The first prototype of paintings by numbers was Abstraction number 1created by Dan Tempera. The idea of the painting was too unfamiliar for an average American. Max Klein was dissatisfied with the picture and Tempera made another attempt. After some time, Dan Robbins created the first six samples of paintings, which were combined into a series, called Craft Master. At first, the series were not popular at all. People were not used to this absolutely new product in the American market.
A great marketing decision was then made. Palmer Paint Co installed a large blank billboard downtown with slight thin lines on the white canvas. The segments were colored daily and soon a large picture appeared on the billboard. People were impressed by the contrast and got interested in the new business idea of Palmer Paint Co.
After some time, painting by numbers gained incredible popularity in America, gradually conquering the European market. In the first few years, Palmer Paint Co sold over 12 million creative kits. The motto of the paint by numbers project proclaimed: “You will create an awesome oil painting at the first attempt!” Paint by numbers sets inspired people to create something new. When people painted real paintings they kept feeling unsure about the result and this type of a hobby was more stressful than satisfying. When the paint by numbers sets were created, people always got the result they expected. The second half of the XX century was a stressful post-war time and people needed a hobby that would make them feel calm and confident.
The Evolution of the Perfect Project
In the mid 1950s, painting by numbers became unbelievably popular. Many famous painters and illustrators of that time created this type of paintings. Dozens of companies offered similar creativity kits on the market. The public opinion was mixed. Professional artists spoke negatively about the quality of the paintings created in this way and did not consider this type of painting to be a worthy contribution to fine art. In 1962 the famous founder of underground art Andy Warhol created a painting by numbers and named it Do It Yourself.
In the 1980s paintings by numbers gained popularity in China. They were called Do It Yourself, just like the Andy Warhol painting. This type of art became trendy in the eastern and European countries. In 1993, Jacqueline Schiffman, Max Klein`s daughter, donated the archives of Palmer Paint Co to the Smithsonian American History Museum. Painting by number became something more than just a trend. Now it was a part of the American history. This type of art symbolized that everyone can create something beautiful or worthy. The painting by numbers art is still the subject of people`s interest. In 2011, the Museum of Modern Art in New York received four early projects of paintings by numbers, made for the Department of Architecture and Design, as a gift from Jacqueline Schiffman. Today this exhibition is still loved by many people.
How to become Da Vinci
It sounds like an easy thing to become a real painter using numbers as prompts. Four simple principles of creating a painting by numbers exist. If you are on the beginner level you can use these easy tips and you will create your own painted masterpiece. We promise!
- You have to move from light to dark. By filling in the white, yellow, blue or pink areas at the very beginning, you will avoid accidental blots. After all, it is much easier to erase or block a pastel shade with a different color than a bright or dark color.
- Move from larger to smaller parts. If you paint all the large details of the picture at the very beginning, then you will not only avoid the blunts and blots mentioned above, but you will then be able to arrange the nuances correctly and draw small details, and you will be able to put the correct strokes and highlights.
- Draw from center to edges. Moving in such a direction, you definitely will not smear the sleeve of your shirt or your elbow on the painting.
- Move from top to bottom. This way of moving on the canvas also allows you not to erase the already painted paint with your elbows.
Types of sets
It is interesting that quality and properties of paintings may vary. Painting by numbers sets differ from each other in the type of a base for applying paint (canvas, cardboard, textured cardboard), the type of paint (oil, acrylic), the need to mix paints or use only finished colors, the format of paint packaging (tubes, palettes, containers), and additional accessories (stretcher).
There are sets of various levels of complexity and detail as well. Paintings by number sets are often made simple, because this type of art may be enjoyed by children as a type of emotional support and confidence booster.
In St-Petersburg Global Trade House you can find a great variety of painting by numbers sets. After you finish your work, you can always use it as your home interior decoration.
