There's that moment, right after you've opened the box, when you look at the canvas, the small pots lined up, and the three brushes. And you wonder where to start. Not because it's complicated, but because you want to do it right. Because you want it to look like something in the end.
This guide is what we would have told you if we had been there, next to you, that evening.
What's in the box, and what it means
A paint-by-numbers kit is a promise kept in advance. The canvas is already printed with numbered areas. Each number corresponds to a pot of paint. Your role is to fill each area with the correct color, and repeat, area after area, until the painting appears.
In a Monalulu kit, you will find: a pre-printed canvas, about thirty pots of acrylic paint identified by a number, and three brushes of different sizes (the large, the medium, and the fine - the latter will quickly become your favorite).
The box doesn't always tell you: it takes time. Sometimes several evenings, depending on the chosen design. But that's precisely where the real pleasure begins.
Before applying the first brushstroke
Prepare your space
It sounds basic, but it changes everything. Place your canvas on a stable surface at a good height. Have a glass of water ready to rinse your brushes, a herbal tea for yourself, and a sheet of absorbent paper (or a soft cloth).
Lighting is non-negotiable. A good desk lamp aimed at the canvas will allow you to read the numbers without squinting. Some are really small. In fact, if you have reading glasses and never wear them - tonight's the night to start.
Read the numbers before painting
Take two minutes to scan your canvas before touching anything. Identify the large areas (you'll go fast on these) and the small ones (here, you'll use the fine brush and slow down). Identify the numbers that appear often; this will save you unnecessary back-and-forth between the pots.
One thing beginners often do: they open all the pots at once. The problem is that acrylic paint dries quickly, in fifteen to twenty minutes depending on the thickness. Only open the colors you need for your paint-by-numbers session.
The paint-by-numbers technique: in what order to paint?
There is no absolute rule. But there are habits that make the experience smoother and the result cleaner.
Start with dark areas or large surfaces?
Both schools exist. Here's what works best for most beginners:
Start with dark colors. Why? Because they are more forgiving of slight overflows. If you apply dark blue to an area and slightly overlap onto an adjacent light area, you can cover it without too much trouble. The opposite - trying to correct a dark stain with a light color - often requires two or three additional coats.
Then, move on to the large surfaces. They give you a sense of rapid progress, and that's important. Painting for two hours, filling in tiny areas without ever seeing the painting take shape, is discouraging. Alternate between detailed areas and large swaths of color to maintain motivation.
Apply two coats sometimes
This is probably the most important tip in the guide. A single coat of acrylic paint on canvas is sometimes insufficient. The first coat lays down the color. The second makes it opaque, uniform, lively.
Let it dry thoroughly between coats; ten to fifteen minutes is enough for acrylic. If you reapply too soon, you risk lifting the first coat and creating marbling. It's not irreparable, but it's annoying.
And the brush? Wipe it carefully between each color. Rinse with water, wipe on absorbent paper, and start again. Poorly rinsed colors mix and dull everything.
What will really happen: patience
You will doubt. Probably around the first or second hour. You will look at your half-filled canvas and wonder if it will look like anything. That's normal. And everyone goes through it at some point.
Paint by numbers requires patience. Not the passive patience of waiting for something to happen: the active patience of continuing to move forward even when you don't yet see where you're going. It's different. And that's exactly what makes the final moment so satisfying: when all the areas are covered, you step back, and you finally see the whole painting.
Something closes in your mind. A bit like closing tabs that have been open for weeks.
Some paint by numbers tips for finishing touches
Once everything is painted, let it dry completely, at least two to three hours, before handling the canvas. If you want a smoother finish and light protection, you can apply an acrylic paint varnish (matte or glossy, depending on your preference). This is not mandatory, but it sets the colors and protects the surface from small fingerprints.
And if you notice, after complete drying, that some areas still seem a bit transparent? A small, targeted third coat is enough to correct that. No one will judge you. The artist who retouches is the artist who sees.
To start, or to restart
The most difficult part isn't learning how to do a paint-by-numbers. It's choosing the design that will make you want to sit down, evening after evening, until the very last area is done.
If you're a beginner, avoid paintings with too many micro-details; you'll have more fun with a balanced composition, neither too simple nor too dense. And if you're looking for something that will end up proudly on a wall: the Monalulu paint-by-numbers kits were designed exactly for that.
For those with a special attachment to France, its coasts, its monuments, its lights, the France collection offers designs that tell a story. Paintings that, once hung, have a story to tell, including yours.
