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Instructional DVDs still have a loyal following among oil painters, and for good reason. A disc does not depend on Wi-Fi, never disappears from a streaming catalog, and plays on a TV next to the easel with a remote that pauses exactly when you need it. The trade-off is that the DVD market has shrunk a lot: many art instructors now publish through streaming platforms and their own websites, so the choice of discs on general marketplaces is much smaller than it used to be.
That shapes this guide. The best oil painting instructional DVDs available in our product data come down to one standout box set, Bob Ross’s Joy of Painting series. Rather than pad the list, we explain what that set teaches and who it suits, then pair it with five oil painting books that work well as companions, including the official Bob Ross book and a structured course that fills the gaps a TV-style lesson leaves. We also cover how to get the most out of video instruction and what to check before buying any painting DVD.
Quick answer: The Bob Ross Joy of Painting Series 10 DVD set is the most practical oil painting DVD purchase: nine one-hour instructional programs, about nine hours in total, in English, French and Spanish. Use it alongside Painting with Bob Ross for written step-by-step guidance in the same wet-on-wet method, and add The Oil Painting Course You’ve Always Wanted or Oil Painting For Dummies to learn broader technique beyond landscapes.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
- Bob Ross Joy of Painting Series, 10 DVD Set — Best oil painting instructional DVD set
- Painting with Bob Ross: Learn to Paint in Oil Step by Step — Best companion book to the DVDs
- The Oil Painting Course You’ve Always Wanted by Kathleen Lochen Staiger — Best structured course to pair with video
- Oil Painting For Dummies — Best plain-language reference
- Painting into the Light by Jenny Aitken — Best for atmospheric light effects
- The Beginner’s Guide to Oil Painting by Craig Stephens — Best for still life practice
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Key Strength | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Ross Joy of Painting DVDs | Wet-on-wet landscapes | 9 one-hour lessons, about 9 hours, NTSC | Paint-along video | $$$ |
| Painting with Bob Ross (book) | Written Bob Ross method | Step-by-step oil lessons | Pairs directly with DVDs | $$ |
| The Oil Painting Course You’ve Always Wanted | Structured learning | Guided lessons | Broad technique foundation | $$ |
| Oil Painting For Dummies | Quick reference | For Dummies format | Plain explanations | $$ |
| Painting into the Light (Aitken) | Atmosphere and light | Atmospheric oil effects | Focused on light | $$ |
| Beginner’s Guide to Oil Painting (Stephens) | Still life practice | Simple still life projects | Project-based | $$ |
How We Chose
We looked at every oil painting instruction product in our Amazon product data, checked in October 2026. Only one was a DVD, so we chose books that complement video learning, based on their listing details, how well they fill gaps in DVD-based instruction, and how widely each is reviewed by Amazon buyers. We have not watched or read every lesson; descriptions reflect listing information and the well-known content of the Bob Ross method.
- Format fit: paint-along video for visual learners.
- Complementary coverage: books that explain what video skims over.
- Skill level: beginner friendly, with room to grow.
- Practicality: region and format information for DVDs.
Why Choose a DVD Over Streaming?
- Offline and permanent: no subscription, buffering or disappearing courses.
- Easy pausing at the easel: a TV remote is simpler than a phone with paint on your hands.
- Good for gifting: a physical box set is an easy present for a new painter.
- Limitations: fewer titles, no instructor feedback, and you need a DVD player. Check region and format (NTSC is the US standard).
If you already own a streaming subscription or prefer a laptop at the easel, online video courses offer far more choice. DVDs make the most sense for people who want a dependable, offline set of lessons, or for gifting.
Oil Painting Instructional DVDs and Companion Books Reviewed
1. Bob Ross Joy of Painting Series, 10 DVD Set — Best for wet-on-wet landscapes
This box set contains nine one-hour instructional programs from The Joy of Painting, for a total runtime of about nine hours. The listing lists English, French and Spanish languages and NTSC format, which is the standard for US players. (The listing details are inconsistent on disc count, so check the current listing.)
Bob Ross teaches a fast wet-on-wet, or alla prima, method: a thin wet base coat on the canvas, then mountains, trees, water and skies built quickly with large brushes and a palette knife, usually finishing in one session. It is a confidence builder. You will paint a complete landscape on the first try, and the calm, step-by-step delivery makes it easy to follow along at the easel.
Best suited for: Beginners who learn by watching and painting along, and anyone who wants to paint landscapes quickly.
Key features:
- Nine one-hour lessons, about 9 hours
- English, French and Spanish
- NTSC format
- Box set
Pros:
- Paint-along format
- Complete paintings in one session
- Builds confidence fast
Cons and limitations:
- Focused on one style and subject
- The method relies on specific supplies and a wet base coat
- Premium price tier
- No feedback on your work
Buying consideration: The method works best with the materials it was designed for: a wet base coat, large brushes and a palette knife. Gather them before the first lesson so you can keep pace.
2. Painting with Bob Ross: Learn to Paint in Oil Step by Step — Best for a companion to the DVDs
This official Bob Ross Inc. paperback teaches oil painting step by step in the same method as the TV series. Having written steps alongside the video is useful when you want to review a technique without scrubbing through an hour of footage.
Best suited for: Viewers of the DVDs who want a written reference for each step.
Key features:
- Paperback
- Step-by-step oil painting
- Bob Ross method
Pros:
- Matches the DVD approach
- Easy to review steps
- Affordable
Cons and limitations:
- Same narrow style as the DVDs
Buying consideration: Read the step list before watching a lesson, then paint along with the video.
3. The Oil Painting Course You’ve Always Wanted by Kathleen Lochen Staiger — Best for structured learning
A guided-lesson course for beginners and experienced artists. Where a TV-style lesson focuses on getting to a finished landscape, a structured course is where you learn the broader foundations, such as value, color mixing and layering, that let you paint any subject.
Best suited for: Learners who want to grow beyond one method.
Key features:
- Guided lessons
- Beginner to experienced
- Paperback
Pros:
- Structured progression
- Broad foundations
- Mid price tier
Cons and limitations:
- Requires self-discipline
- No video
Buying consideration: Alternate: one DVD landscape, then one course lesson, so you build both confidence and fundamentals.
4. Oil Painting For Dummies — Best for a plain-language reference
By Anita Marie Giddings and Sherry Stone Clifton, part of the For Dummies series. The format is designed for clear, plain-language explanations that you can dip into when a video assumes knowledge you do not have yet.
Best suited for: Beginners who want a plain-language reference for materials and basics.
Key features:
- For Dummies series
- Two authors
- Paperback
Pros:
- Accessible explanations
- Easy to dip into
- Affordable
Cons and limitations:
- Check the edition date on the listing
Buying consideration: Use it to look up terms and materials mentioned in video lessons.
5. Painting into the Light by Jenny Aitken — Best for atmosphere and light
Subtitled How to work atmospheric magic with your oil paints, this paperback focuses on light and atmosphere. It is a natural next step for painters who enjoyed landscape DVDs and now want more convincing light, haze and mood.
Best suited for: Landscape painters who want to improve light and atmosphere.
Key features:
- Paperback
- Atmospheric oil effects
- Focus on light
Pros:
- Specialized, useful skill
- Builds on landscape basics
Cons and limitations:
- Not a beginner materials guide
Buying consideration: Practice its lessons on small panels before applying them to larger paintings.
6. The Beginner’s Guide to Oil Painting by Craig Stephens — Best for still life practice
This paperback teaches the basics through simple still life projects. Still life is a good counterbalance to wet-on-wet landscapes, since it trains careful observation of real objects and light.
Best suited for: Beginners who want to practice observation alongside video landscapes.
Key features:
- Simple still life projects
- Basics of oil painting
- Paperback
Pros:
- Project-based
- Trains observation
Cons and limitations:
- Different subject from the DVDs
Buying consideration: Set up the objects under a single lamp so the light stays consistent across sessions.
Buying Guide: How to Choose an Oil Painting DVD
Format and region
Check NTSC or PAL and the region code. US players typically need NTSC and region 1 or region-free discs.
Teaching style
Paint-along lessons build confidence quickly. Demonstration-style videos explain more but expect you to adapt.
Subject and method
Landscape, portrait and still life each need different skills. Wet-on-wet is fast; layered methods take several sessions.
Materials list
Some methods depend on specific supplies. Check before buying so you can follow along.
Runtime and structure
Longer sets with multiple lessons give more value than a single demonstration.
Companion resources
A book or written notes help you review steps without rewatching.
What Wet-on-Wet DVD Lessons Teach, and What They Leave Out
The Joy of Painting format is brilliant at a few things. It teaches you to use big brushes boldly, to think in layers of distance (far mountains, middle trees, near foreground), to mix colors directly on the canvas, and to finish a picture in one sitting. Those are real oil painting skills, and many painters credit these lessons with getting them past the fear of a blank canvas.
What a one-hour paint-along cannot do is explain the reasoning behind every choice. You learn that a tree goes here, but not always why the composition works. Value structure, observational drawing, edges, color temperature and layered methods like glazing are largely outside its scope, and the scenes are imagined landscapes rather than painted from life or photographs. That is not a flaw, just a boundary. It is why we pair the DVDs with books that teach foundations and other subjects.
A good rule of thumb: once you can complete a DVD landscape comfortably, start alternating with observation-based practice. Paint a simple still life from life, or a landscape from your own photo. You will quickly see which DVD habits carry over, such as confident brushwork and atmospheric distance, and which need new skills, such as matching real colors and proportions.
Setting Up to Paint Along With a DVD
Paint-along lessons move quickly, so setup matters more than it does with a book. Place the easel where you can see the screen without turning your head far, ideally with the TV slightly to one side of the canvas. Keep the remote in a zip-top bag so paint stays off the buttons. Lay out every color shown at the start of the lesson in the same order the instructor uses, and pre-load a palette knife with your base mixes.
Give yourself permission to pause constantly. The first few lessons may take two or three times the on-screen hour, and that is normal. Ventilate the room if you are using solvent, and keep a roll of paper towels within reach, since wiping brushes often is part of the wet-on-wet method. If you are buying the set as a gift, include a canvas, a large brush and a palette knife so the recipient can start the first lesson right away.
Building a Home Curriculum Around Video Lessons
Video works best inside a simple structure. A four-week starter plan might look like this:
- Week 1: two DVD lessons, painted along, then one repeated from memory.
- Week 2: one DVD lesson plus the first two chapters of a structured course on materials and value.
- Week 3: a still life project from a book, painted from real objects under one lamp.
- Week 4: a landscape from your own photo, combining DVD brushwork with what you learned about value.
Keep every painting, dated. After a month, line them up. The jump from the first painting to the last is the best motivation there is, and it tells you which skill to focus on next.
How to Learn Effectively From Painting Videos
- Watch the entire lesson once without painting.
- Lay out every material shown before starting.
- Paint along, pausing after each step.
- Paint the same lesson again without the video.
- Then change one element, such as the season or time of day, to make it your own.
- Take a photo of each painting and compare progress over weeks.
Want to practice specific landscape elements between lessons? Try our guides on painting grass in oil and painting fog in oil, both of which build the soft-edge control video landscapes rely on.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying a DVD without checking region and format. It may not play.
- Watching without painting. Progress comes from the brush, not the screen.
- Skipping the materials list. Some methods only work with specific supplies.
- Relying on one method forever. Branch out once you are comfortable.
- Comparing your first attempt to the instructor’s. They have painted the same scene many times.
FAQs
Are oil painting DVDs still worth buying?
Yes, if you want offline, permanent lessons you can pause easily at the easel. The selection is smaller than streaming, though.
Is Bob Ross good for learning oil painting?
It is excellent for confidence and quick landscapes using wet-on-wet. Pair it with a broader course to learn other methods.
What supplies do I need for Bob Ross painting?
The method uses a wet base coat on the canvas, large brushes, a palette knife and a limited palette. Check the lessons for specifics.
Will a US DVD play on my player?
US DVDs are usually NTSC and region 1. Check your player compatibility before buying.
Are books or DVDs better for learning oil painting?
Each has strengths. Video shows motion and timing; books explain principles and are easy to review. Many learners use both.
How long does it take to finish a Bob Ross painting?
Lessons are about an hour on screen. Beginners usually take longer, often two to three hours.
Final Recommendation
Choose the Bob Ross Joy of Painting DVD set if you want paint-along oil lessons on disc, and pair it with Painting with Bob Ross for written steps. To build broader skills, add The Oil Painting Course You’ve Always Wanted or Oil Painting For Dummies, then explore light with Painting into the Light and observation with Craig Stephens’ still life projects.
