How to Have a Bob Ross Painting Date Night at Home
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Photo Credit: PBS / Fair Use
Stop everything. Your dreams have now come true.
That’s right, painting along with Bob Ross is now easier than ever thanks to streaming. And we’ve made a date of it. This week’s date night includes happy little trees and wispy little clouds and rescued baby squirrels. Oh, and body paint. That’s our little touch.
We’ve compiled a list of everything you will need to have a Bob Ross painting night from the comfort of your home. We’ve also included step-by-step instructions (scroll to the bottom) on how to make it the perfect date. Download our FREE printables for an epic Bob Ross quote match game (he says the darndest things) and a game that brings your painting skills into the bedroom.
Tools You’ll Need:
You’ll need the right tools to paint like Bob Ross. Luckily, Bob is a minimalist. It doesn’t take much to start painting masterpieces and you may even have some of the tools below at home already. He may use a different brush every now and again, but these are the essentials. Two things to make sure you have: a drop cloth, old towel, tarp, or piece of newspaper to protect your workspace and brush cleaner (included in the Base Coat Value Pack below). Because the paints you will be using are oil-based, they will not wash out with water like acrylic paints. That means you need to use paint thinner to clean your brushes. Make sure it is odorless or you will need to open a window—or five.
One more note: be sure to brush up on how to mix colors before starting. You don’t need to have every color in your paint pack because you can mix colors to create other colors (in case you missed that in art class).
A Little Tip… You’ll Thank Us Later
Bob Ross specializes in oil painting, which makes this the perfect opportunity for anyone who has always wanted to try it out. But oil paints can be much more of a bother than acrylic paints, which wash out with water. If you are hoping for a fun, easy date night without a ton of hassle, do your best with a quality set of acrylic paints and acrylic basics, like the ones below, instead of the oil paints and oil base coats. That way you won’t have to worry about paint-thinner chemicals, brush clean up, or hazardous waste disposal. You’re welcome!
How to Watch:
Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to stream Bob Ross painting lessons. Check your favorite streaming services for Bob Ross: Beauty is Everywhere as well as Chill with Bob Ross. You can also buy episodes of The Joy of Painting seasons 11-31 on Amazon Prime. Surprisingly, you can also stream full episodes on YouTube through Bob Ross’s official channel.
Suggested Episodes:
The Joy of Painting has 31 seasons with 403 paintings. Needless to say, it can be overwhelming deciding where to start. Our advice? Choose a painting that stands out to you, one that you would enjoy looking at over and over again. Here are a few suggested episodes for those just getting started.
Campfire
Lazy River
In the Midst of Winter
Golden Rays of Sunshine
Island in the Wilderness
Waterfall Wonder
We’ve laid out step-by-step instructions for your date night below, including our printable body paint recipe and quote match game!
Bob Ross Painting Date
Time: 2+ hours | Cost: $$$ | Location: At Home | Level: Intermediate
Learning to paint is a breeze with Bob Ross, who always insists that “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” Choose an episode and follow along as he guides you in the art of oil painting. We’ve compiled a list of materials and suggestions to make this date night as smooth as you are.
Materials Needed:
Printable “Happy Trees'“ Invite
Printable Bob Ross Quote Match Game
Printable Body Paint Recipe, Bedroom Game, & Ingredients
Two 2” Brushes
Two Fan Brushes
Two Liner Brushes
Two Palette Knives & Palette
Two 18x24 Canvases
White Base, Black Base, Brush Cleaner
Oil Paints
Two Wooden Easels (optional)
Drop Cloth or Newspaper
Instructions:
Download the free printables below—including the Happy Trees Invite, Bob Ross Quote Match Game, and Body Paint Recipes—and print on high-quality cardstock, at home or at your local printing and shipping store. Cut out the pieces (we recommend using a portable paper cutter like this one). Then, gather your painting supplies.
Deliver the invite to your date. The easiest way? Screenshot the digital invite and send it as a text. Otherwise, you could leave the printed invite out on the counter one morning, send it via snail mail, pin it to your fridge, or come up with something else creative.
If you are making it a surprise, be sure to tell your date to wear “painting clothes.” They won’t want to get oil paints on their favorite shirt or pants.
Set up your painting area. Lay down a drop cloth, an old towel, or newspaper to ensure you don’t get paint in unwanted places. Then, get your easels, canvases, brushes, paints, and paint cleaner ready and easy to access.
Choose where to stream one of Bob Ross’s lessons, then scroll through and decide on which painting you want to try. We have listed where you can find the episodes and made some suggestions of which to choose above.
Keep your remote handy. Without mastery of the technique, you won’t be able to paint as nearly as fast as Bob Ross in the span of one episode. You will need to rewind and pause throughout the episode to hear instruction repeated.
Do it! Watch your chosen episode and paint along with famed Bob Ross. Haven’t you always wanted to?
Do your best and feel good about what you accomplish. After one episode, you won’t be a master of oil painting. In fact, it may not turn out at all. If so, laugh it off and congratulate yourselves on learning a new skill.
Finish the evening with our printable games—one made especially for the bedroom. (If you’re not there yet in your relationship, that’s okay. Just skip it.) It includes a body paint recipe so you can continue to practice your skills.
Don't forget to share how your painting turned out on instragram or facebook and tag us @makeadateofit!
Did you paint a masterpiece? Show us on instagram @makeadateofit
This Post was Last Updated: 03/30/2021.
**DISCLAIMER: Use paint, paint thinner, and body paint with caution. Oil paint and paint thinner should be used in a well-ventilated area away from precious belongings, heat, and open flames, and should be disposed of properly at a hazardous waste site. Body paint should be cool when applied to the skin, and should not be applied in or around sensitive areas. If you do choose to engage in these or any other activities on this site, you agree to do so voluntarily at your own risk and assume all responsibility of injury to yourself or others, as well as of damage to personal property. In choosing to do this activity, you agree to release and discharge makeadateofit.com and all affiliates from any liability.
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Learning to paint is a breeze with Bob Ross, who always insists that “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” Choose an episode and follow along as he guides you in the art of oil painting. We’ve compiled a list of materials and suggestions to make this date night as smooth as you are.