Joy of Painting - Bob Ross

With the wet-on-wet method, you will begin by wetting your canvas with a painting medium that is either clear or opaque. Bob Ross calls these Liquid White, Liquid Clear or Liquid Black. This is the base to which all of the other colors are applied.

The oil paint colors are then applied on top of this medium with a brush and/or a knife. With the wet-on-wet technique you do not wait for the colors to dry in between layers. You simple layer colors, blending as you go.

You can mix paint on the palette, on the brush, with a knife or on the canvas, each will give a different effect - try them all. The flat, round bladed 'palette knife', is the best for mixing paint on the palette. Mix small amounts of paint at first until you feel better able to judge quantities - add small amounts of dark color to light color because the dark colors can be very overpowering. The trick is to use very small quantities.

Avoid over mixing the colors because it gives a very flat, lifeless look to the paint. Mix carefully and not to completely. You will like the effect much more. The trick is to not make mud.

When mixing color using a paint brush, try picking up small amounts of color by tapping the brush gently in the color.

Painting with the wet on wet technique requires frequent and thorough cleaning of your brushes with paint thinner. An empty one pound coffee can is ideal to hold the thinner, or use any container approximately 5" in diameter and at-least 6" deep. Place a Bob Ross Screen in the bottom of the can and fill with odorless thinner approximately 1" above the screen. Scrub the brushes bristles against the screen to remove paint sediments which will settle on the bottom of the can.

Dry your larger brushes by carefully squeezing them against the inside of the coffee can, then slapping the bristles against a brush beater rack mounted inside of a tall kitchen trash basket to remove the remainder of the thinner. Smaller brushes can be cleaned by wiping them with paper towel or a rag (I highly recommend using Viva paper towels because they are very absorbent).

Do not return the brushes to their plastic bags after use, this will cause the bristles to become limp. Never clean your Bob Ross brushes with soap and water or detergent as this will destroy the natural strength of the bristles. Store your brushes with bristles up or lying flat.

Drying time will vary depending on numerous factors such as heat, humidity, thickness of paint, painting surface, brand of paint used, mediums used with the paint, etc. Another factor is the individual colors used. Different colors have different drying times (i.e., normally Blue will dry very fast while colors like Red, White and Yellow are very slow drying).

A good average time for an oil painting to dry, when painted in this technique, is approximately one week.