DIY - Tips and Tricks for your paint by numbers

DIY - Tips and Tricks for your paint by numbers

Painting by numbers is a fun creative hobby accessible to everyone, no matter the level of drawing or painting. However, a few basic rules must be followed to obtain an amazing result, here they are:

DIY - HOW TO PAINT BY NUMBERS

The steps to make it couldn't be simpler.

  • Spread out the different elements composing your kit, selected during your purchase, on a table.
  • Identify which number corresponds to each pot of paint.
  • Paint the areas following the numbered indications: apply colour number 1 to the areas identified by the corresponding number and so on.
  • Admire your work!

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TIPS AND TRICKS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

General tips and tricks

Gesso and Paint by Numbers don't mix.

Transparent Gesso is very popular in the art world as it brings roughness to the canvas and therefore allows acrylic or oil paints to adhere better to the support. However, its application is strongly discouraged on painting by number canvases at the risk of erasing the frame and the numbers printed on the canvas.

Make numbers disappear as if they never existed.

It is better to work by superimposing thin layers rather than applying a lot of material for better coverage of numbers and lines.
The ultimate trick to make the numbers disappear in a snap is this: run a stroke of white coloured pencil over the numbers before painting! This trick is all the more essential for areas associated with light colours which sometimes do not cover the numbers as well as other colours.

From lightest to darkest, the key to correcting errors.

Work from light colours to dark colours. This will make it easier for you to cover previously applied colours in case of error or overflow.

Paint one colour at a time, the solution to avoid dry paint.

It is important to close the jars well after each use to keep the paint for as long as possible. To avoid any risk, we advise you to work with the colours one after the other to avoid opening and closing the pots too much and exposing the paints for too long in the open air.

Dry paint? We have the solution!

In case of dry paint in the pots, you can try to recover your paint by adding a few drops of window cleaning liquid. Add drop by drop until you get a good consistency.
For the most difficult cases, you can try to thin out your paint with a thinner. This product is available for sale at major brands dedicated to fine arts and creative hobbies.

The ultimate trick to paint like a pro: the Zig Zag!

This is an advanced technique for more advanced paint by numbers.The Zig Zag consists in blurring the demarcations between each colour zone in order to obtain a more natural rendering close to what a professional artist would do.The Zig Zag method and other gradient techniques are explained in the video below for realistic and stunning results!

Our recommendations for a successful custom painting

  • The size and proportions of the image must be as close as possible to the desired rendering.
  • The quality of the image must be correct and sharp enough for the contours to be marked (in particular, facial features).
  • The minimum resolution for correct rendering should be 150dpi.
  • Exposure and contrast must be correct for the final rendering to be satisfactory
  • Tight shots should be preferred for portraits.
  • The use of logo, text or filters should be avoided.
  • Taking pictures of photos is absolutely to be avoided to ensure the quality of the final rendering.

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Thanks to all these little tricks, you will create magnificent works of art at home! Do not hesitate to share your paintings on our website for the benefit of the whole community!