Key Takeaways
- The level of difficulty in paint by numbers is a subjective task that is based on the painting, patience, and expectations.
- No artistic abilities are required- amateurs can easily follow it.
- The right design is important to have a fun and rewarding experience.
- The process is the most important- have fun with the creativity, relaxation, and process.
Paint by number has emerged as a popular form of creative leisure among adults who want to relax, de-stress and create something beautiful at their own speed. Yet, before picking up a brush, many people find themselves asking,
“Is paint by numbers hard, or is it an activity that anyone can enjoy?”
In fact, paint by numbers is the most ideal balance between structure and creativity. Since all your painting experiences are different, the degree of difficulty usually lies in what you expect, how patient you are, and what you paint rather than in your artistic capabilities. That’s why paint by numbers for adults continues to appeal to beginners and experienced hobbyists alike, offering a relaxing and rewarding creative journey.
So, is paint by numbers really easy, or can it be surprisingly challenging?
Let us have a closer look at what goes into the experience and find out how the selection of the appropriate project can make it or break it.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Difficulty in Paint by Numbers
- No Prior Skills or Artistic Talent Required
- General Guidelines for Painting a Canvas
- Choosing the Right Paint by Numbers Painting
- Why Paint by Numbers Difficulty Is Subjective
- The Beginners Collection as a Helpful Guide
- Advancing or Seeking More Challenge
- Paint by Numbers Is for Everyone
- Enjoy the Process, Not Just the Result
- Frequently Asked Questions About Paint by Numbers
Understanding Difficulty in Paint by Numbers
One of the questions we hear most often from our community is about Paint by numbers difficulty levels.
Is a particular painting easy, medium, or difficult?
While it may seem like a simple question, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
Beyond the relaxation, mindfulness, and stress relief that paint by numbers offers, the overall experience is deeply personal. How challenging a painting feels often depends on your expectations, patience, and the amount of time you’re willing to dedicate to the project.
Think about it for a moment.
As you work through a painting, you might ask yourself:
Is this easier or harder than I expected?
Has it lived up to my expectations?
Am I enjoying the process, or is it taking more time and effort than I anticipated?
The answers to these questions can vary greatly from one person to another.
In fact, many of our customers have suggested that we label each painting with a difficulty rating—easy, medium, or difficult. From a technical perspective, that’s something we could easily do.
However, the real challenge is that the same painting often receives completely opposite feedback. While one person may find it highly detailed and demanding, another may describe it as relaxing and surprisingly easy. That’s exactly why assigning a single difficulty level isn’t always as helpful as it seems.
No Prior Skills or Artistic Talent Required
Let’s break it down. It is very true that to create a fantastic paint by numbers picture, you don’t need special skills or prior knowledge of painting, and it’s not associated with an innate talent for it.
This is why many paint by numbers for beginners enthusiasts discover that an easy paint by number for adults can be both relaxing and motivating from the very first brush stroke. Coloring a picture is something we’ve all done in childhood, though with markers or colored pencils, not with a brush.
Also, it’s logical that paint by numbers for adults will always be more complex than that for children.
But is it really complicated?
General Guidelines for Painting a Canvas
First, let’s recall the general guidelines for tackling a paint by numbers canvas, starting with the understanding that our paint by numbers canvases include everything necessary to complete the work: canvas, brushes, and acrylic paints.
If you’re wondering “How to do paint by numbers,” following these simple steps will help you achieve the best results.
- You should start at the top of the canvas and work your way down; if you’re right-handed, go from left to right, and vice versa if you use your left hand. The goal is to avoid unwanted smudges of paint that haven’t dried on the canvas.
- Begin with the smaller areas, followed by the medium-sized ones, and then the larger areas. If possible, try to paint with one color at a time and let each area dry completely before moving on to the neighboring sections. It’s crucial to clean the brush when switching colors.
- If there are very small areas, it’s better to dip the end of a toothpick into the desired paint color and “dot” the area on the canvas.
