Bob Ross, former host of the highly-rated PBS show "The Joy of Painting," promised himself he would never scream again. The promise came from his time as First Sergeant in the Air Force, where it was his job to shout orders. By the time he left the military to paint full-time, he'd had enough and kept to his promise.
Ross's soothing voice and persistent optimism became his hallmark and attributed to his success. Though he left the shouting behind him, his paintings were heavily influenced by his time in the Air Force.
The snow-filled, mountainous landscapes of Alaska, where he was formerly stationed, would become a signature of his work. During his breaks, he used tins meant for gold-panning as his canvas, which he sold in local gift shops for extra money.
When his show first debuted in 1983, Ross became the first to publically demonstrate how to paint using the wet-on-wet oil technique, which enables the artist to layer wet paint on top of wet paint in order to complete the painting in the show's allotted time frame. The show ended in 1994, a year before his death.
