Drawing by numbers on canvas and cardboard: an overview of manufacturers, practical tips for beginners

Like other types of creativity, painting by numbers is a fascinating process that helps to disconnect from external fuss, feel peace of mind and fill with the energy of creation. A little time will pass and the sea or river banks connected by beautiful bridges, a sophisticatedly elegant girl or a golden evening sunset will appear on the canvas. Reflections on the water will sparkle, emerald grasses will bend from the wind, distant countries and cities will beckon with the magical magic of flowers ...

An inexpressible pleasure to feel like Leonardo da Vinci, Klimt, Monet or Van Gogh... But it's possible!

What is the secret of this magical charm of coloring pages? There are no secrets here. Your canvas canvas contains numbered areas. Carefully and accurately, you paint over these areas with paints in exact accordance with the numbers on the jar - patiently waiting for a miracle ...

Paint by number manufacturers

Which manufacturer of drawing kits to choose? You will not find a definite answer in this article. It would be wrong to advise you. Choose your coloring according to the plot (landscape, portrait or still life). Choose what you want to draw in the end. What do you like more -
coloring on cardboard or canvas, with or without blending, you will only know in the process of coloring. By working on different materials, you enrich your creative experience and get new impressions.

Coloring by numbers can be bought on various bases - on cardboard and on canvas.

Leading manufacturers coloring pages on cardboard it is customary to consider such companies as SCHIPPER (Germany), PLAID (USA) and DIMENSIONS (USA).

In the SCHIPPER sets you will find bright, original scenes with paints of excellent glossy effect - you don't even need a top coat.

PLAID kits are finely detailed and difficult for beginners, requiring painstaking and patient work.

The DIMENSIONS sets are characterized by mixing colors and careful drawing of details, which gives the finished work the effect of a photograph.

Color by number company DIMENSIONS

Who is producing coloring by numbers on canvas?

These are mainly Chinese companies such as HOBBART, MENGLEI, ITESO, COLOR-KIT, PAINTBOY, SNOW WHITE.

Paint-by-numbers canvas kit by HOBBART

MENGLEI Drawing Set

Coloring by numbers company SNOW WHITE

There are no special differences between Chinese manufacturers. Choose the plot you like and color. All Chinese kits are completed with paints in jars in vacuum packaging, except for HOBBART kits. In the latter, the paints are placed in sealed tubes, thanks to which it was possible to solve the problem with the drying of the paint! Sometimes different manufacturers have the same plots for drawing. In this case, information about the number of colors in the set will help you make a choice in favor of one or another manufacturer (the more colors, the more carefully the plot of the picture will be drawn).

Which painting to choose - on canvas or cardboard?

The age old beginner question. Various manufacturers offer coloring pages either on cardboard or canvas, with or without a stretcher.

Coloring pages on cardboard

It is very convenient to draw on cardboard, so it will be easier to learn on cardboard-based sets, because the borders and color numbers are clearly visible. The paint lays down evenly on the cardboard and is perfectly absorbed, the drawing is bright and fresh. To give volume to your work, some segments need to be painted over with several layers.

It is easy to pick up ready-made photo frames for coloring pages on a cardboard basis.

Coloring on canvas

Painting by numbers on a canvas, at first glance, seems to be a more complicated process. Since the canvas is a fabric, the strokes will not lay down as smoothly as on cardboard, and the paint will be absorbed unevenly. You may need to apply several layers of paint, which will give some volume to the picture, and the color on the canvas will turn out to be deeper and more saturated. But when working with a canvas, you will get an indescribable pleasure, the further you draw, the more exciting this process will seem to you. And the result will be excellent, like a picture of a real artist. Try it and you will forever remain a fan of this genre!

The canvas in the painting sets is rolled up or already fixed on a stretcher. This is a very important point, because the stretcher is the basis for stretching the canvas. The thickness of the paintings on the canvas is much greater precisely due to the stretcher.

For some manufacturers, such as MENGLEI and HOBBART, the subframe in the kit is disassembled or not always provided in the kit (in this case, it can be picked up at a frame shop or art store). In the event that the stretcher is disassembled, studs are supplied separately in the kit, with the help of which the canvas is fixed on the stretcher.

