I saw one of those horrors at a yard sale…they were preprinted canvassses, to which you applied paint to. Eventually, you wound up with something that looked like a painting.
Anyway, are these things still around? do some collectors look for them?
I hope so - I love doing them! I did one about ten years ago. It looked terrible, of course, but it was an incredibly relaxing activity for someone who loves colour but is artistically-challenged.
A lot of arts & crafts stores sell them. If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they will have a large selection.
The whole Paint by Numbers craze was a lot more interesting and widespread that you might think. I went to see this exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History back in 2001 and really enjoyed it.
I always liked the idea of paint by numbers (and its relative, where you’d peel off a numbered label and sprinkle some sort of velvety fibrous material over it to make a velvet painting) but the subject matter was always so bland and lame.
I was in a craft store last week, and they had paint by numbers in oil and acrylic. They also had pencil by numbers, which looked rather interesting. I have to admit that I have a butterfly coloring book which shows butterflies and their caterpillars. I use my BIG collection of colored pencils in it. My husband got a bit jealous, so I had to get him a coloring book, too, of race cars. Coloring is quite relaxing. Why should little kids have all the fun?
I got my daughter several of the pencil by number kits for Christmas. She really enjoyed them and framed her work. IMO they come out much nicer looking than the paint by number kits which she also enjoys.
I’m raising this zombie rather than start a new, identical thread. I just got a pair of these kits and have started this one: Amazon.com: Mandun Paint by Numbers Kit for Adults, Dragonfly Paint by Numbers, Crafts for Adults for Wall Art Gifts 16x20 Inch
I find that the paint is still a little difficult to use. It’s too thick to use straight from the source, but thinning it enough to work it reduces the opacity so much that I have to go back and put in two or three layers. I think I may try using some of my mini figurine paints. Especially for black which covers a lot of the painting.
My god, those pictures are insane! Even paint-by-number, I don’t think I have the skills to make them turn out like that, but I’m tempted.
Work your way up to more complicated things with Mondrian or a Mike Rothko Paint by Numbers
These really eist!
The Satellite of Love already invented the Paint by number Rothko in the 90’s.
ETA: Episode 419 (The Rebel Set) in 1992.
I think that I am going to have to revise my expectations of progress in order to paint effectively. The funny part is that it’s easier to do the small “dots” than the larger splotches.
Ahh, @Hypno-Toad you’re a Post-impressionist at heart.
BTW ..if I was to get into this heavily, I might purchase a set of decent oils.
I recently completed two paint-by-numbers canvases created from photographs I sent to the vendor. There are quite a few such vendors now. I also enjoy painting my own compositions in both oils and acrylics, but painting a rendering of my own grandchildren was very relaxing and lots of fun (and popular with the family).
Ignore if this is too much of a highjack but I just started a latch hook pillowcase because I had to do something with where I am in my life right now. I remembered doing it when I was young and now it all of a sudden here I am painting by yarn numbers.
There are very intricate ones but I need a relaxing time passer and so my pattern is simple.