We strive for the highest level of color accuracy possible! However, it is important to remember that a Paint by Numbers kit is an artistic representation of your photo, not a high-definition printed photograph.
While the colors will be remarkably close, they may not be a 100% exact, pixel-perfect match. Here is why slight color variations are completely normal:
1. Phone Screens vs. Real Paint
Your phone or computer screen is brightly backlit and displays colors using light (RGB). Acrylic paint, on the other hand, reflects light and dries to a matte finish. Because of this, the physical paint on your canvas may look slightly darker or less "glowing" than the digital image on your bright screen.
2. Millions of Colors vs. 24 Colors
A standard digital photograph contains millions of unique color shades. A Paint by Numbers kit uses either 24 or 48 distinct paint pots. Our software has to group similar colors together to fit within this limit. This means a subtle gradient in the sky might be translated into 3 or 4 solid blocks of blue.
3. "Why is there pink/green/blue in my shadows?"
This is the most common question we get! Sometimes, you might see unexpected colors (like a touch of green or purple) assigned to the shadows on a face or a white dog.
- Don't worry, this is intentional! Our software is highly sensitive to ambient light. If you took a photo of someone standing on green grass, the camera picks up the green light reflecting onto their skin or clothes, even if you didn't notice it with your naked eye. When you step back 10 feet from your finished painting, these unexpected colors blend beautifully to create realistic lighting and depth.
Want the most realistic colors?
If color accuracy and smooth transitions are very important to you, we highly recommend upgrading to the 48-Color Kit. Doubling the paint colors allows the software to create much smoother gradients and capture far more accurate details!