🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Bob Ross
Bob Ross was a reputed painter, television host, art instructor, and writer from the United States. He was particularly famous for creating and hosting the PBS instructional TV program called The Joy of Painting that was aired between 1983 and 1994 in America, Europe, Canada, and Latin America. During the 80s and 90s, Bob was a famous television personality, but he transformed into a 21st-century internet celebrity. He was most popular on YouTube and several other social websites even after his death. Bob was born as Robert Norman Ross on 29th October 1942 in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. His parents, Ollie & Jack Ross, worked as a waitress and a carpenter respectively. They brought up Bob in Orlando, Florida. During his childhood, Bob was very attracted to injured animals.
All Book Series by Bob Ross
Bob Ross' New Joy of Painting: A Collection of His Favorites
Book 27 of 35 · published 1993
Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting
Latest in the series · book 35 of 35 · published 2017
Experience the Joy of Painting With Bob Ross
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 1984
The Official Bob Ross Coloring Book: The Colors of the Four Seasons
Book 4 of 5 · published 2019
Experience The Joy of Painting Volume X
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2023
Modern and Classic Woodburning Stoves and the Grass Roots Energy Revival
Series opener · book 1 of 13 · published 1976 Co-authored · Carol Ross
Laugh, Lead and Profit: Building Productive Workplaces With Humor
Book 2 of 13 · published 1989
That's a Good One!: Corporate Leadership with Humor
Book 3 of 13 · published 1992
Funny Business Solutions &: The Art Of Using Humor Constructively
Book 4 of 13 · published 1998
The Warriors Reflections of a Fighter Pilot, test pilot, and Veteran of the air wars over Vietnam
Book 5 of 13 · published 2002
Life Lessons from Bob Ross
Book 10 of 13 · published 2020 Co-authored · Robb Pearlman
My Journey Through Country Music
Latest in the series · book 13 of 13 · published 2022
Bob Ross: My First Book of Numbers
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2023
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bob Ross?
Bob Ross was a reputed painter, television host, art instructor, and writer from the United States. He was particularly famous for creating and hosting the PBS instructional TV program called The Joy of Painting that was aired between 1983 and 1994 in America, Europe, Canada, and Latin America. During the 80s and 90s, Bob was a famous television personality, but he transformed into a 21st-century internet celebrity.
Which Bob Ross series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Joy of Painting series, the earliest of Bob Ross's multi-book series: it opens with The Joy of Painting Volume 1 (1984) and runs to 35 books across 1984–2017, ending with Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting (2017). Bob Ross's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Bob Ross written?
Bob Ross has 61 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1972 and 2023. 43 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Joy of Painting series with 35 books — and 18 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Bob Ross's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Bob Ross's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Joy of Painting (1984–2017, 35 books), Bob Ross Art (1984–2023, 5 books) and My First Bob Ross (2020–2023, 3 books).
How are Bob Ross's books organised into series?
This guide splits Bob Ross's 61 books into 3 named series and 18 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Joy of Painting (35 books, 1984–2017); Bob Ross Art (5 books, 1984–2023); My First Bob Ross (3 books, 2020–2023).