Oil Paint

What Does Bob Ross Use as a Base Coat?

Bob Ross commonly used a very thin wet layer of Liquid White for light wet-on-wet paintings, while darker scenes could use Liquid Clear or other prepared base treatments.

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Bob Ross uses liquid white as a base coat on the gesso primer surface. Because using liquid white there has a lot of awesome advantages, and some main advantages are:

In other articles, I already explained:

Which liquid white does Bob Ross use?

Ross used the Bob Ross-branded Liquid White developed for his wet-on-wet method, though compatible wet-on-wet base mediums can serve similar functions.

GradeNote
Bob Ross Liquid WhiteArtistic GradeBob ross use this liquid white, not have a good alternative

Do you have to use Liquid White on canvas?

Liquid White is useful for the classic Bob Ross wet-on-wet effect, but it is not mandatory for every oil painting and should be used only when the technique calls for a wet base.

Liquid white makes the surface wet and adds a bright background. You can easily achieve a cool effect on the canvas. 

What is Bob Ross's magic white?

“Magic White” is an older name associated with a thin white oil-painting base used for wet-on-wet blending, similar in purpose to the later Bob Ross Liquid White product.

Generally, mixing the 2 materials and achieving the right consistency is harder. However, readymade product is available. The product name is Bob Ross liquid white. You can apply it directly.

How to apply liquid white on canvas?

Apply only a very thin, even film of Liquid White so the surface is slick rather than visibly coated; excess medium can make later paint muddy or difficult to control.

You need:

  1. A paintbrush or roller, or foam brush to apply 
  2. Liquid white
  3. Clean brush to remove extra white

Before applying liquid white, priming canvas is important. In this article, I explain how to prime canvas.

How to apply?

Step 1. Preparation: Before opening the liquid bottle or jar, shake it. Make sure all materials mix perfectly. 

Step 2. Apply: A foam brush or roller can be a good option for applying liquid white because 1 inch or 2 inch brush can be given a scratch look on canvas. 

However, you can apply a 1-inch brush, if you don't these. use the brush to spread the white liquid over the canvas's surface.

Step 3. Check thickness: I already mentioned the liquid surface would be very thin. You can check it with your 4 fingers. Touch left, right, bottom, upper and middle. The wet should not come off as water. If you see this, apply a paintbrush on the canvas until the water effect is not gone. 

And now your canvas is ready for Bob Ross painting.

Do you let Liquid White dry before painting?

For the wet-on-wet technique, painting begins while Liquid White is still wet; if it dries first, it no longer provides the same blending and movement across the canvas.

So I highly recommend that you start painting fast after applying liquid white. 

How long does the liquid white stay wet?

Working time varies with film thickness, absorbency, temperature, airflow, and formulation, so there is no reliable fixed number of hours or days for Liquid White to remain wet.

Continue with canvas preparation and wet base-coat guides covering gesso, liquid clear, liquid black, and Bob Ross oil paint.