There is so much to talk about when talking about getting started. But perhaps the best place would be just to watch a couple ' episodes of The Joy of Painting just to see if you might be interested. One of the things I really like about this series is the approach Mr. Ross takes to instruction. He has a very calming, soothing speech pattern and constantly reinforces your ability to succeed in this effort. You can learn more about this method of brain washing by researching Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). It’s a pretty interesting topic, but I warn you that exposing yourself to this approach, especially by Mr. Ross can have a calming affect to the point of sleep. So I would not recommend viewing late at night in bed - or even while reclining on the couch. Many an afternoon I have had to roll back a DVD as I have dozed off. And I am not one, as my wife will affirm, who falls asleep easily.
So let us begin with many of the ways to view The Joy of Painting.
Of course, I would REALLY appreciate it if you actually purchased your Bob Ross items from Amazon, but to be fair and honest there are multiple ways to view, for free, this wonderful program. I will address those for each painting that I attempt. I do not know all of them but in general they are:
- Youtube
- Amazon Prime
- The Bob Ross Channel 24x7 available on various streaming platforms including (but not limited to):
- Plex Live TV
- LG Smart TV Content Store (LG IP 750)
- many others (which I don't have and cannot confirm, other than it is NOT on Emby)
You can, like I did, start out purchasing items “willy-nilly” only to find a better product out there, thus spending more than necessary. Or, you can follow my recommendations here. The choice my friend is yours.
Easels. Yup, there are a ton to select from. But since I will be focusing on Bob Ross stuff, I ended up obtaining the Bob Ross 2 in 1 Studio Easel.
It has some good points and some bad. The good points are that it is not only a stand up easel that many think of when they think painting easel, but also that the upper portion is adjustable such that the canvas can be tilted towards or away from you. Not only that, this upper portion that holds the canvas can be separated and made into a table top Easel should you feel so inclined (for example) to take your painting event into the kitchen and splatter your oils all over the kitchen floor. I would not recommend that approach but, to each their own. And yes, I have done something similar.
Luckily - I have a very small unfinished room in the basement, with simply the concrete foundational pad which, thanks to my total lack of coordination combined with Bob Ross Bright Red paint, may or may not look like something horrible happened in that room. Think Amityville Horror.
Back to the easel. Assembly is easy but with anything you purchase these days - either as a result of the construction of the easel, or the poor construction of my house - the easel does not sit level. This is further complicated by the lack of any ability to fine tune the legs. So -
If you do go this route I would recommend a few modifications to this easel. First get yourself the following items:
High Grit Sandpaper (your local Home Depot or Lowes)
M8 Leveling feet
M8 Feet Levelers
So using the sandpaper, remove just enough of the edges of the pads to fit snuggly into the easel legs. Once sanded down screw in the swivel adjustable levelers and tighten them down. Insert the assembled leveling ‘feet’ into the base of the easel and voila!
IMPORTANT: Do not sand down completely the leveling feet. They are ribbed, and you only need to sand down the first rib. You want the remaining ribs (hard rubber) to fight very tightly into the easel.
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