Thoughtful Chimpanzee Mosaic Portrait Paint by Numbers

A thoughtful monkey paint by numbers portrait

This monkey paint by numbers picture shows a chimpanzee in profile. Its hand rests under its chin, which gives the face a calm, thinking look. The fur is made up of small geometric shapes, a bit like a mosaic. Golden amber and dark brown carry most of the face. Lighter cream tones sit alongside them to give the shapes depth. Tiny sparkle highlights are scattered across the fur and catch the eye. Behind the animal, the background is a textured green made of even squares. Forest green and olive green give it a soft, pixelated feel. The style is mosaic realism, and the level of detail is high. You will paint many small areas, so the picture suits people who enjoy patient, careful work. Every kit includes the printed linen canvas with numbered outlines, numbered acrylic paint pots, three brushes and a paper guide.

Tips for painting this design

Start with the green background, because the squares are regular and give you a good feel for the numbers. Use the large brush for any bigger patches and the medium brush for most of the fur shapes. Keep the fine brush for the sparkle highlights, the edges of the face and the fingers of the hand. Work from the top of the canvas downwards, and rest your hand on a clean sheet of paper so you do not smudge dry areas. Paint the dark brown areas before the lighter amber and cream, so the edges stay neat. Because the detail is high, the 36 or 48 colour option helps you keep the shading in the fur smooth. A larger canvas size also gives you more room for the small shapes.

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:A printed linen canvas with numbered outlines marking every mosaic shape of the chimpanzee and its green background.
• Paint:Numbered acrylic paint pots (24, 36 or 48 colours) covering dark brown, golden amber, cream, forest green and olive green.
• Brushes:Three brushes: fine for the sparkle highlights and face edges, medium for the fur shapes, large for the green background.
• Guide:A paper guide shows how to read the numbers and match each one to its paint pot.
• Optional:An optional wooden frame is available to assemble, or the canvas arrives rolled if you prefer to frame it yourself.

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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.