5 top tips to making great Paint by Numbers painting

Started 3 years ago 1762

As I mentioned before in my previous posts, Paint by Numbers is not only a great pastime but great for beginners. Newbies that want to get into painting and drawing would do well to start with this method of painting. It can at the same time, dramatically improve your skills in art and become and accomplished artist with practice. Read one of my earlier post on the subject of Paint by Numbers in the new digital medium.

Here are the collection of the top 5 tips on making great Paint by Numbers drawings or paintings.

1. Study the Paint by Numbers canvas before you start

Any artist will tell you that before any painting or drawing, quite a bit of thought has gone into their creation. For these artists, they would dwell over the subject a lot. Decide on the tools and colors to use, including any techniques or styles to adopt to the painting. In the same way, don’t look at a Paint by Numbers as a 2D template that you have to methodically color each region exactly as shown.

Try to study the canvas and the completed picture of the painting and decide what areas are important in the painting. For example, a sunset will have contrasting images with light and dark colors. You need to pay more closer attention to the lighter details. The eye has a tendency to be drawn to those dark and bright regions. In this way, you can decide how quickly you should draw and be a little carefree over the darker regions. After all, no one wants to spend too much unnecessary time over something if they can help it.

model1 face - featured PbyNo — Paint by Numbers – great way to relax and also improve your art skills

2. Use your own colors, you don’t have to stick to the exact colors

This is something many new comers to the Paint by Numbers technique of painting will not fully appreciate. When manufacturers create their Paint by Numbers kits, they take a template that has been designed by an artist. Remember, when you paint a subject such as a landscape or a portrait, it can be painted or drawn in many ways.

You can pick colors of your own choice and be even brave enough to do something different in specific areas. For example, when there are patches of flowers in a landscape, you may want to blend with the rest of the landscape. You can even mix colors to create new colors from the pots of paint. This can easily be done by with any Paint by Numbers kits that come in pots. Never fret over any paints that are running low!

3. Be creative, learn to be creative with your own unique style

The aim of doing any paint by numbers kits is to get you into painting and drawing. It is an excellent medium for this purpose and get you to be creative. However, that is all there is to it since your ultimate aim is to bring about a unique style of painting and drawing. This will allow you to create your own unique works of art. Paint by numbers is a great stepping stone in that direction.

When you complete a paint by numbers kit, you will be rewarded with something you did with your own hands. This is a very gratifying experience that propels you into the world of drawing and painting. You will soon discover your own skills that will will translate into unique works of art appreciated by many other people. The top tip is to make sure you are always aiming for growth and making improvements in this craft. Check out my previous post and the section on incremental improvements and rewards to help you get into this bandwagon.

Paint by Numbers – A great pastime now on your Phone or Tablet

Important lessons to help you improve your craft

4. The digital medium is here and ideal for lovers of Paint by Numbers

Until now, Paint by Numbers has always been the mainstay of canvases that comes in kit form which you can buy from your local art and hobby shops. However, you may not have heard of Paint by Numbers that you can do in the comfort of your phone or tablet. I am not talking about the Paint by Numbers apps that simply allows you to click a number to get the color. This maybe be fun for some people but it will not help you improve your artistic skills which is the whole idea of the real Paint by Numbers.

Much like the Paint by Numbers kit the app allows you to draw and paint directly over the region using your finger or stylus. One such app is the Paintology app, which is available from the Google play store for Android phones and tablets. I have created many drawings and paintings with this app which you can find on the YouTube channels below (Paintology & Ferdouse Art).

https://www.youtube.com/c/Ferdouse

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrR1Ya_KHuHyudP48FiR99A

Two YouTube channels having video tutorials on Paint by Numbers using the Paintology drawing app

5. Feel inspired and do more!

Like all pastimes and hobbies, it is important that you feel inspired and rewarded to keep you going and improve your artistic skills. Remember, the one thing that defeats most people in art is that they expect too much too early and also lacking in confidence and not having the proper guidance.

You can read many of the great responses from people experienced in art who has provided helpful tips to people who are new to painting or drawing. Check out some of the links below.

Here is a video that will show you how you can make your phone or tablet work for you in terms of painting and drawing in the modern day!