Paint by Numbers Tips for Personalizing Your Canvas

Paint by numberis a good way to start painting. We know how a blank canvas can be daunting! Here are some excellent paint by numbers tips to take you beyond the basic steps. Paint by numbers gives you the building blocks to start your art journey so that you can unleash your creativity in a stress-free setting. 

Jessica Olson, an experienced crafter who shares generously her insights and tips through her popular Youtube channel Tiny Worlds of Wonder demonstrates really practical ways to make your paint by numbers unique and truly yours! 

In this video, she is recreating one of the most famous paintings in the world - ‘The Virgin’ by Gustav Klimt - from The Classics range of Craft-Ease.

Adding brush strokes

Many paintings, especially acrylic and oil painted ones, have visible brush strokes. They are not a flat area of color. This adds more visual interest. You can take the colors that you still have left, and go over the painted area with your brush, creating texture. You can also take this a step further for a more dramatic result by thickening your paint, so that it forms a stiffer peak and texture.

You can go back to the original painting and mimic it, the way that Jessica did in her guide. Or you can come up with your own texture. Maybe you can also try using other tools, maybe a sponge, crumpled paper, metal scrubber or anything else, the possibilities are limitless!

Blend your line

Paint by Numbers has that very distinct graphic effect, with clear sharp lines between colors. If you like them, great, keep it! But if you like softer lines between neighboring colors you can blend it.

First, make sure that your colored layers are dry. Then, add a little bit of paint and apply it on the line. Take a dry flat brush and tap the paint over the line in a stippling motion. It works best with an older brush that has a little of dried paint on it’s bristles. Be careful to not drag the wet paint, just keep stippling until you are happy with the blend.

Jessica does this to the background colors of her painting. She kept the sharp lines on the pain image. Mix and match techniques in your creation.

Add accent colors

At Craft-Ease we provide all of the colors that you need to finish your painting. But you can always add in your own paint to give it an extra umph. You can go in with metallic ink or white acrylic marker to accentuate some parts.

In her video, Jessica takes some inspiration from Gustav Klimt himself. He used gold leafing in some of his masterpieces, that is why she added some gold ink into some of the finest detail. Do this as much or as little as you like.

Add fine details

Do you feel like metallic ink is too loud, or you cannot get your hands on one, don’t worry! You can add more details with the colors you already have. This is the time to ignore the numbers on your pots! Jessica added fine white details in the sheets to make it closer to the original Gustav Klimt painting.

You can also add your own pattern to your painting, take some paint that is a shade lighter or darker than the base area, and add your own pattern. Do this as much or as little as you'd like!

Add your own element

This is not mentioned by Jessica in her video, but another community member, Alex shared what they do to make their canvas truly their own! They added a tattoo that they have and cherish to their “The Flowered Hat”  paint by numbers kit.

Sign your name

The last finishing touches to make you feel like a great master artist, is to sign your masterpiece!

I hope that some of these paint by numbers tips are useful for you, and give you some inspiration to personalize your canvas. One thing to remember is that your paint by numbers kit is yours! You can always add whatever you like, no one is judging you, painting is your safe space. If you don’t like something, you can always paint over it because acrylic paints dry quickly and are opaque!

If you want to go back and review some basic techniques, our Paint by Numbers Guide for Beginners are always available for you!

Join the Facebook Group to share your paint by numbers works with people of the same passion - the atmosphere of the community is very uplifting! Or if you would like to receive more tips and trick, sign up to our mailing list!