| By :
Martin Hofschroer
Legendary television art instructor Bob Ross has inspired a generation of people to pick up a brush and start painting. Sporting an afro hairstyle, bushy beard and soft spoken presenting style, Ross' public broadcast show The Joy of Painting enjoyed cult viewing around the world and was responsible for encouraging people to take up art. Research by Empty Easel showed that Bob Ross had a positive impact on a generation of viewers because an overwhelming majority of artists agreed with the statement: "I'm a big fan of both Bob Ross's paintings and his techniques." Another statement which garnered large support showed that many people decided to invest in art materials and art supplies after watching the American artist in order to develop their own style. It read: "I grew up watching Bob Ross. His method made me just love to paint. I have even found my own techniques to use, right along with his and each painting I have done come out wonderful." Ross hosted the popular programme from 1983 to 1994 and each half-hour episode would see the former air force employee instructing viewers how to paint with oil in a simple fashion. The Floridian adopted a quick-study technique which kept colours to a minimum and broke down paintings into simple steps in a manner that even the least artistic person could follow. "We show people that anybody can paint a picture that they're proud of. It may never hang in the Smithsonian, but it will certainly be something that they'll hang in their home and be proud of. And that's what it's all about," he told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Ross taught by using the wet-on-wet oil painting method where the artist keeps adding paint on top of wet paint as opposed to waiting for each layer to dry, which can be time consuming. This technique allowed Ross to create intricate landscapes including trees, water, clouds and mountains in a remarkable small period of time which was perfect for the short format of The Joy of Painting. In most episodes Ross would reveal that his favourite part of painting was the cleaning of his art materials and art supplies where he would often smile and laugh out loud. Ross enjoyed a similar celebrity to entertainer Rolf Harris because both were credited with bringing art to the general public but were sneered at by critics for there simple methods. The certified instructor was fond of signing of from The Joy of Painting with the phrase: "So from all of us here, I'd like to wish you happy painting, and God bless, my friend."
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