Tips And Tricks To Help With Your Paint By Numbers Experience

Life comes with various challenges. Whether you’ve just started on a new business venture and you’re grafting night and day, or maybe you’re working painstakingly in preparation for that final set of exams, things can become stressful. The act of delving into art is indeed a glorious practice that has many benefits for the mind and the body. 

With Paint By Numbers, the process has been transformed into an activity that can be enjoyed by any age bracket at any artistic level. However, this does not necessarily mean that it does not come with its own set of challenges that require some perseverance and patience to work through. 

Thankfully, there are a few simple tips for any artist to put into practice throughout the painting process to aid in ensuring a blissful experience throughout. It's important to note, that whilst the end goal is certainly to create something you can show off and be proud of, the journey to that point is even more valuable. It's during this stage that you can hugely benefit psychologically and in turn, physically. It's at this stage where the true magic of art happens. After all, there is not a single artist out there that doesn’t occasionally hit a few speedbumps and has to somehow manoeuver their way over them whilst maintaining a calm, focused state of mind. It’s important to be curious about your art and to accept that things may not turn out as perfectly as you envisioned in your head. And that's okay! It's also entirely normal. With that being said, let us take a look at the tips that can ensure your painting process is one of ease so that you can too manoeuver your way over any size bump that may lie in your path ahead.  

Ensure Your Work Space Is Clean 

The power of an organised space is unarguable. This simple yet highly effective tip for getting any job done will bring about positive results with your art journey if implemented consistently. If your desk or room is dirty and filled with clutter, your mind will inherently feel cluttered as well. However, if you’ve taken the time to ensure that your environment is tidy and all your art supplies are sorted into their various homes, your mind will be free to focus on the project at hand. Note: Try covering your surface with newspaper before starting to paint to ensure you don’t damage any precious furniture!  

Buy A Framed Canvas  

While working on the canvas, although excellent quality, the material may tend to move around a bit which can cause some frustration while trying to achieve that beautiful, clean line. By purchasing your canvas already framed, you’re ensuring that the surface remains taut. We offer these in our online shop so be sure to check them out!  

Begin From The Top  

Another simple but often forgotten rule of painting is to start where your arms won’t have a meeting with the wet paint, causing it to smudge when you move across the canvas. Beginning from the top and working downward ensures that this won’t happen. It’s recommended that if you’re left-handed, you should begin painting from the right side and visa versa.  

Water Is Your Friend  

Over time, the consistency of the paint may become thicker, making the flow of the strokes feel a bit stiff. In this case, it can be beneficial to add a few drops of water to the pot to help slightly loosen it up. By working with a damp brush, you’re also increasing the ease of movement with your strokes, which helps to complete larger areas of the blank canvas. When cleaning brushes before switching colours, it’s recommended to keep an old, damp cloth nearby to use as a wipe. This is far more effective than let's say a dry towel which can cause damage to the brush over time from excessive attempts at cleaning the hairs.  

Be Sparing With Your Paints  

There is generally this urge with art that you need a lot to get somewhere. A lot of paint, a lot of water, a lot of pencils, you get the point. However, this is mostly untrue. A little can go a very long way, especially with regards to your little paint pots. Start with thin layers of paint and complete the entire canvas to ensure you don’t find yourself running dry of one of your main colours. If you have some leftover once the canvas is filled, you can always go back and add more layering to enhance the final piece. We do also have custom paint by numbers kits

Receiving the most rewarding experience while on your art journey is the aim of the game and this can come in various forms for different people. By taking good care of your brushes (tip: clean brushes that have dried with paint by using a small amount of nail polish remover), taking short breaks when needed, and embracing mistakes, which will inevitably happen can also enhance all the benefits that come with this highly beneficial activity. Now that you have all the tools, tips, and tricks, you’re ready to create your personal success story with Paint By Numbers. Be sure to check out the wide variety of collections available on our website and with that being said, let's get painting!