Over the past few months, I’ve been working behind the scenes on something I’m really excited to finally start talking about properly: a brand-new premium range of painting by numbers kits.
At the moment, there is just one final piece of paperwork standing between the range and its official launch. I’m currently waiting for my VAT number to come through. As soon as that arrives, everything will be in place to get the new collection on sale.
If the VAT number arrives by the end of September, I’m aiming to launch the range on 1st October 2026.
The supplier agreements are already in place, the kit specifications have been decided, and I’ve spent time looking closely at the individual components rather than simply accepting a standard off-the-shelf package. The aim from the start has been to create a paint by numbers range that feels noticeably better than many of the kits currently available.
Improving the Details That Matter
Anyone who has bought a few painting by numbers kits will probably recognise one particular accessory immediately: those little plastic paintbrushes that so often come supplied with them.
Usually blue.
Usually very basic.
And, in many cases, not particularly pleasant to paint with.
The samples from the supplier were excellent overall, but I knew straight away that I wanted to improve the brushes. There is little point putting time into choosing a better canvas and better paint if the part you actually hold in your hand feels like an afterthought.
So I’ve opted for upgraded brushes with wooden handles.
They should feel more comfortable to use and give the whole kit a more premium feel from the moment the packaging is opened. It sounds like a relatively small detail, but when you might be holding a brush for several hours over the course of a painting, small details can make quite a difference.
That thinking has shaped the rest of the range too.
A Better Canvas From the Beginning
The canvas supplied with the kits will be linen canvas, but there is another important difference.
It will already be pre-treated.
One of the frustrations with some canvases is that painters feel they need to apply gesso before they begin. Gesso can improve the painting surface and prevent the canvas from absorbing too much paint, but adding it yourself introduces another stage before you can get to the enjoyable part.
With these kits, that preparation has already been taken care of.
The canvas is pre-treated to provide a better painting surface without requiring you to apply gesso first.
The idea is simple. Open the kit, get everything ready, and start painting.
For experienced painters, it removes an unnecessary preparation step. For beginners, it also means there is one less unfamiliar product or technique to worry about before starting their first picture.
High-Pigment Acrylic Paint
Paint quality was another area where I wanted the new range to stand apart.
The kits will use high-pigment acrylic paints.
One of the most common complaints about cheaper paint by numbers sets is poor coverage. You paint over a numbered section, wait for it to dry, and the number is still clearly visible underneath. Sometimes it takes several coats before darker printed numbers finally disappear.
Higher pigment levels should help reduce that problem.
In many areas, the paint should provide stronger coverage with fewer coats, helping to create the rich, solid colours that make a finished paint by numbers picture look so satisfying.
There will, however, always be some exceptions.
Very light and pastel shades can naturally be more translucent, so some of those colours may still need a second coat to completely cover the printed number underneath. I would rather be clear about that than pretend every colour will behave identically.
Overall, though, the goal is considerably better coverage and a more enjoyable painting experience.
Subjects With a Traditional British Feel
Choosing the artwork for the collection has been one of the most enjoyable parts of putting the range together.
Rather than trying to produce everything for everyone, the initial range will have a strong focus on subjects that suit the character of the collection.
You can expect themes such as traditional British scenes, landscapes, countryside subjects and animals, along with other designs that fit naturally alongside them.
There is something particularly suited to paint by numbers about these subjects.
A country cottage, a peaceful village, a familiar British landscape or a beautifully illustrated animal can gradually emerge over several painting sessions. Watching the picture develop section by section is part of the appeal.
The finished paintings should also be pictures that people are genuinely pleased to display once completed.
That is an important part of the thinking behind the range. These are not intended to be paintings that are enjoyable for a weekend and then immediately put away in a cupboard. Ideally, the finished piece should be something you are happy to frame, hang on a wall or give to somebody else.
Four Different Kit Options
People enjoy painting by numbers in different ways, so the range will initially be available in four formats.
The first option will be the Canvas Kit.
This will contain the canvas supplied rolled and protected in blister packaging. It is a straightforward choice for anyone who already has their own preferred way of mounting or framing a finished painting.
Next will be the Canvas and DIY Frame Kit.
Again, the canvas will be supplied rolled in protective blister packaging, but the kit will also include a DIY frame. This provides the convenience of having the framing components supplied with the painting while still allowing you to assemble it yourself.
The third option will be the Canvas Ready Framed Kit.
Here, the canvas will already be framed, removing another stage from the process. It will be supplied in protective blister packaging and is likely to appeal to anyone who wants to start painting without having to stretch or mount the canvas beforehand.
Finally, there will be a Canvas Ready Framed Gift Kit.
This version will combine the ready-framed canvas with blister protection and presentation in a gift box.
Paint by numbers kits make excellent presents because they offer both an activity and something permanent at the end of it. The gift-box version is intended to make that experience feel more complete from the moment it is handed over.
Initial Sizes and Colour Range
To begin with, I’m keeping the specifications focused.
All of the first kits will use 24 acrylic colours.
The initial canvases will be available in two orientations:
40cm x 50cm, or 50cm x 40cm, depending on whether the artwork is portrait or landscape.
That gives a finished painting large enough to contain plenty of detail without becoming excessively difficult or taking over your dining-room table for the next six months.
It is also a practical size for framing and displaying once the painting is complete.
This will only be the starting point.
Once the initial collection is established, I plan to introduce different canvas sizes as well as kits using 36 colours.
Increasing the colour count allows more subtle changes in tone and can produce particularly impressive results on detailed landscapes, wildlife and other subjects where shading makes a significant difference.
Those options will come later rather than being rushed into the first launch.
I want to get the initial range right first.
Why Call It a Premium Range?
The word “premium” gets used rather freely these days, so I think it is worth explaining what I mean by it.
It does not simply mean putting the same kit into a nicer box.
For this range, the improvements are in the parts that directly affect the painting experience.
A pre-treated linen canvas gives you a better surface to work on.
Higher-pigment acrylic paint should provide stronger coverage.
Wooden-handled brushes improve on the basic plastic brushes included with many standard kits.
Different kit configurations give customers a choice between a simple rolled canvas, a DIY framing option, a ready-framed version and a fully presented gift kit.
None of those changes individually reinvent painting by numbers.
Together, though, they should produce a noticeably better kit.
That is exactly what I want this range to be.
Hopefully Launching 1st October
So, for now, everything is ready apart from that VAT number.
Supplier arrangements are complete, the specifications have been agreed and the first range is taking shape.
If the VAT registration comes through by the end of September, the plan is for the new premium paint by numbers collection to officially go on sale on 1st October 2026.
I’ll be sharing more information about the individual designs and the range as the launch gets closer.
For anyone who already enjoys painting by numbers, or perhaps remembers doing them years ago and fancies picking up a brush again, I hope there will be something in the new collection that catches your eye.
And if you have ever opened a paint by numbers kit, looked at those little blue plastic brushes and thought, “Surely they could give us something better than this?”, you’ll be pleased to know I thought exactly the same thing.
