How to Paint by Numbers: Easy Tips for Your First Picture
Paint by numbers is one of the easiest ways to make a picture you’re proud of, even if you haven’t held a brush since school. Here’s how it works, and a handful of tips to make your first picture a calm and happy one.
How paint by numbers works
A paint by numbers picture is a drawing divided into small areas, each with a number. Every number matches one colour in the palette. You paint each area with its matching colour, and as more areas fill in, the picture appears.
It works like a colour by number book: you don’t need to know anything about drawing, shading or mixing colours. The picture has already been designed for you.
Choose the right first picture
Your first picture sets the mood, so make it an easy win:
- Fewer, bigger areas. Simple pictures with larger shapes are quicker to fill and more forgiving.
- A subject you love. You’ll spend a while with it, so pick something that makes you smile: a cozy room, an animal, a garden, the sea.
- Not too many colours. Fewer colours means less hunting for the right number.
Tips for neat, relaxing painting
Work one colour at a time
Pick a colour and paint every area with that number before moving on. It’s calmer than jumping between colours, and the picture comes together in satisfying layers.
Start with the big areas
Large background shapes, like sky, walls or water, are a gentle way to warm up, and they make the picture take shape quickly.
Zoom in for the small details
Tiny areas around eyes, leaves and edges are much easier up close. With a canvas kit, a small brush and good light help. In a paint by numbers app, pinch to zoom in.
Can’t find a number? Ask for a hint
Some numbers hide in tiny corners of the picture. With a kit, look along the edges of areas you’ve already painted. In Brushee, tap Hint and it takes you to a spot that still needs that colour.
Take breaks
Paint by numbers is meant to be relaxing, not a race. Stop whenever you like. Your picture will be waiting.
Tips for canvas kits
If you’re painting a printed kit with acrylic paint pots, a few extra tips help:
- Keep the lids on. Acrylic paint dries quickly, so open only the pot you’re using.
- Use thin layers. Two thin coats cover printed numbers better than one thick one.
- Clean the brush between colours. A quick rinse and dry keeps colours bright and true.
- Paint top to bottom. You’re less likely to smudge wet paint with your hand.
Tips for painting on a phone or tablet
Painting on a screen has its own advantages: no mess, no drying, and nothing to set up. To get the most from it:
- Try a bigger screen for detailed pictures. An iPad gives you more room to see the whole picture while you paint.
- Pick a brush size that fits the area. A bigger brush for big shapes, a smaller one for fine details.
- Paint, don’t just tap. In Brushee you brush the colour across the picture with your finger, like a real brush. The paint only lands where that number lives, so it stays neat.
When you’ve finished
Take a moment to look at the whole picture. With a canvas kit, let it dry and frame it. In Brushee, every finished painting is framed in your Gallery, ready to admire or share.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, try something personal: here’s how to turn any photo into a paint by numbers canvas.