I’m an Adult and I Paint by Number

Wondering what I’ve been up to lately?

This.

This is what I’ve been doing.

Yes, I painted this. Yes, it’s beautiful. Yes, I love it.

Want to Know My Secret?

I’ll tell you.

It’s a paint by number.

Yeah, I know. A lot of people think paint by number projects are just for little kids, much like coloring in coloring books. But I’m here to tell you that they’re not.

You can be an adult and finish a paint by number. In fact, there are a LOT of paint by number projects on Amazon that teens and adults can do. And the projects come in a variety of styles, some more realistic than others, so you can find something that makes you happy.

And this piece definitely made me happy.

I Had Such a Great Time

Seriously, buying this paint by number from Amazon was such a great investment for a few reasons. First, it was incredibly zen. I didn’t have to think about trying to achieve a certain look or a certain effect in my art. I just matched up the numbers and worked my way through the provided paints. The numbers made the painting process so organized that it felt soothing to do rather than stressful.

Second, it was good practice. I’m not a great painter. I’ve dabbled with some watercolors, but I honestly don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve tried to follow along different YouTube videos, but I’m still learning. This paint by number helped me get a better grasp of how oil paintings sit on a canvas. It showed me that I could be blobby and loose with a painting and still have it look like something beautiful.

Third, it helped me accomplish something. If you ever need an ego boost, finish a paint by number. It’s a project that you can complete from start to finish over a couple of months (or days if you’re just really into it and really fast), and then you can hang it and admire your work. If anyone asks, you can proudly say, “Yes! I painted that! That’s my hard work right there.”

And yes, you can take credit for it. After all – you’re the one who did it. You finished it. You had an empty canvas and some paints, and you brought it life. Sure, you had a guideline to give you direction, but it’s still yours in the end.

And I think that’s awesome.