The best podcasts to help you become a better painter

There’s a great documentary film on Netflix at the moment about the late artist Bob Ross, he of the happy little trees and friendly perm, and the battles fought over his estate. It coincides with the revival on BBC4 of his Joy of Painting TV programmes, which originally aired in the US between 1983 and 1994, but have lately struck a chord with pandemic–stressed audiences here. They are, basically, free therapy, with a suburban far-out vibe and colour-laden fan brush.

I was sceptical about how genuine Ross’s demeanour was until I saw the film, which left me in no doubt that he was exactly as he appeared. When someone is as enthusiastic and well-meaning as he was, you can’t help but stifle any sniggers and jump on board. I should put away my worries, paint a mountain with little squirrels and smile upon my mistakes as ‘happy accidents’? You got it, Bob.

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Matthew Parris

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Unsurprisingly, the Bob Ross phenomenon has started to spill over into audio, especially in America. The potential is obvious, given that the therapeutic effects of the TV programmes derive primarily from Ross’s uniquely soothing voice and uplifting commentary. A few podcasts have even been assembled from clips from his series. More interesting are the original offerings which, while falling short on some levels, owe a discernible debt to his example.

Learn to Paint with Kelly Anne Powers is one such podcast. Providing something close to an art tutorial every month through discussion with practitioners in various media, Oregon-based Powers goes the way of Ross with her gentle tone and encouragement to be kind to ourselves as artists. Her guests provide tips and stories from their own creative practice. A recent discussion ranged from the merits of stay-wet palettes and retarders to tackle the problems of acrylic drying too quickly to methods for building up layers on the page.