Now that we have covered the basics, it’s time to dive a little bit deeper into the world of painting by numbers and uncover some tips and tricks that are going to transform you into a pro. Even though painting by numbers is relatively easy compared to other painting techniques, there are still some areas that could use some dusting. After all, what’s the harm of being the best in your field, when the tricks for doing so are so easily plausible?
Use your colours the right way
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One of the most important lessons to be learnt when painting by numbers is to know your colours and how they can be used in order to achieve the best possible outcome. Make sure that you start painting from the darker areas and then continue on to the lighter ones, as the darker hues are usually in the background, and filling them in first allows you to have a greater understanding of the big picture you are painting.
Different areas require different approaches
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The next tip is more about organisation and learning techniques on how to work with bigger areas in your canvas. Make sure to start from the big parts and head towards the smaller ones, because the last ones require more detail and you need to be more focused on them while you paint them. It is also important to make sure that you finish every colour section before moving on to the next one, as it can help you with minimizing the waste of paint, as you will not have to clean your brushes so many times.
Orientation is the key
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When you are painting for the first time, you still haven’t acquired the skills to make you aware of your hand movements and you might smudge some areas that are still wet from the paint. One of the most important tips for painting by numbers – and painting in general, of course – is to start from the top of the picture and slowly head down to the bottom. This way, your hand movement is going to flow more naturally and will always be over the parts that haven’t been painted yet.
If you can, you may also try to move from the left towards the right, if you’re right-handed or the opposite way if your left hand is your strongest one.
Bleeding and how to avoid it
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Last but not least, this tip has saved me countless times and I recommend it to everyone who is using the painting by numbers method. Before starting to paint, get a piece of paper and write down some random numbers on it. Then, colour a coat of each tube of paint you have over it and let it dry. You will then see which of the paints are a bit translucent and you can still see the numbers behind them. These are the colours that are going to let the numbers in your canvas show so you need to be extra careful with them.
One of the most helpful tips for painting by numbers is to get a white out pen, or a corrector pen and cover the number in that part right before you paint it. In this way, it will not bleed through and you will have an even result in your canvas.