How to Paint by Numbers: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Paint by numbers is straightforward once you understand the basic process. Each numbered area on the canvas corresponds to a paint pot with the same number. Match the colour, fill the section, and the complete image gradually takes shape.
You do not need previous painting experience, and you do not have to work through the numbers in numerical order.
If this is your first project, our Paint by Numbers for Beginners collection brings together designs with clearer areas and a more approachable level of detail.
Before You Start: Prepare Your Paint by Numbers Kit
A few minutes of preparation can make the painting process much easier.
Choose a clean, stable surface with good lighting. Keep your numbered paints, brushes, clean water, reference image and a lint-free cloth or good-quality paper towel within reach.
If you are working on a rolled canvas, make sure it lies flat before painting. If your kit includes a DIY wooden frame, we recommend stretching the canvas before you start so you have a firmer painting surface. Our DIY wooden frame guide explains how to assemble the frame and stretch the canvas evenly.
If you prefer working upright, a wooden painting easel can hold a stretched canvas at a more comfortable viewing angle.
Keep the reference image nearby. It becomes especially useful when small boundaries are harder to recognise after the surrounding sections have been filled.
Check and Organise the Paints
Before painting, check the numbers on the paint pots against the numbers printed on the canvas.
The number tells you which colour belongs in the section. It does not tell you when that section has to be painted.
Paintarthub kits use pre-mixed acrylic paints that are ready to use directly from the pot. Fresh paint normally does not need water or another medium before you begin.
This guidance applies specifically to Paintarthub paints. If you are using a kit from another manufacturer, follow the instructions supplied with that kit.
Only open the colour you are using and close the lid firmly afterwards. Acrylic paint gradually loses moisture when exposed to air, so keeping unused pots closed helps maintain the original consistency.
How to Paint by Numbers Step by Step
Choose Where and How to Start
There is no single correct place to begin a paint by numbers canvas.
Many right-handed painters find it convenient to work roughly from the upper-left area towards the lower-right. Left-handed painters may prefer the opposite direction.
This is not a painting rule. It simply helps keep your hand away from areas that are still wet.
One Colour at a Time or One Area at a Time?
Both approaches work.
Painting one colour at a time means finding several sections with the same number before changing paint. This reduces brush cleaning and makes it easier to notice sections you may have missed.
Painting one area at a time means completing one part of the picture before moving elsewhere. This can feel easier on detailed canvases because you are not constantly searching across the entire design for small numbers.
You can also combine both methods: complete one colour within a particular area, then move gradually across the painting.
Should You Start with Light or Dark Colours?
You may see advice telling you to always begin with the darkest colours or always start with the lightest.
Neither is required.
Dark colours can establish contrast and larger shapes early. Light colours work equally well as a starting point if they suit the area you are painting.
For most beginners, keeping track of the canvas and avoiding wet paint matters more than following a strict light-to-dark or dark-to-light sequence.
Choose the Right Brush
Match the brush to the size of the numbered section.
Use a broader brush for larger backgrounds and open spaces. Switch to a finer brush for narrow shapes, faces, eyes, fur, petals and other detailed areas.
Using the smallest brush for everything may seem more precise, but it makes larger areas unnecessarily slow and can leave more visible brush strokes.
A brush that is too large creates the opposite problem: it becomes difficult to control around small boundaries.
Your kit includes the brushes needed to complete the painting. If you regularly work on detailed designs or want more brush sizes, a Premium Nylon Brushes Set provides additional options for fine and medium areas.
Other optional painting tools can be found in our Paint by Numbers Accessories collection.
Load the Brush and Fill the Numbered Sections
You normally need paint only on the tip and lower part of the bristles.
Avoid pushing the entire brush deeply into the paint pot. Loading too much paint makes small sections harder to control and increases the chance of crossing into neighbouring areas.
Match the number on the canvas with the same number on the paint pot.
For small sections, it can help to follow the boundary first and then fill the centre. For larger areas, use several controlled strokes rather than trying to cover the whole section with one heavy application.
Aim for smooth, even coverage without building an unnecessarily thick layer of paint.
Do not worry if every individual brush stroke does not look perfect while you are working close to the canvas. Once neighbouring colours are added, the individual shapes become part of the complete image.
Clean the Brush Between Colours
Rinse your brush before moving to another colour.
Gently move the bristles through clean water until the previous paint has been removed. Blot away excess water with a lint-free cloth or good-quality paper towel, then reshape the brush before loading the next colour.
The brush can be slightly damp, but it should not be dripping wet. Too much water left in the bristles can dilute the next colour and reduce its coverage.
Change the water when it becomes heavily coloured, especially when moving from a dark shade to white, cream, yellow or another pale colour.
Do not allow acrylic paint to dry completely inside the bristles. If the brush starts to stiffen while you are painting, rinse it before the paint sets rather than pulling or scraping at the bristles.
Build the Larger Areas, Then Refine the Details
You do not need to complete every tiny section the moment you find it.
On detailed designs, it is often easier to establish larger shapes first and return to very small areas once more of the image has developed.
Fine sections such as eyes, hair, fur, flower petals, branches and highlights become easier to understand when you can see the colours around them.
Use your smallest suitable brush and keep only a small amount of paint on the tip.
If tiny printed numbers become difficult to read, a magnifying glass with LED light can make densely numbered areas easier to inspect.
Inspect the Painting and Make Final Touch-Ups
Once the canvas is mostly complete, inspect it both close up and from a few steps away.
- Missed numbered areas
- Visible printed numbers
- Thin or uneven paint coverage
- Small gaps between colours
- Places where one colour has crossed into another
Most of these are easy to correct after the surrounding paint has dried.
