Blog

Guides and tips for turning your photos into paint-by-number pictures and getting the most out of them.

How to turn a photo into a paint-by-number picture online

Step by step to transform any photo into a numbered picture you can paint from your phone, no install and no drawing skills needed — with the typical first-time mistakes, solved.

Guide · 7 min read

Which photos work best for paint by number: a guide with examples

Not every photo gives the same result. What to look for (light, framing, subject), what to expect from each type of photo, and the 10-second test you can do at home.

Guide · 7 min read

Easy, medium, hard or expert: how to choose difficulty

How many zones each level has, how long it takes, which difficulty suits which kind of photo, and why using hints isn't cheating.

Guide · 7 min read

Why paint by number is so relaxing: mindfulness without meditating

Flow state, visible progress and zero fear of the blank page: what this hobby has that makes it so good for unwinding, and how to get more out of it.

Wellbeing · 8 min read

Paint together online: co-op, relay and gift modes

The same picture between two people in real time, challenges that pass from hand to hand, and surprise pictures with a dedication: a guide to the social modes.

Guide · 7 min read

Personalized gift ideas: a paint-by-number picture from your photo

Birthdays, anniversaries, pets, trips: why a picture made from a real photo is a different kind of gift, with ideas by occasion and the mistakes to avoid.

Guide · 7 min read

Levels mode: turn 4 photos into a progressive challenge

Pick 4 photos and the app deals them out at random across increasing difficulty, unlocking each level as you finish the previous one. Includes the two-player relay variant.

Guide · 7 min read

From photo to picture: how a paint-by-number is generated

Color reduction, contiguous zones, numbering and outlines: we open the hood on the generator and explain it in plain language, no formulas.

Behind the scenes · 8 min read

The history of paint by number: from Leonardo to your phone

From the Renaissance workshop to the Craft Master kits of the 1950s, the clash with the art world, and the digital leap: 75 years of a global hobby.

History · 8 min read

Paint by number online, free, no install required

How to paint by number from your browser with your own photos, free to start, with no apps or physical kits — and how it differs from catalog apps.

Guide · 7 min read
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