You’ve seen it. That neon glow against a pitch-black sky, those weirdly vertical streaks of light dancing over a lonesome cabin. It’s one of those images that basically lives rent-free in the back of our collective cultural brain. But honestly, most people talking about the Bob Ross aurora borealis get the details kind of muddled. They think it was just another Tuesday at the easel for him. It wasn't.
Bob Ross didn't just stumble into painting the night sky. He lived it. Before the perms and the PBS fame, he spent 20 years in the Air Force, much of it stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. That’s where he actually saw the real thing. He wasn't guessing what a sub-zero night looked like; he’d stood in it.
The Episode Everyone Remembers (But Usually Quotes Wrong)
The most famous version of this scene happens in The Joy of Painting, Season 8, Episode 13. It’s titled "Northern Lights." If you go back and watch it, the energy is different. It’s not your typical "happy little clouds" vibe.
He starts with a black canvas. This is the big secret. You can't get that "glow" on a white background. It just doesn't work. He’d prep the canvas with black gesso, let it dry, and then—this is the part that trips up beginners—he’d coat the whole thing in a thin layer of Liquid Clear.
People always ask: "Why can't I just paint green on black?"
Because without that clear medium, the paint just sits there like mud. You need that slick surface to make the colors move. In this specific episode, he uses Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo Green, and Prussian Blue. It looks like a muddy mess until he hits it with the Titanium White. That’s when the magic happens.
The Physics of a "Happy" Aurora
It’s kinda funny how he describes the technique. He uses a 2-inch brush and basically just "pulls" the light up.
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- He scrubs in the transparent colors first.
- They are invisible on the black canvas.
- Then, he takes a fan brush with a tiny bit of white.
- He makes a little "smile" shape.
- Then he uses the big brush to pull it upward.
The white paint picks up the transparent colors underneath and turns them into glowing streaks. It’s a trick of the eye. Total illusion. He’s essentially "lighting" the painting from behind.
Why There’s More Than One Bob Ross Aurora Borealis
A lot of fans don't realize that Bob revisited the northern lights theme a few times, though the Season 8 version is the "holy grail" for collectors. Later, in Season 29, Episode 12, he did "Aurora's Dance."
This version is different. It’s an oval.
Bob loved ovals toward the end of his career because they acted as a natural frame. "Aurora's Dance" is a bit more refined, maybe a little more "commercial" looking, but it lacks some of the raw, dark grit of the original 1986 episode. In the later years, his technique was so fast it was almost telepathic. He could knock out a full aurora in about twelve minutes of actual painting time.
The "Alaskan" Factor
If you look at his early work—the stuff he did on gold pans and velvet while he was still in the military—the auroras are everywhere. Those original Bob Ross aurora borealis pieces are worth a fortune now. We're talking tens of thousands of dollars at auction houses like Modern Artifact.
Why? Because they aren't "TV paintings."
On the show, he had to paint for the camera. He had to be simple. In Alaska, he was painting for tourists and his own soul. Those early northern lights are much moodier. They feel colder. He used to say that he painted the snow and the mountains because he wanted to see something beautiful in a place that could be very harsh.
The Technical "Gotchas" Beginners Miss
I’ve seen a thousand people try to follow the "Northern Lights" tutorial and end up with a blurry gray smear.
The most common mistake is using too much white. Bob always emphasized that you only need a "tiny, tiny" amount of Titanium White. If you overload that brush, you’re going to turn your beautiful green sky into a chalky mess. You lose the transparency. Once the transparency is gone, the "glow" dies.
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Also, the "pull."
You have to pull the brush straight up. If you tilt it even a little, the aurora looks like it's falling over. It needs that vertical energy to look like the real atmospheric phenomenon. It’s all about the pressure. Very light at the top, a bit firmer at the bottom.
How to Master the Northern Lights Style Today
If you’re sitting there with a blank canvas and a dream of painting your own Bob Ross aurora borealis, you need the right kit. Don't try this with cheap craft acrylics. It won't work. You need slow-drying oils.
- Black Gesso: Must be bone dry before you start.
- Liquid Clear: A very, very thin coat. If it’s dripping, you’ve failed.
- Transparent Colors: Phthalo Green and Alizarin Crimson are the MVPs here.
- The Fan Brush: For the initial "glow" line.
- The 2-Inch Brush: For the vertical "pulls" that create the shimmer.
There is a certain meditative quality to this specific painting. Unlike his "Mountain Summit" or "Forest Edge" pieces, the northern lights require you to work in the dark. You are literally pulling light out of the shadows. It’s a metaphor Bob used a lot, even if he didn't mean to be profound.
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The northern lights episodes are basically the "boss level" of The Joy of Painting. They require more restraint than the daytime scenes. You have to know when to stop. If you keep blending, the lights disappear.
To get the best results on your first try, focus on the "ghosting" effect. This is when you use a clean, dry brush to barely—and I mean barely—touch the top of your light streaks. This softens the edges and makes them look like they are fading into space. It’s the difference between a painting that looks like a neon sign and one that looks like a cosmic event.
Practical Steps for Your Next Painting
- Prime a canvas with black acrylic or gesso and let it sit overnight. Do not rush this.
- Apply Liquid Clear using a 2-inch brush, then wipe the canvas with a paper towel to ensure only a microscopic film remains.
- Scrub in your "hidden" colors (green, blue, or crimson) in the areas where you want the lights to appear.
- Use a fan brush with firm Titanium White to "whisper" a line across the sky.
- Pull that line upward with a dry 2-inch brush, using one long, continuous stroke for each section.
- Add a tiny cabin or a few "evergreen" trees in the foreground to give the sky scale and distance.