10 Tips to Quickly Get Started with Paint By Numbers 

Have you ever heard of art anxiety? It’s the fear of not being able to produce the art you want because of possible failure or mistakes. However, with paint by numbers you literally can’t go wrong because it provides you with an outline that shows you which colours to use in every section of the canvas. What’s not to love about that?

If you’re new to paint by numbers use the following 10 tips to help you get started on your work of art. These tips will reduce your art anxiety and make the painting process fun & easier for you to do.

1. Start Off with a Primer

Acrylic and oil paints can be quite difficult to use when you’re first starting out so to make the process easier, use clear gesso on your canvas. The clear gesso will provide a surface that acrylics and oil paints will hold to & it will help spread the paint better. It’s important that you use clear gesso so you can still see the numbers and lines that need painting.

2. Paint in Descending Order

Descending order means to paint the larger areas first before filling in the smaller sections. It will help you complete your painting in less time and will prevent smudging. Painting in descending order helps you work on creating more detail and makes the touch-up processes effortless.

3. Paint the Shadows Before Highlights

Use the darkest paints first before you use the lighter colours. You’ll understand the composition of colours better because you’ll see how the shades affect each other as you paint. Trust us.  

4. Use Small Amounts of Paint at a Time

It’s important not to use too much paint when you’re filling in your sections because it can look uneven. Use small amounts of paint at a time to fill in each section. If the numbers are still visible, paint thin layers of paint over them until they can’t be seen.  

5. Always Use the Correct Size Brush

It’s simple: use bigger brushes to paint in the larger parts of your canvas and smaller brushes to fill in the smaller parts of the image. Fine brushes are used for detailing and the touch-up process.

6. White Paint Can Correct Mistakes

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes because they will occur when you’re painting for the first time. If you do make any mistakes wait for the paint to dry and then paint over it with white. It will erase the mistake so you can fill the section out correctly. 

7. Smooth Out Your Edges

Use a dry brush to smooth out the edges of painted areas that are still wet. You can also use this technique to lightly blend colours into each other.

8. The Touch-Up Process 

When your painting is complete hold it up to see if there are any white specks or places you’ve missed. Take a finer brush to fill in all these sections with the correct colours. If you’d like to, feel free to ask a friend or family member to take a look with a fresh pair of eyes on your behalf.   

9. Keep Paint Pot Lids Closed

It’s important to always keep the lids of your paint pots closed to prevent your paint from drying out. After you’re done painting, close all the lids of your paint pots and store them in a safe room-temperature environment.

10. Wash Your Brushes Thoroughly Afterwards

Remember to clean off your brushes after every use to prevent the bristles from hardening and to keep their shape. For oil paints, rinse your brushes in turpentine and for acrylics a simple lukewarm water wash will do the trick.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a beginner use the 10 tips in this article to help you with your paint by numbers. These tricks will help you become an expert in paint by numbers so your images look neat and precise. 

Happy painting!