First time here?

Welcome at Winnie’s Picks! We’re a Belgian company specialized in the production of unique paint by numbers. The savoir-faire we developed in this field put us as one of the world’s favorite brand, according to a recent survey carried out by a European arts & crafts organization.

Head over to our about us page to read our story and feel free to contact us if you have any further questions!

Let us now guide you to help you choose a paint kit that you’ll really love painting.

How to choose a paint by numbers ?

There are two sorts of people in the craft world. Those crafting for the final object and those that enjoy making it for the sake of it. Painting is no different.

Some people will be drawn by the subject while others will be attracted by the vividness of the colors.

Sometimes I am tempted to buy one for the subject that I like, then think... « look at all the white/gray/black you’re going to have to slog through! ». But don’t get me wrong, I sometimes do like to paint black and white or darker canvas. It just all depends on my mood!

If you’ve never done any adults paint by numbers, I suggest to check out our easy paint by numbers collection. To be honest, there’s no such thing as an easy or difficult canvas.

That being said, the beginner collection will regroup paintings with large sections of numbers to paint. Therefore, you’ll finish them faster and they will seem less daunting for first-timers.

What’s included in a paint by numbers kit?

Our kits come with everything you need to get started. They’re packed into a beautiful and strong tube to ensure that all components arrive in good condition and that the canvas comes wrinkles free.

Except for the custom ones that can be ordered in multiple sizes, all of our regular canvases come in a single size of 16x20in (40x50cm).

Along with the numbered canvas, you will receive an acrylic paint set, 4 brushes, a chart, a picture of the finished painting and an instruction folder.

Where do you ship your paint kits (from and to?)

Our regular adults paint by numbers are shipped from San Bernardino, California. We usually ship in the US in 2-7 days and in the rest of the world in 3-10 days.

They’re all sent out with DHL eCommerce which is a handoff service. It means that DHL comes to our warehouse, pick up the shipment, transport it to their distribution center, and deliver the package to the destination city. Upon arrival, DHL will "hand-off" the package to the local postal service. In the States, that’s USPS, but local postal delivery varies by country.

Custom paint by numbers are shipped directly from our warehouse that’s located overseas. We need around 1-2 week(s) to make them and an additional 2-3 weeks for delivery. It's definitely worth the wait though!

Will I have to pay taxes?

Depending on the quantity of paint by numbers you order and the shipped option you choose, you may have to pay additional taxes upon delivery. These taxes and duties are not included in your purchase price and are the responsibility of the buyer. US orders aren't subject to import taxes and duties!

What is DIY paint by numbers?

Paint by numbers kits were invented by Dan Robbins in 1951. He created a system where a painting is divided into small areas, each marked with a number that corresponds to a specific color.

Most of the time, the uncolored shapes won’t make much sense and you won’t be able to recognize the result before you’ve almost finished it.

The popularity of its product skyrocketed after its launch, and it went on to sell over 12 million kits.

Why did you choose to make canvas paint by numbers?

Devoted customers filled out a survey and it emerged they tend to favor canvases over boards. We decided to listen to them and go with their favorite medium.



The most favored aspect of canvases is that they better highlight the look of the paint. They also look more like a real painting once finished and framed.

Is it just for adults?

Our paint kits are designed for adults, as much for beginners as for more talented artists looking for a new hobby. That being said, we know that some of our paintings are made by parents and their kids aged 10 years old. In this case, we just recommend taking a look at our easy paint by numbers as their painting areas are larger and they can usually be completed faster and without hustle.

Completing such painting project helps you learn to analyze a subject and observe areas of color. Most of our customers also enjoy other creative craft such as coloring books, jigsaw puzzles, scrapbooking, knitting or cross-stitching. However, you don’t have to practice one of these works of art to enjoy painting!

What kind of subjects do you have?

Whether you’re a beginner looking for your first artwork or a hobbyist wishing to develop your creativity, you’ll find what you’re looking for in our varied catalog. Vintage, landscapes, seascapes, portraits, flowers and Animals paint by numbers are, among other things, what you’ll find at our store.

If you’re not happy with our selection, don’t drive to despair as you can now paint your custom canvas by sending us your favorite photo!

Will the paint dry in the containers?

The quick answer is no.

The long answer is: We use acrylic because it’s the easiest to work with. It’s water-soluble but becomes water-resistant when dry. It’s a fast-drying paint but only dries when in contact with air so as long as you keep the containers well closed, the paint won’t dry.

We vacuumed-packed the paint sets to ensure the paint won’t be in contact with air before you get the kit.

If ordered with a frame, will it arrive already framed?

We do offer acrylic art kits with stretchers but you'll have to stretch the canvas onto the frame. For shipping purposes, it's much easier to send our paint by numbers unframed.

Don't worry though, it's really easy to do! Check our tutorial page to see how to frame a paint by numbers for adults.

How to make your paint by numbers look better?

How to paint by numbers is a recurrent question that arises when starting its first painting.

The whole purpose of a paint by number kit is that it's got everything you need but water to get started. As a beginner, you should get used to the hobby at first and then get creative as you get more comfortable. The beautiful thing is that there is no right or wrong way.

If you’re looking to improve the look of your masterpiece, we strongly advise you to head over to our painting tutorials. You’ll learn new painting techniques, how to use our art supplies like a pro and how to master the art of acrylic painting!

