Should You Paint by Numbers in Numerical Order? A Guide to the Best Approach

When you open your new Paint by Numbers kit and see all the tiny numbered spaces, your first thought might be to start at the top left with number 1. That’s how we usually read or fill out forms. But is this really the best way to enjoy this relaxing hobby?

The short answer is no. While going strictly in numerical order isn't wrong, it is widely considered inefficient and can actually make your painting experience more frustrating. Here's a breakdown of why most artists (and seasoned hobbyists) recommend a different strategy, and how you should actually approach the canvas.

The Problem with Going in Order (1, 2, 3...)

Here are three main reasons why painting by numbers order isn’t the best idea:

1. The Smudge Factor
This is the most practical reason to jump around. Most people are right-handed and paint from left to right or top to bottom to avoid smudging wet paint. If you paint color #1 in the top left and then color #2 right next to it, you’ll probably smear color #1. 10–30 minutes, but it can still smear easily if you rub it with your hand before it's fully set.

2. Constant Jar Switching
If you go 1, 2, 3, 4... you will be opening and closing paint pots every two minutes. You'll clean your brush, paint a tiny cell of #2, clean the brush, paint a tiny cell of #3, clean the brush... It's a tedious, inefficient process that interrupts the flow state painting is supposed to create.

3. Loss of Perspective
Paint by Numbers is all about trusting the process. If you paint in scattered number order, your picture might look messy or confusing until you finish. This can make it hard to see your progress and might feel discouraging.

The Recommended Method: Color Blocking (Darkest to Lightest)

Instead of following the numbers, experienced painters suggest working by color.

Here’s a simple step-by-step method to help you get a neat, professional-looking result without smudges:

Step 1: The Background First (Optional but Smart)
Look at your canvas. Is there a large area of sky or a solid background color? Paint that first. This gets the boring, large coverage out of the way. You don't have to be neat at the edges of these big shapes—the foreground colors will cover the edges later.

Step 2: Work Dark to Light
This is the golden rule of acrylic painting. Start with the darkest colors (Navy, Black, Deep Brown) and work your way toward the lightest colors (White, Yellow, Light Pink).

• Why? If you paint a white section and then accidentally brush black paint along its edge, it's a disaster. You will need 3-4 coats of white to cover that mistake. However, if you paint the dark section first and then "color inside the lines" with the white paint, the white will cover the dark edge easily.

Step 3: The "Top Down" Approach for Right-Handers
Once you decide which color to use (starting with the darkest), apply that color from the top left of the canvas, moving toward the bottom right. This ensures your hand is always resting on unpainted canvas or dry paint, never on wet, sticky cells.

What About the Tiny Details and Lines?

This is where order matters most. Save the very small cells and fine lines for last.

• Painting a large, smooth area of color #12 is easy.

• Painting a tiny, squiggly cell of color #12 next to a thick, wet blob of color #7 is hard.

• Pro Tip: Let the large areas dry completely (about 20-30 minutes) before going in with the tiny detail brush to finish the edges. This prevents the colors from bleeding into one another.

A Quick Note on Drying

As mentioned in the previous discussion about acrylic drying times, Paint by Numbers paint is thin and dries quickly—usually in 10 to 30 minutes. Because of this, you can often paint a large area with one color, and by the time you reach the bottom, the top is dry enough to add the next color without mixing.

The Final Verdict

Do not go in numerical order. Treat the numbers as an identifier for the pot, not a to-do list. Pick one color pot, open it, find every single cell with that number on the canvas, and paint them all at once (or as many as you can reach without smudging). This method saves paint and brush-cleaning time, yielding a much cleaner painting.