Each of the Bob Ross techniques has a range of paints, brushes, books, videos and How-To packets. The stockists in Sussex & Hampshire may not carry every item that is available, but they are willing to order them for you.
For a complete overview of Bob Ross products available to you, visit the Bob Ross Inc homepage on www.bobross.com
ARTRADERS are the UK agents for Bob Ross Inc. and they can supply you with a complete list of Bob Ross stockists throughout the UK, as well as a list of all the UK Certified Ross Instructors. You can telephone Artraders on 0208 363 7442 and they will be happy to help you.
The following are stockists only in Sussex & Hampshire - it is always a good idea to telephone them before you visit to make sure that they have what you want in stock:
IN PERSPECTIVE, 16 Parkhurst Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, E Sussex TN40 Tel: 01424 731120 Website: www.inperspective.co.uk
IQ, 10 The Broadway, Crawley, W Sussex RH10 1DS Tel: 01293 614514
HOBBYCRAFT, Unit 2A County Oak Retail Park, London Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7XN
HOBBYCRAFT at Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill Lane, Copthorne, West Sussex RH10 3EY
CLARKE'S STATIONERS, 106-108 South Road, Haywards Heath, W Sussex RH16 4LL Tel: 01444 457551 (This branch does not stock the products but they will obtain them from their other branches for you.)
SQUIRES MODEL & CRAFT TOOLS*, 100 London Road, Bognor Regis, W Sussex PO21 1DD Tel: 01243 842424 Email: squirestools@tiscali.co.uk *Mail order available
Bob Ross Landscape Technique - Gesso's & Mediums Bob Ross created a range of Black, White and Grey Gessos for use with Landscapes. The Gessos are acrylic and therefore water-based. They must never be mixed with oil paint. The Gessos are used to paint a canvas BEFORE you add the oil medium to it. You must always allow the Gesso to dry before applying oil mediums on top of it. The effect of Black Gesso is really time-saving: if you are painting a night scene, or require a dark background behind your forest of trees, Black Gesso saves you having to underpaint everything with a dark colour and exhausting yourself before you begin highlighting! It's really marvellous. Grey Gesso will create a different effect - slightly more mellow. White Gesso can be used to create a light spot on a Black background (see "Waterfall in the Woods", Series 19 of "The Joy of Painting"). When you are applying Gesso, use either a foam brush, or a small paint roller - NEVER use your nice Bob Ross oil paitning brushes - the acrylic will dry very quickly and will ruin your brushes.
People often ask us what medium we use to make the canvas "wet" before we start to paint. You have three choices: Bob Ross Liquid White, Bob Ross Liquid Clear and Bob Ross Liquid Black. These are all oil based mediums that we use before we apply Bob Ross Landscape Oil Paint to the canvas, so that we can blend colours on the canvas, instead of working ourselves to death on the palette. Do not wait for these to dry before you start to paint - you will lose the day because they stay wet for hours! Liquid White is opaque, and will "dilute" the effect of the colours that you apply on top of it. It is usually applied to a white canvas. Because it is opaque, if you apply it to a black canvas, it will make the black appear 'milky'. Liquid White has a creamy consistency, and can be mixed with the Bob Ross Oil Paint colours to make a thinner paint. This is useful when you are applying the snowy white highlights to trees and bushes. Remember the Golden Rule: a thin paint will stick to a thick paint. Liquid Clear is, as the name suggests, a medium that goes on the canvas clear - and therefore can be applied - sparingly - for transparent coverage. It will not dilute the effect of oil colour applied on top of it. It has a honey-like consistency, and can also be mixed with paint colours to produce a thinner consistency. This is useful for waterfalls and seascape splash effects because as it dries, it reamins a little bit glossy. Liquid Black is also opaque, and will darken the effect of oil colours applied on top of it. In the case of yellow hues, it will change them to green ones - how exciting! It has a creamy consistency like Liquid White.
Bob Ross Wildlife Technique - Acrylics & Mediums When you begin a Wildlife painting, you nearly always cover the canvas with Bob Ross Grey Gesso (see Landscape technique above) and allow it to dry before you proceed. The Bob Ross Widlife How-To packs come with a tracing of the animal of your choice which you can transfer on to the canvas using Graphite paper. When you proceed with the painting, you will first create an underpainting of the animal using Bob Ross Liquid Acrylic Black, Bob Ross Liquid Acrylic White and Grey Gesso. The Liquid Acrylic range is much finer and more runny than the Gesso range, and enables us to achieve fine details and contouring of the animals body. Being acrylic they are water-based and will dry very fast. Only use the Bob Ross wildlife brushes with these acrylics - not the oil brushes. (Please don't confuse Liquid Acrylic Black with Liquid Black - the latter is oil based and used with oil paints only.) When your underpainting is complete, allow time for it to dry (about 30 minutes or more) and then cover the canvas with Bob Ross Oil Medium. This is a runny oil based medium that makes the canvas "wet" so that you can apply the Bob Ross Soft Oils with ease, and be able to blend colours on the canvas. This medium will stay wet for hours. Scrub it on to the canvas sparingly, using an old 1" Landscape brush. Bob Ross Oil Glazing Medium can be applied to spot paint areas. It becomes tacky after about 30-45 minutes, so it is useful if you need to touch up and area of the painting, or if you need the canvas to be wet in order to add more details at a later stage. Apply sparingly.
Bob Ross Floral Technique - Mediums There are a couple of Annette Kowalski videos and her Flowers book to help you with the florals, as well as a number of How-To packets with tracings included in the pack (just like Wildlife). Sometimes, you can apply Bob Ross Grey Gesso to a canvas before you paint the flower which will mute the colours. Or you can just paint on a white canvas. Bob Ross Oil Medium. This is the same product that is used in the Wildlife technique. It will not affect the Soft Oil colours because it is transparent. Scrub it on sparingly with an old 1" Landscape brush. Bob Ross Liquid Opal. This is an opaque oil-based medium, creamy in consistency, and with a pinky-mauve hue. It will lighten the Soft Oil colours (just like Liquid White), and make them slightly more muted and soft looking. Be aware that because of its pinky-mauve properties, it will change certain colours - yellow for example, will become a smoky-brown colour. Apply a thin, even coat to the canvas and do not allow to dry before you begin painting. You can also use the Bob Ross Liquid White medium (see Landscapes) for florals: it can make them quite bright. Try tinting Liquid White with oneof the Soft Oil colours to make pretty backgrounds for your florals.
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN RE-USE A CANVAS? After you have finished painting, if you decide that you had too many happy accidents and you want to reclaim the canvas, scrape off most of the paint using the Bob Ross Landscape Knife, then, put on a pair of rubber gloves and wash off the painting using Bob Ross Odourless Paint Thinner and some kitchen town while the painting is still wet (don't wait until the next day).
Hope all this helps. If you need advice or information about a product, please feel free to contact us and we will try to assist you.
www.paulandterri.co.uk Paul Ranson & Terri Robertson - Certified Bob Ross Instructors - Sussex & Hampshire UK Oil Painting for beginners using the Bob Ross techniques of Landscape Wildlife Florals
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