Acrylic Paint

Can You Do Bob Ross Paintings with Acrylic Paint?

Bob Ross's wet-on-wet technique was developed for oil paint, but acrylics can imitate parts of the look when drying time, paint thickness, and blending are adjusted.

Published November 25, 2021

Bob Ross's renowned art style is best achieved using oil paints, however since a lot of people would hesitate to spend a $100 or more to buy the Bob's Master paints set. We recommend using acrylic paints instead and that too for just half the price. The trick with using acrylic paints is that you must use them quickly, since they dry up immediately.

To make a painting like Bob Ross, you'll need Liquid White, one of Bob Ross's Solvent Base coats required to imitate his infamous Wet-on-Wet Painting Style. The Liquid White base is used to smooth out other colors for use over heavier acrylics. The concept behind this approach is that the thin layer of paint will settle smoothly onto the thick coating paint. 

Bob Ross employs thick oil paints in 'The Joy of Painting.' However, we recognize that purchasing separate oil paints in each hue might be prohibitively expensive; thus, in this post, we will show you how to recreate Bob's wet-on-wet approach with acrylic paints.

Will Acrylic Paint Work to Create Bob Ross Painting?

Acrylics can imitate some Bob Ross effects, but their faster drying changes wet-on-wet blending, so open time, moisture, layering, and paint thickness need adjustment.

We recommend purchasing the necessary color paints, paint thickener, and several canvases if you want to obtain all the essential equipment and colors at once. The Bob Ross business sells a variety of other painting kits and sets ranging in price from approximately $50 to over $800. However, you do not have to purchase the entire color set if it is too costly. If you are a novice, you may begin by utilizing less expensive paint alternatives such as acrylic paints.

Things Require to Lmitate Bob Ross Paintings with Acrylic Paint!

For a Bob Ross-inspired acrylic painting, gather a primed surface, suitable acrylic colors, large landscape brushes, palette knives, and mediums that extend working time.

• A White Liquid, which is necessary when working with acrylic paint to get the same effect. Some painters will also use gesso and a small amount of liquid retarder to produce an underpainting that stays wet longer.
• If you can't purchase the Bob Ross Master Paint Set to create the Bob Ross paintings, look for a bob ross acrylic paint equivalent, and we suggest buying the MyArtscape Acrylic Paint Set to achieve the same color. The original colors utilized by Bob Ross, and the best acrylic paint for bob ross painting, are as follows:

• Use the number 6 Bristle Filbert Brush for frequently used to paint landscapes, but it can also be used for sceneries and other fine detail work. Bob Ross palette brushes are more prominent and steadier than typical painting brushes and help you perform the magic. If you are unable to purchase the Bob Ross brush palette, then we recommend buying the Mont Marte Art Paint Brushes Set to get the same desired results! You may need to apply paint knives to some different objects. Repino Painting Knife Set is a great alternative.
• The second and most crucial thing needed to create a Bob Ross Painting is a canvas necessary for all paintings. Any surface area will serve while Bob works with a conventional 18" by 24" spread and prepared canvas. Please remember that Bob's wet-on-wet method will only work on a canvas of a specific size or something close.
• Since Bob used to mix his paints on a certain kind of palette, he used an even bigger one for the program. We recommend purchasing the Hulameda Paint Tray Palettes because the normal ones are too tiny for this approach, and you'll wind up becoming a mud mixer.

Should You Use Bob ross Oil Paint or Acrylic?

Oil paint is better suited to the original Bob Ross wet-on-wet method because it stays workable longer, while acrylics dry faster and require technique adjustments.

When acrylic paints are used as contemporary replacements for it compared to oil paint, the artwork's surface becomes too dry to the touch. Oil paints take 24 hours or as long as 12 days to set correctly since a lot relies on the pigment's composition, Whereas Acrylic paint dries quickly and does just as good a job as anything else!

Can You Prime Your Acrylic Painting Canvas with Bob Ross Gesso?

Acrylic gesso can prepare a canvas for Bob Ross-inspired acrylic painting by creating a stable, lightly textured ground that improves paint handling and adhesion.

After you have primed your canvas surface with three coats using Bob Ross Gesso, the canvas will be perfect for the Bob Ross Wet-on-Wet Technique. Instead of using a palette for mixing colors, we can combine and mix colors immediately on the canvas with these first coats.

Can You Paint like Bob Ross Using Acrylic Paints?

You can paint in a Bob Ross-inspired style with acrylics by using slower-drying mediums, working in sections, keeping layers workable, and adapting the blending process.

1. Acrylic paints
2. Bob Ross gesso 
3. Liquid white base coat
4. Canvas 16 x 20-inches
5. Palette or palette paper 
6. brushes (such as number 6 Bristle Filbert Brush)
7. Angled palette knife 
8. Cleaning agent for paint

Just be sure that your brushes are wet when painting so the pigment doesn't settle in them. Keep a small cup of water near you to moist your Brush without wetting the handles, which will lead to the varnish coming off, and another cup to keep cleaning the brushes in between.

Tips to Paint Like Bob Ross and Still Save Money!

To reduce cost, prioritize a small set of useful colors, versatile brushes, a palette knife, and only the mediums needed to extend acrylic working time.

1. Use any Size Canvas 

Bob Ross utilizes an 18-by-24-inch-wide canvas for all his paintings. It's alright if you don't find an exact sized canvas, the side ratio of the canvas can be up and down by a few square inches. We recommend getting a 12-by-16-inch canvas instead since it is more readily available, transportable, and straightforward to paint on, and it does not require a stand or a vast space.

2. Use Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints can be used just like Oil paints. Not only are they easier to dry, but they will also cost you a lot less than the latter. There are also certain brands that offer the same shade of colors as Bob Ross's in his Show. The drying period is the primary distinction between acrylic and oil paintings. However, use a gentle drying method to make acrylics behave like oils.

3. Use a Makeshift Palette

Use paper plates or the Hulameda simple pain attempt instead of paying over $50 for a piece of plastic. Because it is reusable, it works best when spraying your paintings with water.

Conclusion

Acrylic paint can approximate a Bob Ross landscape style, but it works best when the method is adapted for faster drying rather than copied exactly from oil painting.

Whether working on a small canvas or a wide one, acrylics can be an excellent substitute for oils. You only need water to use them, and they have a low odor compared to standard oil painting thinners.