- As you paint, you’ll discover the exact amount of paint to use: enough to cover the numbers but not so much that it spreads into neighboring areas.
- In some areas, you might need to touch up. This is normal for very light colors, and you only need to wait for the paint to dry between coats.
- If you have to mix certain colors, do so in small quantities to avoid wasting too much paint. You can darken the color by adding a small amount of a darker paint color in the same range.
- These mixes are very useful for blending the transition areas between colors to smooth the separation line.
- And, of course, place your canvas in a well-lit area where you can work comfortably. A magnifying glass can be a helpful accessory at times. These simple paint by numbers tips for beginners can make the experience smoother and more enjoyable.
It doesn’t seem complicated, right?
Choosing the Right Painting
Once we have defined this technique, which is simple to apply, as we have seen, we will focus on choosing the painting.
At Canvas by Numbers, we have more than 300 images to choose from: landscapes, cities, flowers, portraits, seascapes, great masters of painting, young painters, and more. The paintings are categorized into Collections to help you make your choice, including easy paint by numbers kits for those who are just getting started.
With so much variety, how do you know which paint by numbers is right for you?
At times, a painting is chosen simply because we love the colors, the theme, or admire the original artist, without closely examining the level of detail involved.
While the images displayed in the store must be scaled to the final 40 cm × 50 cm canvas size, it can happen that once the DIY paint by numbers canvas arrives, we realize the design contains far more small and intricate sections than expected.
For some people, this level of detail can feel like color by numbers hard, particularly when patience or time is limited.
For some people, this is a challenge that adds interest to the project, but for others, it becomes work they feel incapable of doing.
Why Difficulty Is Subjective
Excluding a few paintings that fall into the extremes, the majority of them are in a wide middle zone that would be hard to categorize with a simple “easy or difficult”. It is so because the difficulty a person encounters in painting is entirely subjective and depends a lot on patience and their expectations regarding the time and effort involved.
Many of these paintings naturally fall into what could be described as color by number medium difficulty, appealing to a broad range of users. This is why the debate around “paint by numbers easy vs difficult” often comes down to personal expectations rather than the design itself.
Some want to finish their project in two days, for example, and if they don’t succeed, they get frustrated and begin to see their work as something pending and burdensome that they will never finish. There, both enjoyment and the benefits of paint by numbers come to an end. What a pity!
Conversely, there are other people who want to fully enjoy a particular project, and if they progress faster than expected, they find it too easy. Finding the balance is challenging!
The Beginners Collection as a Helpful Guide
Given this scenario, at Canvas by Numbers, we decided to create a dedicated collection to help guide beginners in selecting a painting that will feel both achievable and rewarding.
The emphasis on the word “guide” is intentional, as we have already highlighted the high level of subjectivity involved in both choosing a painting and experiencing the process and final result.
The Beginners Collection is designed for those who are new to paint by numbers, allowing them to progress gradually and evaluate where they feel comfortable with the activity. It is an excellent place to start if you’re looking for a beginner paint by numbers canvas that builds confidence without feeling overwhelming.
If it’s your first time diving into this activity and you want to find out how motivating painting can be, in the Beginner Collection, you’ll find many paintings to your liking with various themes, colors, and authors.
It will allow you to practice the technique and get used to handling brushes, applying color to areas of different sizes, and it will also help prevent the experience from feeling color by number difficult too early on.
Advancing or Seeking More Challenge
If you’ve already painted before and feel comfortable with your level of demand, choose another painting from the same collection or “jump” to the more than 260 paintings included in other Collections, as you already know the technique, are familiar with applying color to small and medium-sized areas, and are satisfied with the results.
There is plenty to choose from. Remember the basic idea: enjoy. On the other hand, if you enjoy pushing your creative limits, choosing a more complex painting can provide the perfect personal challenge.
With so many styles available, focusing on artworks with smaller, multicolored motifs and intricate details is a great place to start. For those who appreciate precision and depth, these designs may feel like color by numbers hard, but the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction they deliver makes the effort truly worthwhile.