Let's talk briefly how to assemble a subframe. The slats of the stretcher must be inserted into each other's puzzles, and then outline the location of the canvas. To do this, lay the canvas on a flat surface with the pattern up, and put a stretcher on top of it. Then mark with a pencil (on the back of the canvas!) All 4 of its corners.

To better stretch the canvas on the stretcher, you can moisten it with a damp cloth, then turn the pattern down, and put the stretcher on top.

After that, you can attach the canvas to the stretcher with the studs supplied in the kit. And this step should be done correctly. First, it's easier to wrap canvas around one side of the stretcher and drive in studs around the edges and in the center. Then you should stretch the canvas on the opposite side of the stretcher and fix it again with studs. Do the same with the remaining two sides of the subframe.

Don't forget to set aside 4 studs to secure the corners! It is better to fix the corners at the very end.

The canvas painting can be hung on the wall right away because it looks great even without a frame. You can simply paint the canvas from the ends to make the picture look complete - paint while continuing the main drawing. If desired, you can arrange a picture in a baguette.

What is included in the drawing kits?

So, you have chosen a plot for coloring. Let's see what the paint by numbers kit consists of.

All sets without exception include:

1. Canvas or cardboard with a pattern and numbers printed on it.
2. Numbered paint jars.
3. One to three brushes, depending on the set.
4. Instruction.
5. Checklist for verification.
6. The canvas coloring kit includes a mount.

An example of the packaging of one of the PAINTBOY sets

Reverse side of the package with instructions in Russian and English

Open the drawing kit and start creating. What is so simple? Yes, it's that simple. Numbers are written on the jars of paints, they correspond to the numbers of the applied contours in the picture.

Footnotes with numbers show the colors of the coloring of small details.

Basic materials and tools for drawing

About paints

Most coloring by numbers, both on canvas and on cardboard, are completed with acrylic paints. We must not forget that such paints dry very quickly. Be sure to close the paint jars tightly after painting! If the paint dries, it will not be possible to wash off and dilute it in a jar.

Acrylic paints are non-toxic, resistant to light, very bright, completely ready for use. Paints in a jar must be mixed before staining. If the paint looks too thick, then you can always dilute it with a drop of water and mix it a little, or use a special thinner for acrylic paints, which is purchased separately.

Earlier it was noted that in the HOBBART kits, the paints are poured into tubes. They come with empty jars with tight lids and stickers with the color number of each paint.

Before you start painting, mark the jar with a sticker, then open the tube and squeeze a small amount of paint into the jar. You can always add paint to the jar as needed. Paints in tubes are stored much better and longer.

Make sure that the markings on the tube and jar match! This will help you not to mix up the colors in the process of drawing!

If all areas of work indicated by one number are painted over sequentially, then the paint will not dry out ahead of time. Sometimes it happens that numbers and contours show through the light colors of colors. You can paint over these areas with a second coat to paint over them.

Remember, light and transparent brilliant colors are applied in several layers.

You can pre-paint over the numbers and contours with white paint and only then with the desired color. In this way, translucent numbers and contours will also be hidden.

brushes

The kits on cardboard include one brush. In sets on canvas - two, three or more, depending on the size of the picture (several thin round brushes of different sizes and a small flat brush). The brushes are always synthetic. It is convenient to draw small details with round thin brushes, and large areas of the background with flat ones.

Brushes after work have to be washed very carefully, because if the acrylic paint has dried up, the brush can no longer be washed with any solvent.

To make the brush last longer, rinse it in water as often as possible, even if you paint with the same color. Rinse the bristle of the brush well and remove the dried paint at the base of the bristle. These simple tricks will help you keep your brush in good quality throughout the painting process.

Do you need varnish?

The varnish will protect the brightness of the colors of your painting from exposure to sunlight, give completeness and professionalism to your work.

Lacquer for the final design of the picture, matte or glossy, is purchased separately.

A picture painted with acrylic paints does not need to be varnished. However, if you are going to place the painting on a heavily lit wall, a matte acrylic varnish will keep the painting's colors vibrant for a long time. In order to add completeness to the painted picture, it is better to cover it with a glossy varnish.

All the subtleties of the coloring process

Positive emotions from coloring, comparable only to visiting an art gallery and the joy of communicating with masterpieces of painting, would be impossible without knowing some of the moments that accompany the creation of paintings by numbers.

Mixing paints

If you do not need to mix paints in your set, you paint the picture with ready-made paints of the desired color, comparing their numbers with the details of the picture. But some manufacturers suggest you mix paints to get subtle shades. These are Dimensions (USA), KSG (UK), Royal & Langnickel (UK) and many others.

Definitely, when mixing colors, each artist gets his own, unique shades. This is a great example of the individualization of paintings, great opportunities for creative experiments!

Difficulty level

If internally you are not yet ready for experiments with shades, you should pay attention to the complexity of the execution of the canvas. Difficulty is indicated on the box with asterisks: the more stars, the more difficult the work, the more small details, and the more time you have to spend on coloring.

Five stars, for example, is a canvas of high complexity. Four stars mean that there are many small segments on the canvas, etc.

Beginners and people with low vision should, for starters, choose sets with two or three stars.

HOBBART set with three stars

For children, coloring pages with one or two stars and a small size are more suitable so that the child has time to finish coloring before he gets tired.

Let's start drawing!

A special workplace for work is not required. You can use a floor or tabletop easel, a smooth table surface, or simply paint your set in your hands, as long as you feel comfortable.

The coloring kits come with everything you need, the only thing you need is newspaper or tablecloth to protect the surface, a cup of water, a palette to mix paints (if your coloring choice is to mix) and patience.

Instructions for a coloring set without mixing paints are not needed. You just take a jar of paint of any number, find this color in the picture and start painting with any strokes, at any speed, as you think is most convenient. The main thing - do not let the paints dry in the jar!

Over time, you will develop your own coloring style. Pictures can be painted in any way:

• by numbers, starting with paint No. 1, 2 and further;
• by color, starting with light and then darker;
• from the top left corner;
• from anywhere in the picture.

Check your steps against the attached checklist and the sample of the finished work that you will find on the box of your kit.

Of course, the painting you make may differ from the original in the manufacturer's photograph. But maybe that's where creativity lies. After all, you can always add something of your own to the coloring - and the result will be beautiful in any case!

Job storage

Special storage of work in the process of coloring is not required. If you can't finish your work just yet, simply put all the components of the kit into the box, first dropping a little water on the surface of each paint (do not stir it!!!) and tightly close the jars. Acrylic paints can be stored for up to several months if protected from moisture and temperature changes. But do not delay the completion of the work for years, if the acrylic paints completely dry out, then it will not be possible to restore them. You will have to complete the paintings with a simple selection of colors in an art store.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes while coloring. To prevent this, the kits always include a checklist with which you can always check which paint to use. If you do paint with the wrong paint, just wait for it to dry completely and thickly apply a different color of paint on top of it.

And, of course, think in advance about the place where your painting will be located at the end of the work. How will the piece harmonize with your interior and its elements?

The picture is ready and can be decorated with a suitable frame or, if your picture is painted on canvas, just hang it on the wall. The decorated picture will undoubtedly become an attractive decoration of your interior, it will never cease to amaze your friends and relatives. And it can also be an original gift to your loved ones!

To prevent sudden changes in humidity and temperature from deforming the stretcher and weakening the tension of the canvas, store the picture only in a dry place at room temperature.

Having tried to paint a picture by numbers, you will feel like a professional artist! Even if it is only one picture, you will definitely have a reason to be proud!

There are many coloring pages for every taste. Take your time, choose - and you will find YOUR painting that is waiting for you. This is a very important and exciting moment! Listen to what attracts you - landscapes, animals or birds, people or fairy-tale characters, flowers, sea or city scenes? Something other? Contact consultants - and your dreams come true in your paintings.

Good luck in your creative field! Joy and success!

We thank the magic-wave.ru online store for the provided material, practical recommendations and photos!

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