That being said, here are a few tips that will get you on the right track:

1. Have fun with your Project!

First of all... breathe! Relax and lose yourself in the painting. Nobody is ever going to know if you don’t do a spot perfectly or if you go over the lines! We all cross the lines at some point or another yet we can rarely tell where and the finished result always looks amazing. Just enjoy the painting, it’s all that matters.

2. A glass of water and paper towels will be your best friends

Prepare them before you start painting as you’ll need them to clean your brushes when they start to get all gunked up. Remember to wash your brush completely when changing to a new color. With acrylic paints, lukewarm water usually works best.

3. Start from the top-left to bottom-right (or top-right to bottom-left if you're left-handed)

Where to start? Always come to mind when beginning a new project. There’s no correct answer as you definitely can start from wherever you want. The only thing you must keep in mind is that when you finish a numbered area you’ll probably move to another area with the same number. If like me, you’re right-handed, you’ll move to an area on the right otherwise you’ll touch the wet paint and smudge it.

4. Get a good lightning

When you paint (or read) in the darkness your eyes are subjected to more stress to discern what you see. Even though it has never been scientifically proven as “bad” for your eyes, it is more tiring and can cause red eyes or even small headaches. Having a good lamp or painting next to a window is, therefore, the way to go!

5. How to make the numbers not show through

Most of the time a single coat of painting will be enough to completely cover the numbers. With lighter colors though, numbers might be seen through the paint if you look at them closely. Putting a second (or third) layer of paint on the number should make the number disappear. Another option highly suggested is to cover the number with a white colored pen before painting it.

6. Find a flat surface

If your paint by numbers for adults is a canvas and not a board, you’ll want to fix it to a hard a flat surface. If you prefer painting on an easel or on your sofa, I’d suggest mounting the canvas onto a foam core or cardboard. The easiest way though remains in taping it to a table to ensure it stays flat and doesn’t move.

7. Have a magnifying glass within reach

It might not be useful if you chose an easy paint by numbers but If you went for a more difficult one, you may have to paint (really) small and tricky areas. If you don’t have one or don’t want to use one, feel free to contact us and we’ll send you a high-quality digital chart of your painting. You’ll be able to zoom in any small areas and see the numbers you’d have troubles seeing.

8. Take your time

You’re not in a race! The aim is to have fun and to do so, you must take your time. You’ll quickly discover that this hobby is an amazing way to relax and to relieve your stress.

9. Take care of your brushes and use them all

Use bigger brushes for the inside of large areas and smaller brushes to paint the edges with care.

Try not to let your brush dry out as you’ll risk damaging the bristles when you’ll clean the brush.

Don’t let your brushes stand up vertically for too long or you’ll risk bending their bristles. Each time you clean them, lay them down on their side and let their bristles hang.

10. Make sure to correctly close the paint pots when you're done with a specific color

That may seem like a piece of silly advice but poorly closing a cap happens to anyone. The issue with acrylic is that it dries up pretty fast and once the paint dries up it’s always difficult to thin it back. In the event that happens, the next tip might save you!

11. Get yourself some flow improver

Flow improver is a liquid you add to the paint (one drop at a time) to thin it down and keep it workable. Water does the same thing, but the great benefits of the flow improver are that it doesn’t change the paint’s color strength, it slightly slows drying and allows the paint to spread evenly. This is not something you have to have, however, it does help thicker paint to be more spreadable.

In addition to that, mixing the paint with a toothpick before painting may also help if the paint is too thick.

12. Flatten out the wrinkles

It shouldn’t happen as Winnie’s Picks canvases are all rolled but some canvases may come wrinkled. Don’t worry if that happens, as they’re easy to remove. Place it face down with a damp towel on it (or spray a light mist of water on it) and iron on low heat on the back side. Needless to say, do that before you paint it.

13. Go one number at a time

Try to paint with one color at a time if possible, and let areas dry completely before painting neighboring sections.

14. Frame and hang your beautiful artwork

Framing your painting is the icing on the cake!

You have two options when it comes to framing your canvas. You can either mount it onto stretcher bars or use a traditional frame.

Wrapping your canvas around wooden stretcher bars is often used is contemporary galleries. This mounting leaves the sides of the canvas smooth, neat and free of visible staples or tacks. Check out our recent in-depth tutorial if you want to learn how to mount your canvas onto stretcher bars

I’m afraid my painting will look like a paint by numbers complete by a toddler

Well, don’t worry about that! The beauty of this craft is that you don’t have to be an excellent painter to get an excellent result. As long as you follow the lines (and correctly match the paint colors and areas), it will come out as nice as pictured and you’ll get a wonderful acrylic painting.

Is it like art therapy?

Some aficionados like to see this craft as an easy access to art therapy.

However, from a scientific point of view, Psychology Today explains that « art therapy involves the use of creative techniques to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones in their art ».

With painting by numbers, a professional won’t analyze the artwork to examine your psychological and emotional dispositions.

Nevertheless, researchers of the American Art Therapy Association found that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body. So, if it can’t be considered as art therapy, it does have relaxing and healing properties. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for ?!

We’ll conclude with a comment we received from Jane, saying that « I have found that doing PBNs not only helps with my own concentration - which was a bit kaput after my brain surgery - but it has also given me the confidence to return to my free hand paintings and drawings».

What adults paint by numbers will teach you

First of all....breathe! Relax and lose yourself in the painting. If you don't do a spot or a line perfectly no one is ever going to know. Just enjoy the painting.