Apart from the joy of doing Paint by Numbers, it actually teaches you some foundational art skills and techniques.

1. Training the Eye for Tone and Value

The most significant benefit of paint by numbers is that it forces you to understand tone and value (shading).

• Pre-determined Shading: In every section you paint, you are given a specific color (and therefore, a specific tone). This means the designer of the kit has already done the hard work of breaking down a 3D scene into flat areas of light, shadow, and mid-tone.
• Visual Analysis: As you fill in the colors, you are effectively performing a visual analysis. You begin to understand why a certain area is lighter (closer to the light source) and why another area is darker (in shadow). This trains your eye to see the world not as outlines, but as shapes defined by light and shadow, which is the most fundamental skill in realistic drawing and painting.

2. Mastering Color Mixing and Palette Control

Paint by numbers provides a crash course in using a limited color palette effectively.

• Color Relationships: By using a pre-selected set of colors, you learn how colors interact and how subtle shifts in hue create depth. You see how different shades of blue or green are used to define distant objects versus foreground objects.
• Consistent Mixing: If your kit requires mixing, it teaches you to be meticulous and consistent. Precision in mixing a color to match a number is a micro-skill that translates directly to the careful color studies required in advanced painting.

3. Improving Brush Control and Precision

While simple, the act of staying within the lines is a valuable exercise in motor skills necessary for any painting.

• Brush Handling: You practice controlling the amount of paint on your brush and the pressure you apply to get a clean, sharp edge. This skill is vital for detail work, defined outlines, and preventing colors from bleeding together unintentionally.
• Focus and Patience: Larger, complex kits require focus and patience to complete. Developing the discipline to sit and meticulously render an image is a trait shared by all master artists.

The Paintology Connection

All of the skills highlighted in the real Paint by Numbers kits are also provided by the Paintology Paint by Numbers app on your phone and tablet. Learn these core foundational art skills in the comfort of your chair while doing any of the exciting and addictie 250 FREE paint by number coloring exercises.

Both methodologies (traditional and digital) are highly effective at teaching the artist to appreicate the natural art process and the fundamentals crucial to creating great art.

Get started with Paintology, download the app now!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.paintology.lite.paint.by.number