Paint by Numbers Is for Everyone
Finally, most paint by numbers designs in our catalog fall within a broad intermediate range, making them well-suited for the majority of enthusiasts.
At Canvas by Numbers, we encourage you to begin this creative journey without worrying about potential difficulty. When we say paint by numbers is for everyone, we truly mean it—anyone can create a beautiful work of art, even those who may have once wondered if painting is hard.
The paint by numbers paintings featured in this post belong to the Beginners Collection, and as you can see, they cover a wide range of themes. Start enjoying!
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Explore our Diamond Paintings collection and craft a true masterpiece without paint.
Enjoy the Process, Not Just the Result
Paint by numbers is not necessarily easy or difficult; it is subjective. Canvas by Numbers states that the method is easy enough, yet the fun of the whole process lies in the selection of the appropriate painting and allowing for reasonable expectations.
Whether you’re starting with a beginner-friendly design or exploring the best paint by numbers kits for adults, the right choice depends on your interests, patience, and the type of creative experience you’re looking for.
Novices can enjoy guided collections, and experienced hobbyists can request complex designs and have a challenge. It is the process that is the real value: slow down, concentrate, and spend time on creativity without being in a hurry.
Whether you prefer painting or are curious about alternative crafts, the key is to approach the activity with patience and curiosity. With the right mindset, paint by numbers becomes a rewarding experience for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is paint by numbers easy for beginners?
Yes. Paint by numbers is designed for people of all skill levels, including complete beginners. Since each section of the canvas is numbered and matched with a corresponding paint color, you don’t need any artistic experience to get started. Choosing a design from a beginner-friendly collection can make the learning process even more enjoyable.
2. How long does it take to finish a paint by numbers kit?
The time required depends on the size and complexity of the design. Simpler paintings may take around 8–15 hours to complete, while more detailed artworks can take 20–40 hours or more. Many people enjoy working on their painting over several relaxing sessions rather than finishing it all at once.
3. Do I need any prior painting experience for paint by numbers?
No. Paint by numbers is specifically created for people with little or no painting experience. Every kit includes a pre-numbered canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, and instructions, making it easy to follow the process from start to finish.
4. What is the easiest paint by numbers style to start with?
Beginners should look for paintings with larger color sections, fewer intricate details, and simple compositions such as flowers, landscapes, or animals. Starting with a beginner collection helps build confidence before moving on to more detailed designs.
5. How do I choose the right difficulty level in paint by numbers?
The best way to choose a painting is by considering your patience, available time, and personal preferences rather than focusing only on difficulty. If you’re new to the hobby, start with a beginner-friendly design. As you gain experience, you can gradually move on to more detailed and intricate artworks.
6. What happens if I make a mistake in paint by numbers?
Mistakes are completely normal and easy to fix. Simply allow the paint to dry, then paint over the area using the correct color. Acrylic paint provides good coverage, so most small errors can be corrected without affecting the final result.
7. Can children do adult paint by numbers kits?
Adult paint by numbers kits contain smaller sections and finer details, which may be challenging for younger children. Older children and teenagers with patience and good fine motor skills can certainly enjoy them, while younger kids may find children’s kits more suitable.
8. What size canvas is best for a beginner?
A standard 40 × 50 cm canvas is an excellent starting point for most beginners because it offers enough detail to create a beautiful finished painting without becoming overwhelming. Simpler designs on this canvas size are often the easiest to complete.
9. How do I prevent paint smudging in paint by numbers?
To reduce smudging, start painting from the top of the canvas and work downward. Right-handed painters should work from left to right, while left-handed painters should work from right to left. Allow each section to dry before painting adjacent areas, and always clean your brush thoroughly when changing colors.
10. Are paint by numbers kits worth it for adults?
Yes. Many adults enjoy paint by numbers because it combines creativity with relaxation. It offers a mindful, screen-free activity that helps reduce stress while allowing you to create a piece of artwork you can proudly display or give as a thoughtful gift.
