(upbeat gentle music) - Hello, I'm Bob Ross and I would like to welcome you to the 30th Joy of Painting series.

If this is your first time with us, please allow me to extend a personal invitation for you to join us each show here as we take some big unorthodox brushes and about a dozen colors and I'll show you step-by-step how to, how to paint some beautiful little paintings very easy.

And if you've been with us before, please allow me to thank you for inviting us back for another series of painting shows.

Tell you what, let's start out today and have 'em run all the colors across the screen that you need to paint along with us.

While they're doing that, let me show you what I've got done up here.

I have an old 18 by 24 inch pre-stretched double-primed canvas but you use any size that's convenient.

And I've taken today a little bit of contact paper, just cut an oval out of it and stuck it right on the canvas.

Then we've taken a little bit of gray and black gesso and just painted a little design, using an old liner brush and all of this is done with a natural sponge.

I just took a sponge and just sort of gobbed, like that.

Very easy, just take a sponge.

I use a natural sponge because it has, it has a lot of little different things in it, man-made sponges are too symmetrical.

So just gob it on like that and then let it dry.

Then we've covered the entire canvas with a very thin coat of liquid clear and the clear is on there just to make it slick because this is a wet-on-wet painting technique.

So I tell you what, let's just take off and do it.

I'm gonna start today with a little bit of yellow ochre.

Now these are oil paints.

So they're fantastic, little yellow ochre on the two-inch brush like so.

Just, just put a little on there.

Let's go right up here and we can go up in here and I'm just gonna take the yellow ochre and we just paint the sky.

Right over top of the gesso, don't worry about it.

Just paint right over it.

The ochre is transparent enough that we'll still see all of our little designs and little tree indications back there (brush whisking) and that's really all we're doing, just covering that easy.

There.

See, easiest thing in the world.

As I say, this is a painting technique that even if you've never painted, you can do.

Absolutely can do.

We try to make it as simple and as easy as it can be.

We've designed tools and different colors here that make this painting technique work for anyone.

All right.

And basically we just covered the entire canvas with a little bit of the yellow ochre.

It's mixing with the liquid clear that's on there and it just slides on very easy.

All right, let's make us a color.

I think today, I wanna make a brown out of, we'll use sap green and Alizarin crimson.

The two together make a gorgeous brown.

Very pretty and I'm gonna mix it a little bit to the reddish side.

You can go to the green side or the red side, it's up to you, it's up to you.

I went a little to the reddish side today though.

Okay, let me just wipe the old knife on a paper towel.

And we'll be in business.

I'll just use the same old dirty brush, it seems to be working okay.

We'll go right into a little bit of that brown that we made.

Once again, sap green and Alizarin crimson.

Okay, now and we'll start on the outside and begin using little crisscross strokes, little Xs.

Begin blending that color inward.

Ooh, isn't that gorgeous already?

Those colors just go together so well, so well.

A little more paint on the brush.

And off we'll go, now if you painted with me before you know that, that we don't make mistakes here.

All we do is have happy accidents.

And all that means is that we learn very quickly to work with anything that happens in this style of painting.

There's no right, there's no wrong.

We only want to make paintings that are very happy, very simple and that, once again, that you can do.

Shoot, painting's no fun if you can't do it.

All right, maybe a little touch more over in here.

And we're not trying to teach you to copy here.

We want to teach you how to create certain effects, certain illusions and turn you loose on the world because each and every one of us will see nature through different eyes, and what you see is what you should paint.

All right, let's wash the brush.

That's the most fun part of the whole technique.

Since there are oils, we wash our brush with odorless paint thinner.

We'll shake off the excess.

(laughing) And just beat the devil, that really is the fun part.

All right, I'm gonna take a little bit of Titanium white, just a little bit right on the corner of the brush.

Just tap a little bit in there, like so.

Okay, now we have Titanium white just on one corner.

I'm gonna put the indication of a light source up in the sky so decide where it lives and we'll start right there and begin working.

Like so, just start working it outward.

We want that to be the brightest area in the painting.

Now Titanium white is opaque, can't see through it, but if you put it on thin enough and it mixes with the yellow ochre that's already on there and the clear, it'll be transparent enough that we can still see our little trees and all the little indications that we put on there with the black and the gray gesso.

Now, like that.

But already, doesn't that make a beautiful effect?

Looks like the sun's just burning through there.

