Paint by numbers is gaining popularity among the masses due to its amazing properties. It is engaging, turns out beautiful every time, and anyone can indulge in this activity, from children to adults to older people. Painting is fun, entertaining, and pleasing but not everyone is fortunate enough to have expertise in it. Often people struggle to paint their imagination, emotions, and feelings on the canvas. What they bring on the canvas may be a mess that they don’t appreciate and feel embarrassed by. This may make them doubt their skills, leaving them disheartened enough to never want to pick up a brush again.
If you’re looking for tips for painting by numbers and want to learn how to improve your painting skills through practice, you’ve come to the right place!
Tips and Tricks
Once you have a couple of paint by numbers projects under your belt, you may want to know some tips for paint by numbers that can further elevate your artistic abilities. We’re going to reveal some great paint by numbers tips and tricks that will give your paint by numbers kit dynamism and vitality that makes it an exquisite work of art.
1: Get a Framed Canvas to Avoid Creases
Our first tip for paint by numbers is a simple one. Paint by numbers canvases often get creases due to the way they’re rolled up for efficient delivery. It’s a normal thing because of the material of the canvas, but to work on the canvas with pesky wrinkles is not very professional. Fortunately, it is as easy to get rid of them as it is to iron your clothes—just lay the canvas number side down and get all the wrinkles out. Our paint by number kits come pre-rolled for a sleek, professional look that won’t include any creases.
2: Apply a Coat of Gesso
Our second tip for paint by numbers might involve a trip to your local craft store, but it’s a great way to improve painting skills overall. To take advantage of this paint by numbers tip, grab a can of gesso. A coat of gesso will make your paints appear more vibrant and vivid, as it provides roughness to the canvas surface that lets paint adhere better. A coat of clear gesso gives your paint by numbers canvas that extra proficient factor and lets you see clearly the numbers underneath.
3: Paint in a Well-Lit Workspace
Make sure you venture into the world of paints with an area that is well-lit, ventilated, and has nature in front of you to keep you inspired, motivated, and emotionally stirred. Another trick: paints can be quite messy and spills are inevitable, so it's better to keep a specially-designated area. Cover that area in plastic or newspaper so that you can paint your heart out without worry.
4: Start in a Downward Motion
Now let’s dive into some technical paint by numbers tips and tricks to ensure a professional touch to your work. The first professional tip is to always start painting your paint by numbers kit in a downward or descending order. If you’re right-handed, start from the top of the design. If you’re left-handed, the top right corner is a great place to begin. This will save you from smudging and smearing paints on the canvas.
5: Deal With the Darkest Colors First
This tip for paint by numbers will help you as you learn how to improve your painting skills, and it’s relatively simple, too. Start with the darker hues in the paint pods. This will help you understand the color compatibility and composition of your work and create a smooth transition of colors. After all, the darker colors are usually the background and once you’re done with them, you’ll get a pretty good idea about where the painting is heading.
6: Make Sure You’re Using the Right Color
This might sound like an obvious tip but trust us. The biggest problems have occurred due to this negligence and taking advantage of it will help drastically improve your painting skills. Make sure you’re using the right colors!
You might have found the following situation occurs during painting; when you have found your ease and are complacent in your work—bam! You realize that you’ve messed up the first rule of matching the numbers with the paints. Well if that happens, don’t fret. Just wait for it to dry and then put on the correct color. You might have to apply some extra coats to completely get rid of the mistake. If you want to completely prevent this mistake, paint all the areas of a single color in one go.
7: Flow-Improver is a Must-Have
Acrylic paints tend to get thicker or drier over time, especially if the user has failed to close the lids. Since acrylics are water-soluble, a few drops can salvage the situation. Another tip for paint by numbers paints: if the situation gets worse and the paint is all cramped up, then a few drops of paint thinner can make the paints as good as new. Some painters like to have a thinner consistency of the paints; it's up to your personal preference. Keep in mind when learning how to improve your painting skills that adding water is fine but it can lessen the intensity of the color. Adding a flow improver has a similar effect. It can restore the vividness but also make the paint thinner and easier to apply and manipulate.
8: Cover the Numbers
The darker hues and extra layers hide almost all the printed numbers on the canvas but the ghost of the numbers still peek through from lighter hues. A pro tip for paint by numbers is to trace that number with a white pen or marker, but not hard enough that it dents the canvas, just enough to get rid of the notorious numbers. When the number is visibly undermined, do the rest with a couple of coats to make it appear perfect. But make sure you give enough drying time in between coats. White paint also comes in handy when you make any other mistake; just correct the faulty area with white and start anew.
9: Blend to Perfection
Abstract paint by numbers use small blocks of paint to make the image vibrant, lively, and popping. This looks stunning, but sometimes a blended and seamless painting looks more professional. To take advantage of this tip for paint by numbers, aim for two-colored areas at one time, then tackle them both and where the two colors meet and manipulate the brush strokes back and forth for a seamless touch. Also, implement this method only in areas where it makes the most sense.
10: Keep your Brushes Clean
Maintaining the good health of brushes is the key to a good piece of art. Acrylics have a quick drying time, and if you let the paint stick to the brushes for a long time, they can ruin the bristles of the brush. Making sure you wipe off the paint from the brush after every use is another way to improve your painting skills. Keep a bowl of water, a cup of thinner, and a towel near your workspace to make sure you have clean brushes every time.
Ending Lines
We highly recommend taking it slow and initiating with an easier option, like some of our easy paint by number kits. Once you get the hang of things, you can further push your limits with some of our more complicated works.
We think painting by numbers is the best way to venture into the world of painting. It gives you all the benefits of painting freehand but with a guarantee of something worth flaunting on the walls. By following these paint by numbers tips and tricks, you’re not far away from making some outstanding artwork. So enjoy painting by numbers even more with these techniques, and be proud of yourself!
