Question regarding paint-by-numbers for adults

[Number9Dream]

I just recently retired and want to get back into painting and drawing. My wife bought me an adult paint-by-numbers kit by Paint Works for a warm-up. It is pretty complex. The instructions are fairly detailed. However, I was hoping someone who has done an adult paint-by-number could give me some pointers about procedure. Does one begin in the upper left (for righties)? Do a good-sized section with the same number, then proceed to another number? Any tips? Thanks.

[lunatica]

1. Why not start off drawing again. Freehand.

Then try painting from your drawing.

I’m a real believer that artists never lose their abilities so they never have to go back to square one. If you know how to draw start there. Painting by numbers isn’t about being creative because all you do is copy what someone else does.

[LunaSea]

2. No "correct" approach.

You can fill the spaces any way you like as long as the right color goes on the right number.
Unlike traditional oil approach (background to foreground) or planning underpainting, you can apply them in any order you want. Top to bottom will keep your sleeves and elbows free(er) of paint. A Mahl stick might help if it's a big image. Perhaps apply a mural approach, mentally grid it into quarters, eighths, or more and complete it by section. It's really up to you.

Lunatica is right about the lack of creativity involved, unless you desire to muck around with the colors, and you are free to do it any way you wish. But the exercise could bolster you confidence as well as tuning up your fine motor skills.

[CrispyQ]

3. The kit that I bought you had to mix some of the colors yourself, using the paints provided.

They didn't even give you extra bins to mix them in. You had to guess how much of a color to mix up & hope you mixed enough & also that you had enough of the original color left to mix with other colors or to use on its own. I put it all back in the box & gave it to a thrift shop. Now I paint my own paintings. They're bad, but they're original.

[Nay]

4. Go to mypaintbynumbers.com and review their HOW-TO tab. There's plenty

of info to get you started. I've been considering getting a set or two for myself, just to get back into paint blending, brush techniques, etc., without having to design, draw, and paint a piece of my own art just yet.

Have fun!

[Number9Dream]

6. Thank you for the info... I'll check that site

What you said... warming back up to brush techniques, and the like. When I have some time over the winter. You have fun too.

[sdfernando]

5. Haven't done one of those since I was a kid

But I did learn to start with the smallest sections first.