Bob Ross Books in Order
Browse Bob Ross books in order, from painting guides and quote collections to board books, with summaries, reading order, and simple tips on where to start.
Last updated: January 12, 2026
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Publication Order
64 books
Experience The Joy of Painting Volume X
by Bob Ross
2023
Experience The Joy of Painting Volume X revisits the Joy of Painting format with a fresh group of step by step projects, inviting fans to practice Bob Ross style mountains, forests, and seascapes using updated layouts and clear photography.
Bob Ross: My First Book of Numbers
by Bob Ross
2023
In Bob Ross: My First Book of Numbers, young readers count from one to thirteen using moons, friends, trees, rocks, and other details from Ross’s paintings, learning basic numbers alongside comforting images and short, gentle phrases.
Worship the Lamb of God
by Bob Ross
2022
Worship the Lamb of God is a short devotional study on Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb, drawing from scripture to explore how his death and resurrection shape Christian worship, assurance, and daily obedience.
My Journey Through Country Music
by Bob Ross
2022
My Journey Through Country Music is an autobiographical look at a lifetime spent around country songs, tracing the author’s early influences, first performances, road stories, and the people and hymns that kept him grounded along the way.
Karla: or the Weightliftress
by Bob Ross
2022
Following its heroine through five vivid stages of life, Karla: or the Weightliftress traces a small town athlete into adulthood, marriage, travel, and frail old age, asking what strength and purpose look like at each turn.
God's Witness in Secular Culture
by Bob Ross
2022
God's Witness in Secular Culture reflects on how Christians can live and speak faithfully in a skeptical age, discussing preaching, personal evangelism, and public engagement without surrendering core convictions or resorting to hostility.
Bob Ross: My First Book of Nature
by Bob Ross
2022
Bob Ross: My First Book of Nature turns his landscapes into an early concept book, teaching little ones words for clouds, mountains, rivers, and more while echoing the quiet wonder of his television show.
Billy Above the Roofs
by Bob Ross
2021
Set in the Nebraska Sandhills, Billy Above the Roofs weaves nine linked stories about Billy Dixon, his lovers, and the town of Turtle Lodge, building a stark, poetic portrait of one man’s life and the prairie that shapes it.
The Reality of Hell: “Hell” • “Sheol” • “Hades” • “Gehenna” • “Tartarus”
by Bob Ross
2020
Written from an evangelical perspective, The Reality of Hell examines the Bible’s key words for the afterlife, arguing for a literal, conscious judgment and walking readers through passages on Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and related terms.
Life Lessons from Bob Ross
by Bob Ross
2020
Life Lessons from Bob Ross shows how his painting catchphrases translate into everyday wisdom, pairing quotes and essays with full color artworks to encourage calm, creativity, and resilience when life feels messy or uncertain.
Bob Ross: My First Book of Colors
by Bob Ross
2020
Bob Ross: My First Book of Colors uses real Bob Ross paintings and simple text to introduce toddlers to thirteen paint colors, matching each name with skies, trees, and lakes that make early learning feel calm and inviting.
Beyond a Flood and a War
by Bob Ross
2020
Beyond a Flood and a War is a compact memoir that opens with memories of the 1937 Ohio River flood and a large Midwestern family, then follows the author through World War II, Navy service, and a long career in the electric power industry.
The Official Bob Ross Coloring Book: The Colors of the Four Seasons
by Bob Ross
2019
This authorized coloring book offers more than sixty seasonal scenes based on Bob Ross paintings, along with favorite quotes, so you can add your own colors to forests, mountains, and skies while unwinding at your own pace.
Wingnut: Sailing Showman
by Bob Ross
2018
Wingnut: Sailing Showman profiles a larger than life sailor nicknamed Wingnut, tracing his career in high performance boats, his showy on water style, and the subculture of races, crews, and waterfront characters that grew up around him.
The Paysanne Cook Book
by Bob Ross
2018
The Paysanne Cook Book showcases simple paysanne, or peasant style, dishes, with straightforward recipes for soups, breads, vegetables, and hearty mains that emphasize seasonal ingredients, comforting flavors, and unfussy home cooking.
Lusty Little Things
by Bob Ross
2018
Lusty Little Things is a collection of short, closely observed pieces about desire, memory, and ordinary bodies, blending humor and unease as it follows characters whose small choices lead to unexpected entanglements.
Bob Ross: A Journal
by Bob Ross
2018
This flexibound journal combines lined and blank pages with Bob Ross artwork and quotations, giving you a quiet space to sketch, plan, or reflect while his gentle one liners nudge you toward curiosity, gratitude, and trying new things.
Bob Ross by the Numbers
by Bob Ross
2018
This miniature paint by number kit includes tiny canvases, paints, and a booklet on Bob Ross, letting you recreate two landscapes and his iconic portrait by simply following the numbered areas and enjoying a quick dose of low pressure creativity.
