down into simple steps that anyone could follow.<ref name="RottenBiography">[http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/artists/bob-ross/ Bob Ross biography at Rotten.com]</ref>  Ross acknowledged that the appearances of the landscapes he painted (typically mountains, lakes, and snow and log cabin scenes) were strongly influenced by his years living in [[Alaska]], where he was stationed for the majority of his Air Force career.
 He repeatedly stated on the show his belief that everyone had inherent artistic talent and could become accomplished artists given time, practice, and encouragement, and to this end was often fond of saying, "We don't make mistakes, we just have happy little accidents." Ross later founded his own successful line of art supplies and how-to books, and also offered painting classes taught by instructors trained in the "Bob Ross method". When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."
+Ross also filmed random wildlife footage, squirrels in particular, usually from his own garden. Small animals often appeared on his show, even during some of his trickier works, as he would often take in injured or abandoned squirrels and other assorted wildlife and look after them.
-Ross utilized the [[wet-on-wet]] oil painting technique, in which paint is applied on top of a wet surface, often with his famed liquid white (as opposed to using a dry surface to start on). Combining this method with the use of large painting knives and fan [[brush]]es allowed Ross to paint trees, water, clouds and mountains in a matter of seconds. On the show he often credits [[William Alexander (television painter)|Bill Alexander]] for teaching him this method, even though it is his own patented style, and was more a reference to some of his inspiration.
+==Painting==
-Bob also filmed random wildlife footage, squirrels in particular, usually from his own garden.  This was often featured, even during some of his trickier works, due to the fact that one of his hobbies apart from painting was to take in injured or abandoned squirrels and other assorted wildlife and look after them.
+Ross utilized the [[wet-on-wet]] oil painting technique, in which the painter continues adding paint on top of still wait paint rather than waiting a lengthy amount of time to allow each layer of paint to dry.<ref name="RottenBiography" /> Combining this method with the use of large painting knives and fan [[brush]]es allowed Ross to paint trees, water, clouds and mountains in a matter of seconds. He often credited [[William Alexander (television painter)|Bill Alexander]] for teaching him this method, even though it is his own patented style, and was more a reference to some of his inspiration.
+In many episodes of ''Joy of Painting,'' Ross noted that one of his favorite parts of painting was cleaning the brush, specifically the act of drying off a brush he'd dipped in cleaner by rapping it against the easel frame. He would often smile and even laugh out loud regularly during this practice as he, in his words, "Beat the devil out of it".
-==Landscape paintings==
-In an episode of ''The Joy of Painting'', Ross explained his preference for painting landscapes over portraits or people:  <blockquote>"Any way you paint a tree, chances are, somewhere there's a tree that looks like that.  Years ago, I tried painting portraits, and I had a hard time.  Number one, I couldn't capture the essence of what makes a person an individual.  The other thing was, if you paint a landscape, and it doesn't come out just right, somebody else will come along and say, 'Hey, I've seen that place, maybe I used to fish and play there.'  If you paint a portrait that has one eye square or something, I guarantee everybody's going to notice it.  So I gave up portrait painting.  My portrait teacher told me to go paint bushes and trees, because that's where my heart was."
+After his death, Bob Ross Incorporated donated most of his paintings to charities and [[public television]] stations.<ref name="RottenBiography" />
-</blockquote>
 ==Video game==
-In March 2006, The Bob Ross Inc. announced plans to license rights to develop a Bob Ross video game. At the time, it was reported that AGFRAG Entertainment Group would receive the license and planned on developing the game for PC, the [[Nintendo DS]], and [[Nintendo]]'s next-generation video game console, the [[Wii]].  The Wii was chosen because its [[Wii Remote]] is unique in its ability to sense 3D control, allowing the player to use the remote like a paintbrush, aptly suited to ''[[The Joy of Painting]]''.
+In March 2006, AGFRAG Entertainment Group announced that it was in the process of developing a Bob Ross game for the [[Nintendo Revolution]] [[Nintendo DS|DS]] systems, as well as a [[PC]] version. The games were said to focus on the art of painting, based on Ross' Joy of Painting series.<ref>{{cite web
+  | last = Casamassina
+  | first = Matt
-At first, the announcement was believed to be an early [[April Fool's Day]] joke. However, it was confirmed by several websites including [[IGN]].com, the official Bob Ross website and the [http://www.agfrag.com AGFRAG homepage].
+  | title = Bob Ross Paints on Revolution: Yes, it's true - the famous cult painter goes virtual on Nintendo's new generation platform.
+  | publisher = IGN Entertainment
-On [[December 5]], [[2006]], it was reported that the game had been canceled. A short while later, however, the company announced that those reports were inaccurate, and that they were looking for another development company, as AGFRAG had left the project. [http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/bob-ross/bob-ross-game-still-on-folks-219920.php]
+  | date = 2006-03-31
+  | url = http://wii.ign.com/articles/699/699647p1.html
-==Trivia==
+  | accessdate = 2007-10-21 }}</ref>  In December, [[2006]], Bob Ross Incorporated dropped AGFRAG from the project and began searching for a new developer.<ref>{{cite web
-{{trivia| date=October 2007}}
+  | last = Ashcroft
-* Stated that his favorite part of painting was cleaning the brush, specifically, the act of drying off the brush head, after dipping it in cleaner, by rapping it against the easel frame. Bob Ross can be seen smiling and even laughing out loud regularly during this practice as he, in his words, "Beat the devil out of it".
+  | first = Brian
-* Appeared in two self-parodying promos for [[MTV]] which featured him working on paintings of the MTV logo and describing MTV as "all fluffy white clouds" and "the land of happy little trees".
+  | title = Bob Ross Game Still On, Folks
-* Stated in one episode of ''The Joy of Painting'' that he did not wear shoes to school until the sixth grade (Series 15, Episode 10).
+  | publisher = Kotaku
-* Though he never studied at any upper-level design academies or fine arts schools, he did admit that he had attended art school "as a pup" (contrary to the popular belief that he never received any formal artistic training).
+  | date = 2006-12-07
-* He studied engineering in college.
+  | url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/bob-ross/bob-ross-game-still-on-folks-219920.php
-* Bob Ross was a vegetarian.
+  | accessdate = 2007-10-21 }}</ref>
-* Stated that his father was a carpenter (Series 15)
-* In July 2007 Bob Ross, Inc. requested YouTube remove all of the Joy of Painting clips that had been posted by viewers.
-* In August 2007 Bob Ross, Inc. requested VEOH remove all of the Joy of Painting clips that had been posted by viewers.
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-* [http://wii.ign.com/articles/699/699647p1.html ''Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting'' on the Nintendo Wii, IGN news]
-* [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147030.html ''Bob Ross Painting (Working Title)'', Gamespot News]
-* [http://www.bobrosspaints.com/information.php?info_id=4 "Bob Ross Brush Care"]
-* [http://www.code404.nl/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=34 "Bob Ross Tutorial for Adobe Photoshop cs+]
 ==External links==
@@ Line 56: / Line 53: @@
 * [http://www.bobross.com Bob Ross Incorporated]
 * {{De icon}} [http://www.br-online.de/kultur-szene/sendungen/joyofpainting/index.xml View broadcast schedule at BR-Alpha]
-* {{De icon}} [http://br-family.de German Discussion board for Bob Ross fans]
 * [http://www.code404.nl/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=34 Tutorial to teach painting in the style of Bob Ross with Adobe Photoshop CS+]
-* [http://www.happyafro.com  'Happy Afro'] Bob Ross pop culture icon site.
 {{Persondata