Who was Bill Alexander?
Bill Alexander was a German-born painter and television art instructor best known for The Magic of Oil Painting. His energetic teaching style and direct wet-on-wet approach helped make oil painting feel exciting and achievable.
Before Bob Ross became famous for The Joy of Painting, Bill Alexander was already showing viewers how quickly a landscape could appear on canvas using bold brushwork, palette knife highlights and a wet oil base.
Bill Alexander and Bob Ross
Bill Alexander is often remembered as the man who taught Bob Ross. His influence can be seen in the wet-on-wet method, the fast one-session landscape format and the confident use of big brushes and knives.
Bob Ross developed his own calm teaching voice and style, but the foundation of the method sits in the same wet-on-wet oil painting tradition that Bill Alexander helped popularise.
Learning the Alexander and Ross technique
Mark Terrell is a certified Bill Alexander instructor as well as a Bob Ross Certified Instructor. That means students can learn the softer Bob Ross approach while also understanding the stronger brushwork and direct painting principles behind Alexander's method.
To experience the technique yourself, join an oil painting class, watch a free video lesson, or read the wet-on-wet oil painting guide.