Being with Benny: Inside the World of Ben Lexcen
by Bob Ross
2018
Being with Benny tells the story of yacht designer Ben Lexcen, from a tough Australian childhood to creating the wing keeled Australia II that finally won the America’s Cup, mixing technical insight with lively portraits of the sailors around him.
The Bob Ross Coloring Book
by Bob Ross
2017
Featuring dozens of line drawings adapted from Bob Ross originals, this adult coloring book invites you to fill in peaceful mountains, lakes, and forests, accompanied by his encouraging sayings for a relaxed, screen free break.
Happy Little Accidents
by Bob Ross
2017
Happy Little Accidents gathers a short biography, memorable quotes, and full color paintings into one gift sized book, celebrating Bob Ross’s belief that mistakes can become opportunities both on the canvas and in everyday life.
Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting
by Bob Ross
2017
Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting explains his wet-on-wet oil technique in detail, combining full color landscapes, supply lists, and step by step photo sequences so beginners can follow along and finish their own scenes in just a few sessions.
The Warriors Reflections of a Fighter Pilot, test pilot, and Veteran of the air wars over Vietnam
by Bob Ross
2002
In The Warriors, retired Air Force colonel Bob Ross recounts his path from engineering student to fighter pilot, test pilot, and two tour veteran of the Vietnam air war, blending cockpit detail with candid reflections on risk, duty, and loss.
Funny Business Solutions &: The Art Of Using Humor Constructively
by Bob Ross
1998
Funny Business Solutions & The Art Of Using Humor Constructively collects case studies and tools for bringing humor into presentations, training sessions, and day to day management, always with the goal of solving problems rather than getting cheap laughs.
Discover The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross
by Bob Ross
1998
Discover The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross serves as a hands on workshop in book form, offering multiple landscape projects, clear instructions, and practical tips that show how to build skies, mountains, trees, and reflections from the very first stroke.
More Joy of Painting with Bob Ross
by Bob Ross
1995
More Joy of Painting with Bob Ross continues the series with another sixty projects drawn from the TV show, expanding on his trademark landscapes and offering extra practice with clouds, waterfalls, oval frames, and subtle lighting effects.
Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross
by Bob Ross
1995
This large collection gathers sixty favorite projects from The Joy of Painting, each with a full color reference image and black and white how to photos, guiding you through Bob Ross’s most popular mountains, cabins, seascapes, and winter scenes.
The Joy of Painting Volume 30
by Bob Ross
1994
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 29
by Bob Ross
1994
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 28
by Bob Ross
1993
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 27
by Bob Ross
1993
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 26
by Bob Ross
1993
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
Bob Ross' New Joy of Painting: A Collection of His Favorites
by Bob Ross
1993
Bob Ross' New Joy of Painting gathers sixty of his later Joy of Painting projects into one volume, pairing each finished landscape with step by step photos and instructions so you can revisit some of his most loved scenes.
The Joy of Painting Volume 25
by Bob Ross
1992
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
That's a Good One!: Corporate Leadership with Humor
by Bob Ross
1992
That’s a Good One! focuses on how leaders can use jokes, stories, and playful moments to break tension, give feedback, and build rapport, with practical tips on reading an audience and avoiding the missteps that sink office humor.
The Joy of Painting Volume 24
by Bob Ross
1991
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 23
by Bob Ross
1991
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 22
by Bob Ross
1991
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 21
by Bob Ross
1990
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 20
by Bob Ross
1990
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 19
by Bob Ross
1990
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 18
by Bob Ross
1990
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 17
by Bob Ross
1989
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 16
by Bob Ross
1989
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 15
by Bob Ross
1989
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 14
by Bob Ross
1989
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
Laugh, Lead and Profit: Building Productive Workplaces With Humor
by Bob Ross
1989
Laugh, Lead and Profit argues that well used humor can boost trust, creativity, and performance at work, offering managers stories, exercises, and concrete suggestions for lightening the mood without losing professionalism or focus.
The Joy of Painting Volume 13
by Bob Ross
1988
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 12
by Bob Ross
1988
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 11
by Bob Ross
1987
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 10
by Bob Ross
1987
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 9
by Bob Ross
1987
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 8
by Bob Ross
1986
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 7
by Bob Ross
1986
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 6
by Bob Ross
1986
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 5
by Bob Ross
1986
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 4
by Bob Ross
1985
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 3
by Bob Ross
1985
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
The Joy of Painting Volume 2
by Bob Ross
1984
In this Joy of Painting volume you will tackle thirteen complete scenes, from skies and mountains to trees and water, guided by Bob Ross’s simple instructions, materials lists, and close up photographs of every major stage.
The Joy of Painting Volume 1
by Bob Ross
1984
This Joy of Painting book features thirteen step by step landscape projects taken from Bob Ross’s TV series, with full color reference paintings, supply lists, and clear photos so you can follow his wet-on-wet technique from first sky wash to final highlight.