If a section needs more coverage, apply another controlled coat rather than immediately adding a heavy layer.
If paint has crossed into the wrong section, allow it to dry and then carefully cover it with the correct neighbouring colour.
Final touch-ups are a normal part of completing a paint by numbers painting.
Troubleshooting Common Paint by Numbers Problems
Most paint by numbers problems are easy to correct once you know what is causing them.
The Paint Has Become Too Thick
Fresh Paintarthub acrylic paint is already mixed to a suitable working consistency and normally needs no adjustment.
Over time, however, moisture can evaporate—especially if the pot has been left open.
If a colour has become noticeably thicker, stir it first. If it still does not flow properly, add only a very small amount of water or acrylic paint mixer and mix thoroughly.
An Acrylic Paint Mixer & Gloss Varnish Kit can be used when paint has thickened and needs its working consistency restored.
The aim is to restore the paint, not make it watery. Adding too much liquid can reduce opacity and make the paint harder to control.
The Printed Number Still Shows Through
Light colours such as white, cream, yellow or pale pink may sometimes provide less coverage over the printed number on the first coat.
Do not try to solve this by piling on one very thick layer.
Let the first coat dry, then add another thin coat if necessary. Building coverage gradually gives you more control and usually produces a cleaner surface.
You Painted a Section with the Wrong Colour
Do not immediately rub wet paint across the canvas.
Let the incorrect colour dry first, then carefully cover it with the correct paint.
If you are covering a dark shade with a much lighter colour, another thin coat may be needed after the correction dries.
Two Wet Colours Are Mixing at the Edge
If two neighbouring colours meet directly along the same boundary, allow one area to dry before painting closely against it when necessary.
If paint begins to feel sticky while you repeatedly brush the same spot, stop and let the area dry rather than continuing to work partially dried acrylic.
Paint Is Drying Too Quickly in the Pot
Keep paint pots closed whenever you are not actively using them.
If you are switching between several colours, avoid leaving every pot open on the table. Preventing moisture loss is much easier than restoring paint after it has become heavily dried.
If paint supplied with a Paintarthub kit becomes unusable, an Extra Paint Set is also available for an individual painting.
How to Store an Unfinished Paint by Numbers Between Sessions
You do not need to finish your painting in one sitting.
When you stop for the day, close every paint pot firmly, clean your brushes and allow freshly painted sections to dry before covering or moving the canvas.
Keep the canvas somewhere clean and dry where dust, pets or other objects will not touch the painted surface.
Avoid folding a painted canvas. If you are working on a rolled canvas, keep it flat or loosely supported rather than creating a sharp crease through painted areas.
For longer breaks, keep the paint pots away from excessive heat and direct sunlight.
What to Do After You Finish Your Paint by Numbers
Once every section is complete, let the painting dry fully before making your final inspection.
Check again for visible numbers, missed areas and sections that could benefit from another thin coat.
Do You Need to Varnish a Paint by Numbers?
Varnish is optional.
You can leave the finished acrylic painting as it is, or apply a suitable varnish if you want an additional protective finish.
The gloss varnish included with our Acrylic Paint Mixer & Gloss Varnish Kit is intended for use after the painting has dried.
Do not varnish paint that is still wet or tacky. Follow the instructions supplied with the varnish rather than relying on one fixed drying time, because drying conditions can vary.
Frame or Stretch the Finished Canvas
If your canvas is already stretched, it can normally be displayed once the painting and any optional finish are dry.
A rolled canvas can be mounted onto a DIY wooden frame.
For the complete process, see How to Frame a Paint by Numbers Canvas with a DIY Wooden Frame. It covers assembling the stretcher bars, centring the canvas, creating even tension, finishing the corners and hanging the finished artwork.
Can You Paint Your Own Photo by Numbers?
Yes.
Once a photograph has been converted into a numbered canvas, the basic painting process is the same: match the numbered areas with the corresponding paints and gradually build the image.
Our Personalised Paint by Numbers collection lets you create a kit from a family photo, portrait, pet, wedding image, travel memory or another personal picture.
With a custom painting, however, the source photo, canvas size and number of colours affect how the design is divided into paintable areas.
If you are planning a custom project, these guides cover those choices in more detail:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to paint by numbers in numerical order?
No. The numbers identify which colour belongs in each area; they do not represent a required painting sequence. You can work by colour, by area or combine both methods.
Should you add water to paint by numbers paint?
For fresh Paintarthub paints, normally no. They are pre-mixed and ready to use. A very small amount of water or acrylic paint mixer is only useful if moisture loss has caused the paint to become noticeably thicker.
Why can I still see the numbers through the paint?
Some lighter colours provide less coverage on the first coat. Allow the first layer to dry and apply another thin coat where necessary rather than using one very thick layer.
What should I do if my paint becomes too thick or starts to dry?
Close the pot to prevent further moisture loss, stir the paint and then make only a small adjustment with water or acrylic paint mixer if necessary.
Can you paint over mistakes in paint by numbers?
Yes. Let the incorrect paint dry first, then cover it carefully with the correct colour. A second coat may be needed when covering a dark shade with a lighter one.
How long does a paint by numbers painting take?
There is no fixed completion time. Canvas size, design complexity, the number of small sections and how long you paint during each session all make a difference. You can complete the canvas over as many sessions as you need.
Ready to Start Painting?
The basic process is simple: match the numbers, choose a suitable brush, apply the paint in controlled sections and let the picture develop gradually.
For a more approachable first project, explore Paint by Numbers for Beginners, or browse All Paint by Numbers Kits for the full ready-made range.
If you want the painting to come from one of your own photographs, explore Custom Paint by Numbers from Your Photo.
