All about paintings by numbers

Any child loves to color. As we grow up, we forget about this activity. However, it is this kind of creativity that helps to distract from the routine, the busy schedule of life. And for this it is not at all necessary to take on children's coloring or anti-stress pictures. There is an even more interesting option - painting by numbers.

Paintings by numbers are special canvases for teenagers and adults. By painting such a canvas, we get a gorgeous result in the form of a picture that looks like a work of art. Such a product can be donated, sold or hung as an interior decoration. The occupation became popular several years ago, and since then it continues to develop and win more and more admirers.

Color by number comes in whole sets, you don't need to buy anything. The kit includes oil or acrylic paints. They dry very quickly and have a beautiful glossy sheen. Of course, there are also tassels. There are usually three of them, but there may be more or less. Brushes vary in size. The more expensive the set, the better these drawing tools will be. In addition to paints and brushes, there is also a canvas.

The standard drawing kit also includes:

• checklist for verifying the numbers;
• drawing instructions;
• stretcher;
• fasteners with which the picture can then be hung;
• sometimes there is varnish to cover the finished work.

Paintings by numbers have many advantages as a kind of creativity:

• they are able to relax a person, distract him from unpleasant thoughts;
• can become a source of income, and you no longer have to think about gifts to family and friends;
• able to decorate a home, and the cost of this will be much lower than purchasing a painting by a famous artist;
• develop imagination, creativity, cheer up.

But there are some nuances:

• individual kits are quite expensive;
• there were cases when the kit was incomplete;
• paints can be expired, thick, dried out (sometimes, but it happens);
• light areas are not easy to draw, paint does not paint over the number;
• there are very complex pictures for which you have to additionally buy a magnifying glass.

Drawing by numbers is a relatively young art form, it is only a few years old. Yet it has become so popular so quickly that manufacturers have to constantly come up with something new to whet the interest of buyers.

So, paintings by numbers can vary in size. The most quickly sold out options are 40x50 cm, but the range is not limited to them. There are also 40x40, 30x40, 50x65 cm and other sizes. All this must be indicated on the box. Also, paintings can contain more than one canvas. Diptychs are paired models of two parts, the drawing smoothly flows from one part to another. Triptychs - three parts, quadriptychs - four.

The basis is also different. Basically, they choose canvas, it is not too expensive and of high quality. It makes no sense to buy cardboard, it looks very cheap and will not give a good result. Wood bases look the most beautiful.

It is also worth noting that the paintings can be divided according to another classification.

• Classic. These are ordinary canvases made of canvas, wood. Numbers are printed on them. The most standard and most popular option.
• Luminescent. Such canvases are impregnated with a special composition, and the paints have a luminescent effect. In the dark, the picture will flicker very beautifully.
• Watch. In such a picture, a clock is provided. Once you've finished painting, you can easily mount them. Such pictures are suitable for both the living room and the kitchen.
• Mandala. Quite an unusual option, but not always good for beginners. The canvas is divided into several parts and there are not always numbers on it.

Today you can pick up a picture with any animal. Often buyers choose bright ginger cats and cats, tigers, horses, wolves. Ethnic motifs with elephants, turtles, giraffes, owls look incredibly beautiful. Marine life is also popular. In addition, paintings in which animals appear in unnatural colors have now become fashionable. For example, these are lions with a colored mane of acid tones, pink tigers, etc. People also like drawings with a bit of humor: a lion in a hat, a bulldog in glasses, and so on.

Painting with flowers will revive and decorate the interior of any direction. It is not necessary to buy hackneyed options with roses, asters, peonies, although they, of course, look very gentle. There are many more interesting ideas: lavender, poppies, lilacs, exquisite lilies, irises, gladioli, sunflowers. Japanese sakura is not losing its popularity. In addition, pictures with double vision look very interesting.

These are quite complex drawings, but the result is worth it. Most often, the canvases depict Paris, New York, Venice and other beautiful cities. Also, the canvas can depict not only a city with its direct symbol, for example, the Eiffel Tower, but also a kind of cozy nook.It can be a busy small street with shops, a cafe with a signboard, a small fountain on a stone pavement, and so on.

This is another popular topic. Small houses with sloping roofs, a rural field, ponds with ducks and duckweed also enjoy the love of buyers. These are mainly summer and spring paintings, but there are also chic winter paintings where the village is decorated for Christmas.

Such pictures are mainly chosen by girls and women. Romantic drawings can depict ballerinas dancing, two lovers in an embrace or kiss, a couple holding hands. Often in such paintings, angels with wings, presented in human form, Teddy bears with hearts and balls, etc. appear. Drawings with a single tree with a heart-shaped crown look gorgeous. In this case, the emphasis is on the falling leaves-hearts, circling around and lying on the ground under the tree.

Both men and women like landscape themes. Of course, the main participant in such pictures is the sea. Calm and raging, with and without ships, blue and greenish - all the drawings are beautiful. Moreover, it can be not only the open sea, but also the coastal landscape. Images of lighthouses are also popular.

In addition to the sea, rural landscapes look interesting, for example, a field with lavender, sunflowers, a river flowing in the distance. Forest and mountain options also find their admirers, as well as paintings with the jungle and tropics.

If you want to decorate your apartment or house with a canvas by a famous artist, then you should choose such a picture. It can be still lifes, landscapes, portraits, abstractions. Such artists as Shishkin, Aivazovsky, Van Gogh, Salvador Dali are popular today.

This is not the most complete list of what you can choose for drawing. There are also cartoon characters, anime, pictures with macro effect and more. The choice should be made based on your own preferences and tastes.

When choosing your first painting for coloring, there are several important rules to keep in mind.

• The size. There are both small and large paintings. Beginners should not immediately try to master a large canvas, because the lesson may not suit your taste, and you will simply abandon the work. It is better to choose the first painting small or medium in size.
• Difficulty level. There are 5 difficulty levels, they are marked with stars on the package. The first two are children's paintings. The other three levels are for adults. The lower the difficulty level, the more voluminous the fragments to fill will be. The most difficult are the smallest details, which may have to be examined with a magnifying glass.
• Colors. If you are just starting out, it is recommended to buy a colorful painting. The fact is that light details are very difficult to paint over, the figure constantly shines through, it is necessary to apply more layers. For beginners, this will seem tedious. Also, black and white paintings should not be taken as the first ones.
• Clarity of numbers. Sometimes there are pictures where the numbers are drawn very lightly. This can be very fatiguing and eye strain. And then there are models where numbers just merge with each other and you need to look closely. Choose well-defined options. A partially colored canvas is a very good idea. No, it is not painted for you, just not white, but with colored spots. After coloring it will not be visible.
• The presence of a stretcher. The most budget pictures come without a box and a stretcher. If you really want to enjoy the process, then there should still be a stretcher. This makes the drawing process very easy.
• Paints and brushes. As a rule, all this is already in the kit. But it is recommended to check with the seller in advance which paints are included in the kit. In the overwhelming majority of cases, these are acrylic, but there are also oil ones. It is better to stop the choice on acrylic. If possible, open one jar, look at the condition.If the paint begins to dry out at the edges, it is better to refuse to purchase. The included brushes aren't always good either. If you plan to paint often and have more fun, buy some professional models.

In addition to the above, it is worth studying the rating of manufacturers, reading reviews of other people about the paintings. This will help you make your choice faster. You can buy a picture of both Russian and foreign production. For example, the following companies producing paintings by numbers are very popular among buyers:

• "Factory of Creativity";
• Schipper;
• Dimensions;
• Dali;
• Menglei.

Drawing should start with preparing the place. Choose an area well lit by natural or artificial light. If you have an easel, it's very good, but in general, you can even draw on your knees, because the paints do not flow. Then check out the colored sheet to present the result. Take a look at the supporting sheet as well. This scheme can be useful to you more than once, so it's better to study it.

We open the cans of paints one at a time, do not open several at once. Select the area you would like to sketch and find a paint with the same number. Then start filling this area. When finished, you can move on to the next.

Everyone prefers to draw in their own way, independently thinking over the techniques. In any case, it will turn out beautifully. However, there are still some tricks.

• Paintings can be painted starting with light areas and gradually moving to dark areas. This makes it very easy to fix the mistake if you make it. It is very difficult to paint over dark colors, and paint is not washed off with water.
• Moving from big to small. Another approach that's good for newbies. Paint over the largest areas first, and only then move on to small ones.
• Coloring from the central part. First, you can color the part in the middle. This is almost always the basis of the composition. After seeing the first results, you will quickly fill in the areas around the edges.
• Top-down technique. A very simple coloring option, you start at the top, completely paint over this area and slowly move down. A huge plus of the technique is that it will not be possible to smear the paint with your hand with a careless movement.
• Following shades. Some find in the picture all areas with a certain color, paint over them, then only move on to another. But this is pretty tiresome.

In the process of creating a picture, you should consider a few more useful tips:

• it is better to draw at a fast pace, without distraction, since the paint in the jar dries out under the influence of air;
• thickened paints can be diluted with warm water and mixed with a toothpick, but the hardened paints cannot be diluted, an alternative must be sought;
• beginners are not recommended to mix paints with each other using a palette, here it is better to draw clearly by numbers;
• the brush after each paint must be washed and blotted with a napkin; it should not stand in a container with water;
• the relief of the drawings can be given by the application of several layers of paint in certain areas;
• it is not worth going outside the site; movements are required to be smooth, light.

You can arrange the finished painting in a frame or, if there is a stretcher, hang it on the wall using the fasteners included in the kit. If this option is chosen, make sure that the sides of the painting, which many leave white, are painted over. White sides look messy, and the picture takes on an unfinished look.

Here is a selection of some interesting paintings that have graced different types of interiors.

• A beautiful seascape for a kitchen or dining room.

• Delicate flowers by the fence, a little further down the river.Fits perfectly into the interior in shades.

• A stunning fall-themed painting for the bedroom. Bright and very effective.

• Autumn landscape, indistinguishable from the real picture.

• A bright and rich triptych, a chic accent for a room in monochrome.

• Another triptych, already with romantic overtones.

• The surreal urban theme fits perfectly into the minimalism.

• A large painting for the living room, immediately attracts attention.

• A beautiful nighttime Venetian landscape, suitable for both the bedroom and the living room.