Buying and using a good paint by numbers kit is a good way to start your painting career or merely achieve the fun associated with painting. Thanks to how it works with these kits, you can paint based on laid down and clear instructions as regards colors to be used; patterns to be painted; amongst other things. If you are a beginner, you need to be equipped with certain tips that will give you a head start the moment you decide to get and start using paint by number kits.
Fortunately, this article will discuss 6 helpful tips to start your first paint by numbers journey. Ensure that you keep reading so that you do not miss out on important details that will help you when using these kits. In case you don’t have one yet, just get one from this website.
Some Useful Tips for Paint by Numbers Beginners
Using a paint by numbers kit comes with a lot of perks. However, there are certain things you should know to help you make the most of these artistic kits. You would fare better knowing them in time and this is why you should be willing to know and practice these tips even as a beginner. To this end, some of the helpful tips include the following:
1. Your Choice of Location Is Very Important
There is so much that you can get done- thanks to paint-by-number kits. Even some newbies have been amazed at how impressive their canvas eventually turned out when they are done painting. This is apparently because quite a lot of the hard work has been done for them.
For instance, they do not have to go through the stress of sketching and mixing colors to suit the intended design. This would have been done for them by the makers of the kits.
But some things need to be done on the part of the painter to make painting plausible and easier. One of such is ensuring that the right location is used for the painting.
The right location is somewhere with little or no distraction and that offers convenience while painting. And on this note, you should know that an Easel does not need to be used. It just has to be a place that is convenient and without distraction.
2. Put the Materials in the Right Shape and State
Several materials make up the paint by numbers kit. You should ensure that you have all of them available and in good shape and state for use before you start the painting process. Speaking of the materials that make up this kit, we are talking about materials such as the brushes; the already-mixed paints based on your order; the postcard (detailing what your outcome should look like); and the canvas itself.
You should not only check these items but ensure that they are in the right shape and state. You might want to start with the canvas and then the brushes as these are two common concerns for lots of hobby painters.
The canvas could have creases and should not be used this way. The reason is that it would adversely affect the eventual painting. So, straightening out the canvas is one of the things that you need to do.
You can do this by stretching the canvas with paper tapes on extreme ends and then placing heavy objects on it. For more serious ruffling, electric iron with minimal heat can be used to straighten out the canvas. This is possible partly thanks to the canvas’s material which is light clothing rather than mere paper.
3. Are You Right or Left-Handed?
There are painting moves and even strokes that are likely to work best for you based on your dominant hand. Generally speaking, right-handed paint by numbers painters are better off working from the top left corner moving towards the bottom right corner. It is a lot more convenient working this way.
On the contrary, left-handed paint by number painters are advised to paint from the top right corner moving towards the bottom left corner.
4. Start with Easier Stuff
For some people, there is the fun that comes with attempting what feels like impossible. For them, the excitement is about how challenging the project is.
Well, this is not how it works with everyone, especially kids. This is why most beginners are better off with easy-to-accomplish projects. We are talking about projects with fewer and easier to paint details. Beginners are advised to start this way before trying to climb Everest as far as painting is concerned.
5. Take Good Care of the Brush
By and large, several things determine how successful one would be at painting. The use of the painter’s brush is one of them. It is not just about how these brushes are used but how they are handled as well.
For instance, you need to wash them properly to ensure that the previous paints do not have unwanted effects on the new part to be painted. This is why you should have at least two bowls filled with water to wash the brushes.
After using the brush, you are to thoroughly wash in one of the bowls before cleaning with a paper towel. Next, you are to dip the brush in the other cleaner water before using the new paint.
You should also ensure that the brush’s hair does not shoot out awkwardly as this would give you a hard time painting. You can use scissors to cut off any excess strands of hair on the brush.
6. Practice Makes You Better
Just as with every other thing you could decide to do, you get better by practicing. So, do not hesitate to undertake new and slightly more challenging paint by numbers projects.
What you would realize over time is that painters are unique in the sense that there are things that work for them. However, these things would only be discovered and maximized by practicing.
Conclusion
Painting can be and is very exciting- thanks to the paint by numbers system. However, it is not out of place to be aware of tips that would make your journey smoother, especially as a beginner. We have discussed 6 of these tips that would benefit you as a beginner and you should make good use of them going forward.
