How to Create Paint by Numbers
Ever wonder what happened to paint by numbers? Many people have fond memories of paint by numbers. You know those pictures, with all the lines and the different numbers, and each number corresponded to a different color?
All of the colors came in a little package with the picture, and at the end you were supposed to get a picture that looked like the picture on the box or on the back of the package. For kids, these paint by numbers kits eventually got to the point where very little actual painting was needed, and soon just getting the paper a bit wet magically produced the color for you. Kids can still get proper paint by numbers kits though, and produce watercolor pictures of animals in a jungle, or a snowy winter afternoon.
In the 1950’s, though, this was an actual art form. You could take classes in paint by numbers, and many hobbyists took up paint by numbers, painting very nice copies of other people’s art and happily framing them or having them professionally framed and hanging them on the wall. You could make your own copy of a Rembrandt.
People actually had jobs creating paint by numbers pictures, which must have been a fun way to earn an income. And it was a good way for people who had free time to try to create a picture, even if they had no artistic talent.
Some moved on from paint by numbers and became artists, creating their own pictures. Others were happy with the opportunity to create something nice as decoration for their home, and enjoyed the experience of using paint and brush. It was a nice way to dabble, yet still having the certainty of knowing what your masterpiece would look like at the end. Paint by numbers pictures started replacing works of art by famous artists on the walls of people’s homes.
Paint by numbers allowed people to begin using their free time to do a craft. And just because the numbers were there, didn’t always mean you had to follow them. A downside to paint by numbers is the lack of individuality, and many paint by numbers artists solved this by changing the picture slightly, perhaps blurring some of the lines, perhaps by omitting a part of the picture that they did not like.
Paint by numbers was a curious phenomenon, and its popularity still puzzles many people today. Although many people believe the concept was probably popular because it guaranteed the person the feeling of being an artist – a free spirit, but here are some rules and guidelines to be safe.
|
|
|
Navigation:
|
|
