Paint by Numbers is an Easy Way to Start Painting
This form of art isn’t for everyone, but you can train yourself to be a good artist anyway. While your brush strokes may be amateurish right now, and you may easily allow sections of your designs to overlap into the next, you can get all of that under control with consistent practice.
One of the ways for non-professional hobby artists to exploit their creativity, before deciding if they’re good enough to handle the brush, or create something, on their own, on a canvas, is to polish their raw and underdeveloped skills. While there are other options to help develop your skills, such as free-painting, our concept gives better guidance.
In this article, you’ll get some pointers, as a beginner, on the best colors and surfaces you should consider. Also, you’ll understand why paint by numbers is the best option to consider when starting out with your new craft hobby.
What is Paint by Numbers?
Ever desired to have a guide to take you through the things you consider to be important, or enjoyable, but complex? This process is exactly that guide. It is a set of materials or tools that allows you to produce a perfect masterpiece on canvas. The images are divided into sections that are labeled with numbers. The numbers guide you on the appropriate color to apply to that section, as the color containers also bear numbers.
Paint by numbers serves as more than a guide for neat results, but also helps to alleviate stress, improve creativity, and create fun activities for you to do. However, it’s more useful as an easy way to start with arts than anything else.
Important Materials and Tools for beginners
The worry about where to begin with painting is valid among beginners, and the most prominent cause of worry is in the choice of materials to use. There’s an abundance of art materials for painters to choose from, but the different hues of colors, the various brush sizes and choices, and the best surface to use makes it a difficult endeavor for aspiring artists.
However, for an easy start, get a kit from paintingbynumbersshop.com and here’s a guide on the important materials and tools you might need.
Colors
There are numerous colors, and the right ones will bring your ideas and creativity to life. However, these colors are available in different media, and anyone can be the right one. Whether you choose acrylic, watercolor, or Gouache, you’ll get that image and color you’ve envisioned.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic is a quick-dry option for artists. It dissolves well in water and can be used on different types of canvases. It is suitable for beginners because it can be used thinly and thickly on the canvas. Although it’s fast-drying on its own, you can prolong its drying time, especially when you need a thicker color, by adding a retarding medium.
Also, acrylic colors come in different pigment concentrations. Higher pigments are available for professionals while lesser pigment acrylic colors are cheaper and more suited for the beginners.
Watercolor
Watercolor is quite common since our elementary school days. They are water-based and generally have less pigment. They are a great choice for painting for beginners but they can be frustrating if you desire more character, such as thickness.
They are cheaper than acrylic paints and may be the best option for beginners.
Gouache
Gouache is available in tubes, and it requires that you squeeze some amount of it out onto a tray, before you can apply it to the canvas.
It is also suitable for beginners as it has some similarities with watercolor, such as the use of both synthetic and fiber brushes, and the need for water as a carrying medium.
Gouache can be used in combination with other paint options for more details.
Paint Brush
For beginners, any brush is suitable, but they’ll have a better experience with natural fiber brushes. These brushes glide easily on any surface, and they can navigate curves with grace.
However, brush size is important for beginners. Bigger brush sizes are better for open sections of images, while smaller brushes suit corners and curves.
Painting Surface
Papers, of different thicknesses, and canvas are the most common surfaces. However, painting can be done on concrete, stone, wood, metal, and other surfaces.
However, for beginners, paper and canvas are the best options, depending on your choice. With acrylic, you’ll have a better experience with canvas, although you can also use them with paper. Watercolor and gouache, on the other hand, produce better results with paper.
Why Choose Paint by Numbers?
Different people, seeking different things, choose paint by numbers for different reasons. However, beginners choose it as their crafting guide for the following reasons:
Varying brush sizes
Paint by numbers provides you with three brushes of different sizes. You can easily work on narrow sections of numbers with the smaller brushes, and the bigger number sections with the bigger brushes.
Also, the brushes are made of natural fiber, so they’re easy to use, clean, and maintain.
Quick-dry paint
The canvas kit saves you from the hassle of trying to choose the right colors for the image. The canvas kits come with 20 acrylic color containers that you’ll use to bring the images to life.
Also, because the material is acrylic, you can easily change between thick and thin color densities. You’ll also have more reach across the canvas without smearing it over inappropriate sections since it dries quickly.
Fabric-based canvas
Choosing your surface material won’t be an issue if you use the canvas kit. All surfaces of paint by number are fabric-based, linen or cotton, canvas. You can easily stretch and iron the fabric to see the number of details on it.
It also works best with acrylic paint, an option which is also provided.
Final Thoughts
Painting for beginners doesn’t have to be strenuous and involves so much planning. Paint by numbers helps to remove the stress of making choices among the materials you need. This shows that this process is an easy way to start.
