I Followed a Bob Ross Painting Tutorial and Here's What Happened

Everyone is obsessed with Bob Ross. He has the most soothing voice in the world, the coolest hair a man could have, and painting skills better than anyone. It's hard not to learn a little bit and genuinely enjoy his painting videos.

A lot of YouTubers have been participating in a challenge where they follow along to a Bob Ross painting tutorial. There have been some beautiful recreations and a handful of epic fails, but all in all, it is a unique challenge to do during quarantine. I'm not a YouTuber nor did I intend on making any sort of video documenting the experience, but I thought it would be fun to follow along to a video and see how my painting would turn out.

I started by making an online order from Michael's Craft Store. I purchased some acrylic paint, a pack of canvases, and a large set of paintbrushes. After they came in I sat down and decided which video to follow along to. I wanted a landscape with a few mountains and some heavy greenery, and eventually found one online.

Tatum Swanson

With my area set up in my backyard, I began painting. Initially, it wasn't too difficult to follow along to. I paused the video when I needed to mix my colors or needed extra time blending. For a landscape that looked so complicated and intricate, Bob's tips and tricks made it relatively easy to do. The only time I really struggled was when I didn't have the exact tool he did and ended up having to improvise. From start to finish, it took me about an hour.

Finding something random to do like a Bob Ross painting tutorial was the perfect thing to occupy my time. During the last few weeks we've tended to get in our heads a bit more than usual, and our mental and physical wellness is struggling. Zoning out and painting helped me recenter my thoughts and find a momentary peace amidst all of the coronavirus chaos.