Experience the Joy of Painting With Bob Ross
by Bob Ross
1984
Experience the Joy of Painting With Bob Ross serves as an early companion to the TV series, introducing the wet-on-wet method with a selection of landscape projects, materials guidance, and simple diagrams aimed at painters just starting out.
Solitary confinement: Poems
by Bob Ross
1977
Solitary confinement: Poems gathers early work by Bob Ross that dwells on isolation, open country, and hard work, using clear, musical lines to evoke ranches, small towns, weather, and the people who endure them.
Modern and Classic Woodburning Stoves and the Grass Roots Energy Revival
by Bob Ross
1976
This practical guide surveys traditional and modern wood burning stoves, explaining how they work, how to choose and install them, and what a grassroots return to wood fuel can mean for home heating and self reliance.
Muddled Meanderings in an Outhouse
by Bob Ross
1972
This slim volume mixes cowboy poetry with black and white photos of weathered outhouses, turning a very humble building into the backdrop for wry jokes, tall tales, and affectionate glimpses of rural life.
Where should I start?
If you want to learn Bob’s painting technique: Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting → Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross → More Joy of Painting with Bob Ross → Discover The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross.
If you love inspirational Bob Ross quotes: Happy Little Accidents → Life Lessons from Bob Ross → Bob Ross: A Journal.
If you enjoy relaxing creative activities: The Official Bob Ross Coloring Book: The Colors of the Four Seasons → The Bob Ross Coloring Book → Bob Ross by the Numbers.
If you’re reading with young children: Bob Ross: My First Book of Colors → Bob Ross: My First Book of Nature → Bob Ross: My First Book of Numbers.
Author bio
Bob Ross grew up far from art-school studios. Born Robert Norman Ross in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1942, he was raised in nearby Orlando, where his father worked as a carpenter and his mother as a waitress.
As a kid he was the quiet boy who nursed injured armadillos, snakes, and squirrels back to health, a small kindness that later showed up on screen when he let a tame squirrel sit in his pocket while he painted. In his teens he left school after the ninth grade to work alongside his father, and a shop accident cost him part of his left index finger, which he later hid behind the palette.
In 1961 Ross enlisted in the United States Air Force. He spent about twenty years in uniform, most of them in Alaska, working as a medical records technician and rising to the rank of master sergeant. The job required him to be the tough voice of authority, ordering people out of bed and into line, and he later said he promised himself he would never shout again once he left the service.
Alaska also gave him snowcapped mountains, misty forests, and long stretches of quiet time, and that is where he learned to paint. Ross took night classes, struggled with instructors who pushed abstract styles, and then stumbled across a television show in which German painter Bill Alexander used a fast, alla prima "wet-on-wet" oil technique. Ross studied the method, began painting Alaskan scenes on souvenir gold pans, and soon earned more from selling landscapes than from his military paycheck.
He left the Air Force in 1981, studied directly with Alexander, and started teaching his own workshops. One of his students, Annette Kowalski, believed his calm presence and clear instruction could work on television. Together with her husband Walt and Ross’s second wife Jane, they built Bob Ross Inc., a small company built around classes, how-to books, and a line of art supplies.
In January 1983 the half hour series The Joy of Painting began airing on public television. Week after week Ross finished a complete landscape in about twenty-six minutes, turning blank canvas into mountains, trees, cabins, and stormy seas while speaking directly to a single viewer at home. His gentle encouragement, soft Florida accent, and lines like "happy little trees" and "we don’t make mistakes, just happy accidents" made the show feel more like a relaxing visit than a formal lesson.
Around the show, the books followed. Step-by-step volumes such as The Joy of Painting Volume 29 or Bob Ross' New Joy of Painting walk readers through individual projects, while collections like Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross gather favorite scenes from across the series. Gift titles and activity books, from The Bob Ross Coloring Book to Life Lessons from Bob Ross and Happy Little Accidents, use his paintings and quotes to offer a quieter kind of inspiration, even for people who never pick up a brush.
Ross often reminded viewers that he did not sell the paintings made on television. Instead, the business rested on classes, brushes, paints, and books, and many of the on air canvases went to public television stations or charity auctions. He trained and certified instructors around the world, turning his personal technique into a teaching network that outlived him.
Behind the scenes he was private and shy, happiest around a small circle of friends, his family, and the animals he continued to rescue. A longtime smoker, he was diagnosed with lymphoma in the early 1990s, which forced him to end The Joy of Painting in 1994. He died on July 4, 1995, in Florida at age fifty-two, having kept his illness largely hidden from viewers.
Since then new generations have discovered him through reruns, streaming marathons, museum exhibits, and the ongoing stream of Bob Ross books and kits. The mix of simple landscapes, steady voice, and permission to make "happy accidents" still invites people to slow down, try a brushstroke or two, and see if there is an artist hiding in them after all.
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