Photoshop Bob Ross (2004)

About

Photoshop Bob Ross is an exploitable series based on an image of the celebrity painter standing by his easel and the canvas. Most well-known through his DIY-painting TV program “The Joy of Painting,” Mr. Ross and his magical canvas became the topic subject of Photoshop challenges in popular discussion sites, including B3TA, FARK, Something Awful and Facepunch forums.

The Artist

Bob Ross (1942 – 1995) was an American painter and the host of “The Joy of Painting,” a TV program which aired on PBS channel from 1983 to 1994. In each half-hour segment, Ross introduced the world to “happy little trees” by breaking down the techniques for landscape painting in plain-spoken words. Aside from having a spectacular ’fro, Mr. Ross is also known for delivering his lessons in a gentle mellifluous tone that made Mr. Rogers look like R. Lee Ermey. In 1995, Bob Ross died at age of 53, but his legacies live on to this day. After his death, Bob Ross Inc. donated most of his paintings to charities and public television stations.

Blank Exploitable

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Photoshop Tribute to Bob Ross

On September 17, 2004, a new challenge thread called Photoshop Bob Ross was posted on B3TA forums with the following message:

The late Bob Ross taught thousands of people how to paint really terrible pictures with his cable TV shows. We want you to make him the star he always deserved to be, by immortalising him in photoshop and posting it on the messageboard.

Participation in the challenge quickly turned out to be a success; within the first 24 hours of the challenge, over 11 pages worth of exploitables were posted.

Bob Ross frequently appears in FARK photoshop contests, as the blank canvas has become highly exploitable. More recently in August 2009, a similar challenge called The Joy of Painting Bob Ross took place on Something Awful forums’ Photoshop Phriday. Another challenge thread was posted on Facepunch forums in December 2009.

Bob Ross Parodies

Aside from the TV series still syndicated around the world, there are various parodies and tribute videos dedicated to the man on YouTube.

Rob Bartlett’s Not For Profit TV Special Parody:

Koefnoen – Bob Ross Parody:

Parody of Episode 11: Desert Village Sunset

FNTV’s Happy Little Outtakes:

Family Guy Parody of Happy Little Trees:

Joy of Painting Parody by FriendspaceBook feat. Hitler:

The Joy of Painting Parody feat. Pirate artist Rusty Anchor:

How to Draw Star Wars: Episode 6 by American artist Matt Busch:

The Joy of Summer (parody) by Sketch Work Comedy:

Bob Ross parody by German artist Susi Gelb:

The Joy of Painting Bavaria by Tapete Records, an indie record label: