If you are painting with a light color (like white, pale yellow, light pink, or beige) and notice that the black numbers and lines are still showing through, don't worry! This does not mean your paint is low quality or watered down.
This happens because of the natural properties of acrylic paint. Light-colored pigments are naturally more transparent than dark pigments. Because the numbers and lines on the canvas are printed in dark ink so you can read them easily, it is completely normal for light colors to struggle to hide that dark ink in a single brushstroke.
Fortunately, experienced Paint by Numbers artists use a few simple tricks to easily hide those stubborn numbers. Here is what you should do:
Method 1: The White Colored Pencil Trick (Highly Recommended!)
This is the ultimate secret weapon for Paint by Numbers!
- Before you apply any paint, take a white colored pencil or a white crayon.
- Gently color over the black number and the borderline inside the space you are about to paint.
- The white pencil will instantly blur and lighten the dark ink. After that, you only need one normal layer of your light acrylic paint to cover the space perfectly!
Method 2: The "Double Coat" Technique
If you don't have a white pencil, patience is your best tool.
- Paint a thin, even layer over the space and let it dry completely (this usually takes 5-10 minutes).
- Once the first layer is 100% dry, apply a second thin layer of paint. The number should disappear completely.
- WARNING: Do not try to pile on one giant, thick blob of wet paint! This will create an ugly 3D bump on your canvas, and you will run out of that paint color very quickly. Always use two thin layers instead of one thick layer.
Method 3: The White Gel Pen or Correction Fluid
For extremely stubborn numbers under the lightest colors (like pure white):
- Use a white gel pen or a tiny dot of white correction fluid (White-Out) directly on the black number.
- Let it dry completely, and then paint over it with your acrylic color.
💡 Pro Tip: Remember to always paint your dark colors first and your light colors last. This way, if your light color accidentally goes over the line a little bit, the dark color will have already covered the border!