Little-Known Facts About The Iconic Bob Ross

Here are a few fun facts about the man behind the paintings!

Most of us remember watching The Joy of Painting growing up, and we may have even painted along a time or two with Bob Ross. One look at that signature curly hair of his, painting palette in hand, and we’re hit with a wave of nostalgia. However, this iconic figure was not always the soft-spoken, squirrel-loving man we remember. Here are a few fun facts about the man behind the paintings!

Bob Hated The Afro Look

That’s right! Sorry to burst your bubble, but Bob’s hair wasn’t always the glorious afro we’ve all come to know and love. When he was a young man in San Francisco, Bob didn’t want to spend money on haircuts, so on a whim, he decided to get a perm. The thought was that he wouldn’t have to cut his hair as often if he just let it grow out. He ended up hating the look, but he had already been hired on at PBS, and the producers loved the gimmick that became his signature look.

Bob Was A Sergeant In The Military

Bob served as a sergeant in the airforce for twenty years before he picked up his paintbrush. It was said of Bob that he was kind of a hard-nosed commanding officer, often demanding the cleanest of toilets and tidiest of beds. When asked about his time in the military, Bob Ross said that the job demanded him to be a mean person, and he hated that. He promised himself that when he got out, he’d never be that way again. Lucky for us, he kept that promise. Bob was stationed in Alaska for many years, which undoubtedly influenced his paintings later on in life.

Bob Was Missing A Finger

Yes, that’s right, Bob Ross went most of his life without a large portion of the index finger on his left hand! His father was a carpenter, and Bob had a terrible accident helping his father on a project one day. It’s ok if you didn’t notice, seeing as he held the paint palette in his left hand, thus disguising the missing finger.

Find out more about the curious life of Bob Ross by watching the video below!

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