
Make sure you close all the paint tubs except the one you’re using at the moment. But those tubs of paint are small, and they’ll dry out quickly. When you’re working between a number of different colors at once, it can be tempting to leave those little tubs open. Paint by numbers kits come with little tubs of paint that have snap-on lids. With paint by numbers, the darker colors tend to be in the background, so you want to start with those. This helps you layer things appropriately and not wind up trying to paint around or “behind” a space. When you’re doing a normal painting, you want to start with the background and paint forwards into the foreground. Rather, you should start with the darkest color, no matter what number it is, and work your way up to the lighter colors. But that’s not the best way to approach your paint by numbers. It’s important to note that if you’re left-handed, you should start at the top right of your painting, not the top left.įor many of us, when we get ready to start on our paint by numbers, we would tend to start with number 1 and move up the line from there. By the time you make it to the bottom of the canvas, the paint at the top should have dried. This can make it uncomfortable and stressful to paint and can lead to smudges.īut if you start at the top of the painting, you’ll be able to work your way down, avoiding the previous areas you’ve painted. If you start at the bottom, you’ll have to worry about keeping your arms and sleeves off the painting. When you get ready to start painting, start at the top left corner of your painting and work your way down. And if you can, try to arrange for an hour or two that you can spend just focusing on this – maybe after the kids have gone to bed for the evening or once they head off to school. Make sure you have a comfortable chair and plenty of space to spread out your work. If you’re trying to paint in the middle of the living room with kids running everywhere and trying to dip their fingers in the paint jars, you won’t be able to enjoy the painting process.įind someplace quiet with good lighting and maybe a nice view. Art can have huge relaxing and therapeutic benefits, but you need to be able to relax into that headspace. This will include your paint by numbers kit, any additional paintbrushes you may want to use, a cup of water to rinse your brush out in, some paper towels to dry your brush on, and a glass or mug of your favorite beverage.Īs much as possible, try to find someplace peaceful to work on your paint by numbers. Wear an old t-shirt you don’t care much about, and make sure you have everything you need to paint right off the bat. Spread your newspapers or drop cloth out over your workspace so you don’t have to worry about paint getting everywhere. Start by collecting old newspapers or getting a drop cloth and then gathering all your painting supplies.

You need to make sure you make your space as easy to clean up as possible. When you’re doing paint by numbers, you want to be able to relax into the art, not worry about getting paint on the dining table.
