The simple version

How paint by numbers works

No lessons, no talent required — just a numbered canvas, pre-mixed paints, and a quiet hour whenever you have one. Here’s exactly how it works, from the first brushstroke to the moment your memory is on the wall.

What is paint by numbers?

Paint by numbers is a painting kit that does the hard thinking for you. Instead of a blank canvas and a wall of confusing colours, you get a canvas printed with faint outlines and small numbers inside each shape. Every number matches a numbered pot of pre-mixed paint. You simply find the shape marked 1, paint it with pot 1, move to 2, and keep going. Slowly, section by section, an image appears under your own hand.

It’s the reason people who swear they “can’t draw a stick figure” end up hanging their own work in the living room. You’re not being asked to invent anything — the composition, the shading and the colour choices are already worked out. You bring the patience and the steady hand, and the canvas gives you a result that genuinely looks like a painting. It’s also a rare kind of screen-free time: a calm, absorbing thing to do that leaves something real behind when you’re done.

You can paint a ready-made design from one of our paint by numbers for adults collections, or send us a photo and we’ll turn your memory into a numbered canvas. Either way, the painting process is the same four simple steps.

The 4 steps, start to finish

From kit to keepsake

Anyone can do this. If you can match a number to a number, you can paint the whole canvas.

Set up your space

Lay the canvas flat on a table with good light. Open your paint pots, keep a cup of water and a paper towel nearby, and give the canvas a moment to relax flat.

Match number to number

Find every shape marked 1 and fill it with paint pot 1. Then do all the 2s, and so on. Working one colour at a time keeps your brush cleaner and your edges neat.

Work light to dark, big to small

Paint larger background areas first, then the fine detail last. Let sections dry before painting a neighbour so colours stay crisp instead of blending.

Dry, frame and hang

When the last number is filled, let it dry fully. Touch up any faint outlines, then stretch, frame or simply hang your finished canvas on the wall.

How custom photo kits work

A custom paint by numbers from your photo follows those same four painting steps — the difference is what happens before the kit reaches you. Most sites run your photo through a one-click filter and ship it blind, which is exactly why so many faces come back looking wrong. We do it the honest way: a real designer prepares your canvas, and you approve a digital proof before anything is printed.

For custom kits

You approve it before we print it

Four steps stand between your photo and a finished canvas on your wall.

Upload your photo

Choose your size, colour detail and frame, then upload your photo at checkout — or email it to us after you order.

We design it by hand

A real designer converts your photo, tuning the detail so faces, eyes and fine areas read clearly on the canvas.

You approve the proof

We email your numbered preview in 1–3 days. Love it, or ask for free revisions until it’s right.

Free revisions

We print & ship

Only after you say yes. If the finished canvas still doesn’t resemble your photo, we re-do it free.

Re-do guarantee

What’s in every kit

Whether you order a ready-made design or a custom canvas, your kit arrives with everything you need to start the same day it lands. There’s nothing extra to buy:

A numbered canvas — pre-printed with faint outlines and numbers for every shape.
Pre-mixed acrylic paints — one numbered pot per colour, matched to your detail level (24, 36 or up to 48).
A set of brushes — fine, medium and broad, so you can handle both wide areas and tiny detail.
A reference sheet and getting-started guide that shows the finished image and walks you through the steps.
Our free-paint-for-life promise — run low on a colour or lose your brush and we’ll replace it, free, for as long as you own the kit.

Good to know. Paints are acrylic, so they’re water-based and clean up with plain water while wet. Keep the lids on between sessions so pots don’t dry out — and if one ever does, that’s exactly what the free-paint promise is for.

How to pick your size and colour detail

Two choices shape how your finished painting looks: how big the canvas is and how many colours it uses. They work together — a larger canvas has room for more shapes, which means finer, more lifelike detail.

Size

Bigger canvases have larger numbered areas, which makes them easier to paint, not harder, because your brush isn’t fighting for tiny spaces. Small kits are quick and beginner-friendly; large kits hold far more detail and make more of a statement on the wall. Our full size guide breaks down every option with times and difficulty, and large paint by numbers is worth a look if you want maximum detail.

Colour detail (24 · 36 · 48)

Colour detail is the number of different paint pots your canvas uses. More colours means smoother shading and a more realistic result — which matters most for faces:

Detail level	Colours	Best for
Standard	Up to 24	Simple subjects — landscapes, single objects, pets with bold markings
More Detail	Up to 36	One or two people, detailed pets, richer backgrounds
Premium	Up to 48	Close-up faces, group photos, weddings — anything where likeness matters

Faces and pets need 36–48 colours to look like themselves. Fewer than that and skin tones, shadows and eyes collapse into flat blocks. Not sure which to pick for a custom canvas? Order any level and we’ll flag it during proofing if more detail would help. Read our best-photo tips before you upload for the sharpest result, and try our second custom option, personalized paint by numbers, if you’d like to see both.

Honest shipping. Every order ships tracked worldwide, with the cost shown at checkout — we never hide it or pretend it’s free. Ready-made kits reach the US in about 10–16 business days and the rest of the world in 12–20 business days. Custom kits add 2–4 days to prepare and print your approved proof. Ordering for an occasion? Message us your date and we’ll tell you honestly if it will arrive in time.

Common questions

Do I need any painting experience?

None at all. The canvas is numbered, the paints are pre-mixed and matched to those numbers, and a reference sheet shows the finished image. If you can match a number to a number, you can complete the whole painting.

How long does a paint by numbers take?

It depends on the size and detail, and there’s no rush — most people paint over several relaxed sessions. A small kit might take a few hours; a large, detailed canvas can be a happy project across a week or two. Our size guide gives rough times for each size.

What if I paint outside the lines or make a mistake?

Acrylic paint is forgiving. While it’s still wet you can wipe a slip with a damp cloth; once dry, you can simply paint over it with the correct colour. The faint printed lines disappear under the paint, so small wobbles won’t show in the finished piece.

Will a custom canvas really look like my photo?

That’s exactly why we proof first. You approve a numbered digital preview before we print, with free revisions until it’s right. If the finished canvas still doesn’t resemble your photo, we re-do it free. See our custom from photo page for the full process.

What happens if I run out of a colour?

We’ll send more, free. Every kit is covered by our free-paint-and-brush-for-life promise, so a dried-out pot or a lost brush is never a reason to leave a painting unfinished. More answers on our FAQ page.

Ready to paint your own memory?

Send us a photo you love and we’ll turn it into a numbered canvas — proofed and approved by you before we print a thing.

Create your custom canvas