Bob Ross’s wet-on-wet painting style is an exceptional take on using oil painting. But the medium is expensive for beginners, so acrylic is a great alternative. Yet, it dries up quickly. Fortunately, several artists tried acrylic and they confirm it works.
Yes, you can paint Bob Ross’ wet-on-wet style using acrylics. But because acrylic dries quickly, you must work fast if you don’t have a retarder on hand. You can also use water and mist it on the acrylic paint, but avoid misting it too much.
Water is not the only solution to wet acrylic. We list several ways to wet acrylic. We also include the acrylic best for wet-on-wet painting. And I will suggest easy Bob Ross painting episodes you can follow, which is perfect for beginners.
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Can you paint Bob Ross style with acrylics?
Mimicking Bob Ross painting using acrylic requires quickness, so you can achieve the wet-on-wet effect
. It means that you must paint fast, as painting leisurely prevents you from applying an extra layer of paint. Take note Ross uses oil, which has a unique property from acrylic.
An acrylic is water-based, so the water content evaporates quickly when exposed to the environment. Yet oil paint takes time to dry because it dries through oxidation.
If you want to paint Bob Ross style with acrylics, you must keep the canvas wet. It keeps the paint wet, which allows you to blend the colors smoothly. It also allows you to add layers, adding dimensions to your painting.
How do you paint Bob Ross with acrylics?
When you paint Bob Ross style with acrylics, keep in mind that you must keep the paint wet. You must also work fast. Later, I’ll share with you the tools to keep the paint wet. But for now, I’ll teach you how to achieve Bob Ross’s style using acrylics.
Choose an easy painting
Because you must paint quickly, choose an easy painting. Don’t overwhelm yourself by choosing complicated themes with intricate details. Your goal is to laser-focus on one technique that Bob Ross teaches in his video, then get the hang of it. Remember, your goal is to learn how to paint like Bob Ross.
Using a small canvas also helps to reduce the rush you may feel as you paint. Because you’re painting on a small canvas, you don’t need to fill a bigger space. But, some painters recommend using the same canvas size that Bob Ross uses. You can consider it; it’s just a matter of preference.
Easiest Bob Ross paintings
If I could pinpoint at least two episodes that Bob Ross uploaded that you could follow, it could be “The Grandeur of Summer” and the “Grey Winter.” These two one-hour episodes were perfect for beginners because Bob Ross taught his painting techniques. He also shared the different tools you could use to achieve such techniques.
While “The Grandeur of Summer” was all about colors, “Grey Winter” focused on black and white. As a beginner, color blending could be overwhelming. So the “Grey Winter” could be a good start as it allowed you to focus on techniques and not on color combination.
Use acrylic effectively
When using acrylic, you must work as fast as you can. To achieve it, you must have an idea in mind. Well, you’re lucky because you can watch Bob Ross’s episodes ahead of time, so you can plan. Watching one episode repeatedly can help you recall the information that helps you while you paint.
Because acrylic dries fast, you must also avoid putting too much paint on your palette. Squeeze the right amount out of the tube, and squeeze again when you need more. Don’t forget to close the tube to avoid it from drying.
How do you keep acrylic paint from drying out so fast?
Despite the struggle you can encounter using acrylic, it’s possible to achieve wet-on-wet with the proper tools and technique. As you invest in acrylic paints and brushes, include a retarder, acrylic medium, and gesso in your toolbox. These items can replicate the effect of oil-based painting for a cheap price.
Acrylic paint retarder
Because acrylic paints dry up fast, a retarder delays the paint’s evaporation. A retarder contains glycerin, which aids in reducing the paint’s drying time. Using the retarder, you have at least half an hour to a day to paint on wet-on-wet.
You can find two types of retarder in the market — gel form and liquid form. Gel form liquifies the paint, resulting in a watercolor-like texture. But if you want to blend the paint with ease, try the liquid form.
When using a paint retarder, check the proportions suggested on the label. Don’t go overboard. Mixing it too much prevents the paint from drying. Even if the paint sits for days, it’s still wet.
You can also opt for slow-drying paint if you want to skip the retarder. Some slow-drying paint has soft consistency perfect for blending. If you do a lot of blending and layering, a slow-drying paint is worth buying.
Acrylic gel
Traditional oil paintings are glossy, and an acrylic gel can achieve it plus the thickness you need for layering. It also comes in a matte finish if you don’t want the sheen. But one of the significant functions of an acrylic gel is to saturate the paint without making the consistency thin. When you use acrylic gel, you don’t need to use too much water.
Gesso
Gesso is a counterpart of Bob Ross’ Liquid White. It’s a base coat or primer for your canvas. A canvas absorbs the paint without causing the paint to soak in the material. It’s available in artist grade and student grade. The artist-grade is a better option because it has more pigment and it contains less filler.
To maximize the features of gesso, decide the number of coats you’ll apply. Some canvas is already treated with gesso, so you must consider it. Don’t forget to stir the gesso before using it.
