as a college art major, and a sign painter BEFORE i went to PENN STATE, the 2 are not the same. i have alway been good at "photo realism" in my drawing abilities. many of the art classes i took, we had to draw "still life" i excelled at this. if there was text on any thing i drew, mine would look exactly like it. peoples faces, iam not good at. water colors, to loose for my eye. i need more edges. my professor and i would get into these ART vs sign painter, conversations. he didnt see sign painting as art. bob ross is an expert of palette painting. and most of his work is a loose "pictorial" type work. he fools your eye into making objects that he only partially lays down.