I like to get up early in the morning and walk through the woods when the sun's just beginning to come up and it just, it shines through the trees.

I think it's one of the most beautiful times of the day.

All the little animals are out looking for breakfast.

I hunt with a camera, I go out in the woods with my camera, take pictures of scenes and all the little critters.

All right.

Something about like that.

And you blend it to any degree of brightness that you want.

Once again, it's totally and completely up to you.

There, but doesn't that look like the sun right there?

That's just shining, you can almost see rays already coming right through.

That black gesso is fantastic, it just opens the doors to so many avenues of creation.

I like to, I like to get you excited with these things and turn you loose and it's unreal what you can do.

Let's take some black, midnight black, get a little sap green, little Alizarin crimson, we'll just mix 'em together here, put some Van Dyke brown in there too, what the heck.

Doesn't matter, good dark color.

All right, now I want to begin creating the illusion of foliage that's growing all back here in the woods.

Things that are closer to us, we'll see more detail in these.

We'll go right into that dark color we made.

But just, just give the brush a little push right there, that's all, now then.

I'm gonna use these dark areas that we put in there with the gesso, but I'm just gonna take the corner of the brush and begin designing all kind of little trees and happy little things that live here in our world.

All of our little critters, they got to have a place to hide, place where they feel safe.

And this is it, this is it.

But you can do this with a one-inch brush or the two-inch brush, it doesn't matter.

Just whatever, whatever feels comfortable for you.

There we are.

The old one-inch brush works just as well.

Okay, something about like that.

See down here we have the black gesso, we don't even have to worry about it.

Let's go on the other side.

Yeah, we don't want it left out, maybe just sort of look at your painting and each painting, each painting that you do, will be unique and different.

So when you're painting, don't just try to copy, shoot, that's no fun, do your own thing.

We just really want to teach you how to do it.

There, something about like that.

I like to have these old hangy-down bushes, just sort of hang around, have a good time all their life.

There we are.

Now then, I'm gonna take, take, take, take the old script liner brush.

We'll take a little white, a little bit of brown, mix it together.

I want to make this paint very thin, that's the reason I've put the paint thinner with it.

Very thin, let's go up in here and here and there and there and here we'll put in an indication of a few little tree trunks.

Now one of our golden rules, a thin paint will stick to a thick paint.

The first layer of paint we put up here is very thick, our oils are unique, they're very dry, they're very, very firm.

So by having a firm paint on the canvas, see we can take layers of thinner paint and paint right over the top of it without 'em mixing together.

You know how it is to become a mud mixer if you've painted, you've mixed a little mud in your life.

I like this because it allows you to actually paint while it's all wet, you can see a vision in your mind and put it on canvas before it escapes.

There we go, just a few little limbs and sticks.

We're gonna put leaves on these little bushes so some of 'em will go away.

All right, now then, tell you what, there's a two-inch brush, not too dirty.

We'll take a little black, go right into that yellow, makes a beautiful green, something like so.

Let me grab some sap green on there, yeah, I like that.

I have Cadmium yellow here, yellow ochre, Indian yellow, there it is, and a little bright red.

I'm gonna use all of these colors in varying amounts and we'll paint the foliage with those.

All right, let's go right up in here.

Once again, you could use a one-inch brush, just as easy.

Today I thought I would just use old two-inch brush.

It doesn't matter, really doesn't matter, it's up to you.

Sometimes you're a little more comfortable with a smaller brush, but either one will work.

Either one will work.

Sometimes this old big brush sort of scares you just because of its size.

Oops, put a little more paint on there.

There, but don't be afraid of it.

Shoot, you know what, oil painting, what's so great about it, you really can't, you could work on it for several days, it'll stay wet on the canvas for several days and if you don't like something, you know, all you got to do is take the knife, zip it right off and do it again.

There are no mistakes, are no mistakes, only a few little happy accidents now and then.

I'm trying to make this color a little bit darker back in here, in my mind there's not going to be as much light back in here.

It's gonna start getting darker and darker back in.

There, besides that, all my little animal friends, they need a little place to hide that's quiet and secure and that looks like it right there.

Maybe in this series, maybe I'll show you a new little squirrel that I'm raising.

If you've painted with me before, you know I'm a sort of an animal nut, that's the understatement of the month, isn't it?

But I've got a new little squirrel.

(laughs) I call him Peapod Junior cause Peapod was the little squirrel that lived with me for quite a while and he used to live in my pocket.

