Ep 2. Frozen Solitude

Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting is an iconic instructional painting show that ran from 1983 to 1994 on PBS. Hosted by the soft-spoken and always smiling Bob Ross, the show teaches viewers how to paint beautiful landscape scenes using wet-on-wet technique, quickly gaining a cult following. In season 13 episode 2 titled "Frozen Solitude," Bob Ross sets out to create a serene winter landscape painting.

The episode opens with Bob Ross standing in front of his finished painting, a gorgeous winter forest scene complete with a frozen river and snow-capped mountains in the background. Bob welcomes viewers and introduces the painting they will be creating today, a winter landscape with a solitary cabin among the trees. He stresses the importance of relaxing and enjoying the painting process rather than being too concerned with the end result.

Bob begins the painting by creating the sky, starting with a mix of phthalo blue and a touch of midnight black. Using a large brush, he paints the sky from top to bottom in swift, horizontal strokes. He then adds a small amount of Alizarin crimson and bright red to the mix to create a pinkish hue for the snowy horizon line. Bob blends the colors together with a clean brush to create a seamless transition.

Next, Bob moves on to the mountains in the background. He uses a mix of warm and cool colors to create the illusion of depth and texture, including a mix of phthalo blue, midnight black, and Van Dyke brown. He uses a crisscross stroke to create the rocky peaks, keeping the brushstrokes loose to add texture.

Moving on to the main focus of the painting, the cabin, Bob paints it in a mix of Burnt Umber and Van Dyke brown. He makes sure to keep the shape loose and suggests that viewers can add more details and color if they wish. He adds snow to the roof and surrounding trees with a cool mix of Titanium White and Prussian blue.

Bob then continues to paint the trees in the foreground, starting with the trunk in a mix of Van Dyke brown and a touch of Sap green. He then mixes different shades of green for the leaves, including a mix of Sap green and Cadmium yellow. He suggests using a fan brush to create the texture of the leaves but emphasizes that any brush will do.

To finish the painting, Bob adds some final snow details to the trees and cabin using Titanium White. He also adds some highlights to the mountains and river using a mix of Titanium White and a touch of phthalo blue. He steps back and admires the painting, proclaiming it a "fantastic little painting."

Throughout the episode, Bob offers his usual words of wisdom and encouragement, reminding viewers to enjoy the creative process and not to worry too much about the end result. He also demonstrates various painting techniques such as creating texture with a fan brush and using a crisscross stroke to create the illusion of depth.

Overall, "Frozen Solitude" is a peaceful and relaxing episode that teaches viewers how to create a serene winter landscape painting. Bob Ross's soothing voice and gentle demeanor make even the most novice painter feel confident in their abilities. It's no surprise that the show garnered such a loyal fanbase and continues to be enjoyed by many to this day.