Every year, paintings by number are becoming more popular. This comes as no surprise, as it is an easy and accessible way to express creativity—suitable for both adults and children. So, you’ve been admiring paintings by number, especially floral designs, imagining how you’ll paint one yourself, and finally decided to make a purchase. Inspiration often flows once the painting process begins. But one question remains: “How do you choose the right painting by numbers?”

Interestingly, even in the context of education & university, painting by numbers is gaining attention as a tool for developing focus, fine motor skills, stress relief, and creative expression—especially in art therapy and design programs. It’s not just a hobby; it’s also an entry point into structured artistic education and a form of mindful engagement used in both formal and informal learning settings.

Complexity

The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a painting by number is complexity. We have five levels of difficulty on our site, marked with an asterisk. We recommend starting with the first level of difficulty, and depending on how you feel during the process, gradually increasing it. If you are buying a painting by number for a child, the difficulty level should not exceed three stars.

This gradual approach is not only enjoyable but also aligns well with principles of education, particularly in developing cognitive and fine motor skills. Adjusting complexity based on the learner’s comfort level mirrors educational strategies used in schools and learning programs—making painting by numbers a fun and educational activity that supports both creativity and personal development.

The simple level (one-two stars) – the elements are convenient for coloring, there are no small details, you do not need to have skill and patience, paintings are drawn quickly.

Medium level (three to four stars) – small elements and patterns appear, but part of the canvas is still occupied by vast areas for coloring, smaller brushes will be needed.

Complex level (four or five stars) – requires increased patience and assiduity, a lot of small details that need to be painted very carefully.

Our advice: develop your technique on the paintings of simple and medium level, and then proceed to more detailed works of complex level.

Paint Quantity

In addition to the difficulty, each set of paintings by number animals indicates the number of paints. A painting with more paints, will be more difficult, as different colors can be confused with each other. If you have often painted with paints before, you can probably handle 30 colors, like in the set “Balloons”, but for beginners in this business it is better to choose a painting with fewer colors. A larger number of colors allows you to express the depth of space through shades and gradients, but for some paintings a modest color palette allows you to convey a special mood.

Plot

Of course, when choosing a painting by number, you should decide not only on the complexity and number of colors, but also on the desired subject. Is it a landscape or a portrait? Abstraction or still life? A big city or the ocean? One could go on ad infinitum describing all the subjects of paintings that are in ideokey. But in addition to basic sets of paintings, you can also choose a copy of a famous artist’s painting. How about drawing Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”? Or maybe one of the flower stories by Elena Vavilino?

Interior

If you’ve decided on the subject, it’s worth thinking in advance where the final painting will hang. After all, the place for the painting can determine its size. By the way, the mount for the picture is already in the set, so it’s just a question of where to hang the picture. You can use the combination of your masterpiece and the interior, or you can take some advice from feng shui experts. For example, the image of a house in a place where you would like to live, helps to tune in to the right wave for the realization of this. Sailboats in the sea bring success in business, if you place them in the southern part of the house. And paintings with bunches of flowers help to build and strengthen harmonious relationships.

And the main tip, how to choose a painting by numbers for adults. Choose with your heart! Let it be a work that you liked at first sight and then you can definitely create a masterpiece. We have a wide selection of paintings by number, which means there is a beautiful painting for everyone.