He liked to stay in my pocket and sleep and so does this one.

So we call him Peapod Junior.

There we are, all right.

Little more paint on the brush.

But just put in an indication of all these little leaves.

Think about shape and design.

Don't just hit at random, I know it looks like you just, you get carried away and just sock it in where, think about clumps.

Little patterns that grow in trees and bushes.

There's a limb back here where all this is attached.

Think about how it would, how it would flow.

There, all right.

And maybe down in here lives another one.

It's up to you, you decide where, how many, what color, it's what so great about painting.

You make the decisions.

On this piece of canvas you literally have unlimited power.

Shoot when I go home, I don't have any power over anything but the garbage, it sits there and waits for me to take it out.

But here, hmmm, here I can move rivers, I can change mountains and so can you.

All right, let's go on the other side over here and paint some of that.

It's getting jealous.

I want to add the least little touch of paint thinner to my brush, just to thin it down.

There, remember this golden rule, thin paint will stick to a thick paint.

So always, always, try to keep the thickest paint on first.

If you'll do that, you probably won't have any problems.

There we are.

You know what's nice, this is the 30th Joy of Painting series.

Almost unbelievable there's 13 shows in each series.

Means there's nearly 400 shows and here where we film the show, they gave me a big party to celebrate the 30th, the 30th Joy of Painting series and well over 200 of our friends came.

It was so very nice, so very nice to know that so many people care and would take the time to wish us well.

There we are.

These little bushes there, I see something, I see something.

I know I get a little crazy, but that's okay.

It's our world, we can do that.

I'm gonna take some liquid white, a little bit of Titanium white, mix 'em together, just to thin the paint, that's the only reason.

A little Phthalo blue, just a little touch.

There we are.

So we have liquid white, Titanium white, and a touch of Phthalo blue.

Let's go up in here.

In my world, I see something right, as you paint, you begin to see things.

Watch, watch, watch, zoom.

Maybe right here, is a little watery fall.

It just sort of zip and falls over, there it comes, hits down here and splashes, ssshhhh.

There, isn't that cute?

Just a little watery fall out here in the woods and maybe it just slides right along in here.

La la, comes right along Wherever you want it to go.

What's that old saying?

Helps to be crazy or something.

There, maybe there's a little bloop right there.

Just let, let your imagination take you to any world that you want to go to.

Cause you can do that.

You really and truly can do that.

Sort of nice, you can escape from, from reality once in a while.

Sometimes it's nice just to create your own world and sort of slip off into it.

And painting, painting sort of allows me to do that.

A lot of people paint for that very reason.

There we go.

Now we have a little watery fall, lives right there.

We need something to contain it.

Right now it's just sort of hanging loose.

Let's take, clean off a little spot to work.

Little spot to work, we'll take midnight black, Van Dyke brown, little dark sienna in it.

Just mix 'em together.

Okay, I'm gonna go over here and get some paint thinner and thin this paint down.

Just take paint thinner and put in it.

Just to thin it down, I'm just using a knife to dip in the old paint thinner bucket.

Just like so, we'll thin that down.

And over here I'm gonna take a little touch of the, we'll have to use a little liquid white.

I'm gonna put a little black and brown in it.

I want a thin light color too.

There we are.

Maybe a little more black in there.

Ooh, I like that, I like that.

Just sort of get it to whatever flavor you want it to be.

Okay, now then, wipe the knife.

I'm gonna find a filbert brush, number six filbert brush.

I'm gonna take it through this thin dark color, both sides, both sides.

Right through that thin color.

Then I'm gonna take one side and go through the light color.

So now we got light on one side, dark on the other.

Hmmm, sneaky huh?

Now we can come right up in here and in one stroke, we can paint some nice little rocks, nice little rocks.

They sort of hold this waterfall in, keep it from getting away.

Nothing worse than a waterfall that's got away on you.

And maybe there's several little stones and rocks and things that live in there.

You decide, you put 'em wherever you think they should live.

It's totally and completely up to you.

Going back to my brushes.

Got the blue water color on it and just sort of clean up the little foots on these stones so they fit.

All right, you know, if you've painted with me before, you know I have an obsession with large trees.

Gets me in trouble sometime but I think, I think I need a big tree in this painting.

Take black, Van Dyke brown, we just mix 'em.

I got a number three fan brush.

Let's go up in here.

Okay, this is your bravery test.

I'm gonna start right here and go (growling) and make a big old gnarly, gnarly tree, lives right there.

There he is.

Big tree.

Maybe he's got big root off the bottom, it hangs over like so, wherever.

Wherever.

Maybe there's an arm up here that just reaches up to the sky.

Big old arm on this tree.

Just wherever, wherever.

Shoot, we'll have an arm over here too, it doesn't matter.

Trees grow every which way imaginable.

Certain kinds of trees have certain basic shapes.

But other than that, they just grow however.

Trees are free.

I'm gonna take the script liner brush, some paint thinner, we'll thin the paint down until it's literally almost like ink.

Turn the bristles, it brings it to a nice sharp point.

See there, nice and sharp.

And we can go up in here and we can begin picking out little arms and limbs.

Maybe here's an old dead limb, yep, right there.

He just hangs around.

We can put as many as we want.

If you have enough paint thinner though, it'll just slide right over the top of all that without any problem.

There, and you decide how many arms are on your tree, it's really up to you.

I know you get tired of hearing me say that but I think painting is such an individual thing that we really want people to learn to just paint what they feel, what they want to see.

Not what somebody tells you you have to paint.

There are no rules.

The only rule is painting should make you happy.

You should enjoy it.

Enough bad stuff in the world.

Shoot, the painting should be fun.

I'm gonna take my knife, get a little white, we'll put a little black in it, make a gray color, about like that.

That's a nice gray.

Cut off a little roll of paint.

We'll go right up in here and maybe we'll just put the indication of a little highlight, lives right along the edge of this tree.

See, just put it on like that.

Blend it back, just something like that.

Wherever.

There you go, there.

Over in here a little bit of dark color.

Just sort of let 'em work together so it looks like bark.

Just growing like that.

Very easy to do.

Now you can take your lighter brush and whatever and you could make bark with it.

Shoot, sometimes I make it with a filbert, it just depends on what kind of effect you're after.

What your mood is that particular day.

Doesn't much matter.

Painting once again is nothing but games of illusions and you should create the kind of illusions that make you happy.

All right.

Let's get crazy, yeah.

Let's take some black, little sap green, mix it together, this tree needs some, needs some hair on it like I have.

Some nice leaves, there we go.

There they go, see 'em?

Just a few little happy leaves that live up here on this tree.

Something about like that.

There we are.

All right.

Let me grab my other two-inch brush that we were using to make the little leaves and bushes.

Put some sap green, I want this quite dark.

Quite a bit of sap green in there.

Quite dark though, just tap like so and let's go up in here and let's put the indication of a few highlights right up on that old tree, just a few.

Little more color on the brush.

There, just think about basic shape, that's all we're looking for.

And once again, I want this to stay quite dark.

I don't want it to distract the eye to the top of the canvas.

I want your eye to go right there when you look at this.

There we go, about like so.

And that's pretty good for our little tree.

Put too much, it'll get, it'll get too distracting, we don't want that.

Little grassy area is right in here.

Just sort of bring it all together.

There we are.

Once again, you could use the one-inch brush just as well to create all these little effects.

Doesn't much matter, either one works.

And works equally, equally good.

A little bit of paint thinner.

You can put a little stick and twig here and there.

You just decide where they live and put some in.

It's nice to have a few of these things in there.

They show, they show different planes in your painting.

All right, maybe even over here.

Couple little ones.

Okay, I think we're down to the moment of truth.

Let's take the contact paper off and find out what we have.

(paper squeaking) This, this is always exciting when you remove the contact paper and you look at that.

Isn't that a gorgeous little thing?

This is something though that is just, it's a marvelous gift to give people and they, they can't figure out how you painted a round painting on your canvas.

Let's take a little paint thinner, little bit of the bright red, and we'll sign this little rascal.

Now I always sign with bright red but you sign with any color that makes you happy.

Once again, I'm gonna get this as thin as ink.

It's really, really thin there.

See, and work the bristles in.

There we go.

Let's go right up in here and we'll sign this little rascal maybe right there, up to you.

Really hope you've enjoyed this little painting and I hope you try it cause it'll bring you a lot of pleasure and it's not that difficult to do.

If you do it and you have a moment, take a picture and send to us.

We'd love to hear from you and I'd love to see what you're doing.

Until next time from all of us here, I'd like to wish you happy painting and God bless my friends.

(upbeat music)