Acrylic paint and retarder keep acrylic paint from drying out, yet some tools also help to keep it wet. Plastic containers, wet palettes, and spray bottles are the cheap tools that come in handy during your painting session. You can also opt for an open acrylic, which dries slowly.
Plastic containers
Plastic containers work as storage for the acrylic paint that you mist with water. You can also use clean recycled jars. To keep the paint wet, cover it with a lid and store it in a cool well-ventilated area. You can use plastic wrap to seal the jar better.
Wet palette
During the painting session, a wet palette provides moisture to the paint. So even if you paint in a warm room or outdoors, the paint doesn’t dry up fast. The great thing about the wet palette is that you don’t need to wet the paint directly. All you need to do is to hydrate the palette, then the paint absorbs the moisture. Your paint doesn’t get a thin consistency, and it doesn’t get flooded.
Spray bottle
Misting your paint increases the moisture it needs to keep its wet consistency. It’s advisable to mist the paint rather than pour the water. The mist helps you to control the amount of water the paint needs. Yet, take note you must also mist the canvas with water as you paint.
What is the best kind of acrylic for wet-on-wet?
The market offers nine types of acrylic paint, but the best acrylics for wet-on-wet are open paint acrylics, interactive acrylics, and acrylic gouache. The common factor of the three paints is their ability to stay wet for a certain period, which other types don’t have.
But it’s important to take note that the wet-on-wet paint doesn’t resemble oil paint. A large amount of the paint’s composition is still acrylic. It’s just that the manufacturers can extend their drying time.
Open paint acrylics
Open paint acrylic paint is the slowest-drying acrylic. It’s a go-to paint for enthusiasts who use acrylic for their wet-on-wet painting.
One of the popular brands today is the Golden Open Acrylic Colour. This brand offers versatile colors, which is perfect for color blending. Yet, the highlight of this paint is it doesn’t form skin even if you expose it to air for a few hours. But like oil, it dries quicker with thin layers.
Interactive acrylics
Interactive acrylic is a fast-drying acrylic paint, which gives your painting a satin finish. Although it’s fast-drying, it comes with the unlocking formula. It’s an additional product that reopens the dry interactive acrylic paint. Interactive acrylics unlock the paint on the canvas and the palette. It brings back the paint’s moisture from dry to wet.
The unlocking formula can soften the transition between blended areas. It can remove unwanted brush marks while stopping other spots on the canvas to unlock.
Acrylic gouache
Acrylic gouache differs from gouache. The regular gouache is an opaque watercolor that dries fast. But by misting it with water, the dry paint reactivates. On the other hand, you can’t wet an acrylic gouache. But the Lascaux acrylic gouache deviates from the typical acrylic gouache. The Lascaux gets wet after you let it sit with water.
How to Improve Wet-on-Wet Acrylic Painting?
Oil and acrylic are not the same. So, you may find some techniques Bob Ross shared on his channel are not applicable to acrylic painting. But it doesn’t mean you can’t get the same results. It’s just a matter of technique and using the right tools.
Bob Ross’ painting technique
Bob Ross uses a palette knife and paintbrushes in most of his works. When watching his shows, observe the amount of paint he gets using his palette knife. When he says “get a thin paint”, observe how thin it is. You don’t want to get too much paint or else it gets muddy.
His technique also has a specific way of applying paint using his palette knife, so you must watch attentively. Note how he explains his technique of using different brush strokes.
Detailing and layering
Seasoned painters focus on detail. Even if you find Bob Ross’ show to be shorter than sixty minutes, he emphasizes the importance of details. A detailed painting highlights the clean lines and stresses the artwork’s texture.
Layering is the technique that creates a three-dimensional subject. Applying it to your painting while combining it with detailing adds character and gives life to your painting.
Color mixing
Master the color wheel. It’s the foundation to get the right color combination. You can choose from different color schemes such as monochromatic, triadic, and complementary. Knowing it allows you to experiment with the color without worrying if it works.’
It’s a good idea to add a tonal background to your canvas because it sets the mood. It’s an ideal background for themes like stormy seas, lightning, or a dark forest. But you can keep the white gesso if you’re painting a landscape.
When mixing colors and adding layers to the paint, always use a clean brush. You don’t need to buy plenty of brushes. Just don’t forget to rinse out the brush each time you change color.
Upgrade the acrylic painting
Upgrading the acrylic paint makes the difference. Low-quality acrylic gets darker when it dries up. So, a vibrant and lovely painting may become gloomy and dark.
It’s good practice to test the colors on a piece of paper to see how much the color changes. From there, you can adjust to get the color you want.
I hope the loads of information you learn helps you in exploring the beauty of acrylic and the intricacy of Bob Ross’ painting. Remember, you don’t need to be Bob Ross. You don’t need to buy expensive oil paint. You can always use an alternative. In this case, it’s acrylic. Paint your art. Be unique and express yourself like a seasoned painter. Be bold but generous in your artistic flair.
And if you want another opinion, this person believes that Bob Ross’ technique is a nightmare! So you get both sides: