Best Painting by Numbers: A UK Buyer's Guide

What makes the best painting by numbers kit for adults?

A good kit for adults has a clearly printed canvas, paints that cover properly, and brushes that suit the detail, so check these before you look at the picture.

• The canvas should arrive pre-printed with numbers you can read at arm's length and thin, unbroken lines between sections, because faint or crowded numbers are the most common cause of frustration with cheaper kits.
• The acrylic paints should be numbered to match the canvas, and each pot should hold enough to give two coats on lighter colours such as white, cream and pale blue, where one coat usually looks patchy over a dark printed number.
• Look for at least one fine detail brush and one flat brush in the box, since a single medium round brush makes both small areas and large skies harder than they need to be.
• Canvas size decides how the painting feels: smaller canvases finish in fewer sittings, while larger ones carry finer detail and many more sections, so choose according to how much time you want to spend and how much eye strain you can handle.
• A frame and hanging hardware are optional extras, and it helps to know before you order whether they are included or sold separately.
• A one-year guarantee, alongside your rights under the Consumer Rights Act, gives some reassurance if something arrives faulty, though it does not replace checking the kit description carefully.

Our page on paint by numbers for adults shows kits built to this checklist, and our accessories range covers anything you want to add later.

How to choose your canvas size and design

Choose the size first, because it decides how long the painting takes and how much detail you'll need to fill in. Most adults settle on a medium canvas, as it gives a comfortable evening or two of work per section without the numbered areas becoming too fiddly to fill. Whatever the size, pick a subject you would happily look at for several weeks: a landscape with broad skies is forgiving of a slow, steady pace, while an animal portrait needs more patience around eyes and fur.

Brushes, paints and accessories worth adding

A fine detail brush is one of the most useful extras. Numbered areas on a busy design can be only a few millimetres wide, and a brush with a short, pointed tip lets you fill them without touching the neighbouring line. A small flat brush, around 10 to 12 mm, suits the opposite problem: large sky or background sections are covered in a few strokes, with fewer visible streaks than a round brush tends to leave.

Brushes keep their shape if you rinse them in clean water as soon as you finish, blot the bristles on a cloth, and lay them flat or stand them bristles up to dry. Leaving them in the water pot bends the tips after a single session, and dried acrylic is very hard to remove from the bristles afterwards. A lint-free cloth beside the water pot also helps, because a damp brush deposits less paint at the edge of an area than a wet one.

Small lidded pots are useful if you want to mix a colour or keep a paint from drying out between evenings. Most kits supply enough brushes and paint to finish the picture, though it is worth checking, so buy separately when the tip frays, when you want a finer point for a detailed design, or when you are painting regularly. You'll find these replacements in our paint by numbers accessories range.

Tips for neater edges and better coverage

Most untidy edges and patchy colour come down to a handful of habits that are easy to correct.

• Let the paint sit slightly over the printed line instead of stopping short, because a thin white gap is far more noticeable than a slightly overpainted edge, and the neighbouring colour will cover it.
• Apply two thin coats on pale colours such as yellow, light pink and white, leaving the first to dry for about 20 minutes, since one thick coat tends to streak and still lets the number show through.
• Use a toothpick or a fine brush for tiny sections, dabbing the paint on rather than dragging it, so it stays inside the shape.
• Load only the tip of the brush and wipe one side on the pot rim, because an overloaded brush pushes paint under the lines and into the next area.
• Correct a mistake while the paint is still wet by lifting it with a damp cotton bud or the corner of a clean cloth, then repaint once the spot is dry.
• Keep the canvas clean by working on a flat, tidy surface, brushing off dust before you start and resting your hand on a sheet of paper so it does not smudge or press into wet areas.

A few extra brushes and a small palette make these habits easier, and our painting by numbers accessories guide covers the basics.

Personalised paint by numbers from a photo: is it worth it?

A personalised kit is worth it when the picture matters to you more than how quickly you want to finish, and when you choose the photo with care. I turn your photo into a pre-printed canvas with numbered areas, and the kit arrives with matching numbered acrylic paints and brushes, so the method is the same as with any other kit. You can see the options on my custom paint by numbers from photo page.

The photo decides most of the result. Pick one with clear contrast between the subject and what is behind it, a plain or softly blurred background, and good natural light. Busy backgrounds and dark shadows tend to break into many tiny numbered shapes, which are slow to paint and harder to keep neat; the same happens with group shots where the faces are small. A single pet, a portrait or a simple landscape usually reads best.

Expect a painted interpretation, not a photograph. Fine detail such as eyelashes, whiskers or distant leaves is simplified into larger shapes, and a larger canvas can hold more detail.

One point to know before ordering: the 14-day cancellation right does not normally apply to personalised photo kits made to your specification, because each one is created from your image. Your 1-year guarantee and Consumer Rights Act rights still apply. I dispatch within 48 hours, with free delivery to the UK and Ireland (including Northern Ireland).

Finishing and framing your painting

leave the finished canvas flat for at least 24 hours before you do anything else with it. Acrylic can feel dry to the touch while the thicker patches, usually dark colours and areas painted in two coats, are still soft underneath. Press a clean fingertip lightly on one of those patches; if it feels cool or tacky, give it longer.

If you ordered the optional frame, lay it face down, set the canvas inside and secure it using the fittings supplied. Check that the canvas sits square before you tighten anything. Hang it with a level or a ruler against the wall, and choose a spot away from direct sunlight, which can fade acrylic over the years. Bathrooms, and walls directly above a hob in the kitchen, are best avoided, as steam and grease will not do the canvas any favours.

For a gift, wait until the painting is fully dry, then wrap it flat in tissue paper. Adding a short note about how long it took tends to be appreciated. If something is wrong with the kit itself, my 1-year guarantee and your Consumer Rights Act rights still apply. My guide to paint by numbers for adults can help you choose your next kit.