Highland Cow in Bluebell Wood Paint by Numbers

Highland Cow in Bluebell Wood Paint by Numbers

The cow stands in a clearing carpeted with bluebells, with large tree trunks on the left and right and sunbeams falling through the leaves above. Its long horns curve outwards and its orange-brown coat is built up in short impressionist strokes. Rust orange and warm brown sit against the blue of the flowers and the green of the foliage. Edges are soft and the light is dappled, so you will not find hard outlines to follow. Detail is medium: the fur texture and the flower heads read clearly without becoming fiddly. The design is square, which suits a wall in a hallway or living room. If you like animal portraits, our highland cow paint by numbers range has more designs to compare.

Tips for painting this design

Start with the blue of the flower carpet, working in small dabs with the medium brush so the colour sits evenly across the ground. Then paint the green foliage and the brown of the two large trees, leaving the sunbeam areas until last so you can judge how bright they need to be. Use the fine brush for the horns, the eyes and the edges of the coat, and the wide brush for the broad canopy. Build the orange fur in short strokes that follow the lie of the hair rather than flat blocks. A 36 or 48 colour set gives you more greens and warm browns, and the extra blues help separate the flowers from the shadows. Keep the sunbeam yellow thin and paint it over dry green so it glows rather than muddies.

Sizes, colours and painting time

The design comes in 15x15 to 70x80 cm (12 sizes). You choose a 24, 36 or 48 colour kit, on rolled canvas, with or without a wooden frame to assemble. Allow around 12 to 30 h depending on the size.

What's in the kit

• Canvas:Printed linen canvas with numbered outlines, rolled for delivery, showing the Highland cow, bluebells and framing trees.
• Paint:Numbered acrylic pots covering rust orange, bluebell blue, leaf green, sunbeam yellow and trunk brown, with 24, 36 or 48 colours depending on the option you choose.
• Brushes:Fine for the horns and eyes, medium for the bluebells and fur, wide for the canopy and open ground.
• Guide:A paper guide showing the finished picture and the colour plan for each numbered area.
• Optional:A wooden frame to assemble, if you plan to hang it in a hallway or living room.

Living roomChild's bedroomHallwayBedroomHome office

Without frame

The canvas arrives rolled in a tube. You paint it flat and frame it afterwards if you wish.

With frame

Wooden stretcher bars to assemble stretch the canvas. You paint on a taut surface and hang the picture on the wall.