Klimt Paint by Numbers: Which Kit Is Right for You?
Summary
Gustav Klimt is one of the most visually distinctive painters in Western art history, and our Klimt paint by numbers collection brings his most celebrated works to canvas in numbered form. From The Kiss - his most famous and universally loved painting - to a growing range of extraordinary portrait compositions spanning the full range of his Vienna Secession period, this guide reviews every kit and helps you find the right one for your skill level, your wall, and your budget.
Gustav Klimt occupies a unique position in the history of art. His work is immediately recognisable - the gold leaf, the ornate decorative patterning, the intensely human subjects embedded in fields of abstract beauty - and it resonates with people who have never set foot in a gallery as much as with those who have spent a lifetime studying painting. There is a reason The Kiss is one of the most reproduced artworks in the world. It does something that very few paintings manage: it makes people feel something the moment they see it.
Our famous art collection includes a growing range of Klimt paint by numbers kits spanning his most celebrated period. Each one is a genuine challenge to paint and a genuinely extraordinary piece of wall art when finished. This guide covers the full collection: what each work is, what it is like to paint, and which one belongs on your wall.
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt - the most famous and most requested painting in the collection. The gold and jewel-toned ornamental sections are the most absorbing part of this kit to paint, and the finished result is unlike anything else available in paint by numbers.
Who Was Gustav Klimt?
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was the founding president of the Vienna Secession, the Austrian art movement that broke from academic tradition at the turn of the twentieth century to pursue a more decorative, symbolist, and psychologically intense approach to painting. He is best known for his so-called Golden Phase, a period roughly between 1899 and 1910 in which he incorporated real gold and silver leaf into his canvases and produced the works that made him world-famous: The Kiss, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, and Judith and the Head of Holofernes among them.
What makes Klimt's work so compelling as a paint by numbers subject is the same quality that makes it compelling as art: the combination of intensely naturalistic portraiture with abstract, almost geometric decorative fields. The faces and hands in a Klimt painting are painted with the precision and sensitivity of the finest academic portraitists. Everything around them - the robes, the backgrounds, the ornamental elements - is treated as pattern and colour rather than representation. This contrast between the real and the abstract is what gives every Klimt painting its extraordinary visual tension, and it is exactly what makes the numbered canvas sections so rewarding to work through.
Why Klimt Works So Well in Paint by Numbers Form
Most paint by numbers kits ask you to either paint a realistic subject (a landscape, a portrait, an animal) or an abstract one (a geometric design, a bold colour field). Klimt asks you to do both simultaneously. The portrait sections of a Klimt canvas require careful attention to tonal gradation and the subtle colour shifts that make skin look three-dimensional. The ornamental sections surrounding them are some of the most satisfying sections in any kit: bold, jewel-toned colour areas that fill quickly and build visual richness with every pass of the brush. The alternation between these two very different types of painting within a single canvas makes a Klimt kit one of the most technically varied and consistently engaging painting experiences in the collection.
The Girlfriends (1916) - one of Klimt's most boldly coloured and compositionally complex works. The peacock on the left and the ornate patterned collar of the foreground figure are two of the most distinctive and rewarding sections to paint in the entire collection.
Every Klimt Paint by Numbers Kit Reviewed
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt | £24.99
Painted between 1907 and 1908, The Kiss is Klimt's most famous work and one of the most recognised paintings in the world. A man and woman embrace on a golden promontory, their robes dissolving into a field of gold, jewel colours, and ornamental patterning that makes the boundary between their figures and the world around them deliberately unclear. The faces - his hidden, hers tilted in ecstatic surrender - and the hands are painted with extraordinary delicacy against the abstract gold ground. As a paint by numbers the kiss kit, this is the most requested design in the collection and the most immediately iconic finished piece. The golden ornamental sections are the most visually satisfying to fill: bold, jewel-toned areas that build the characteristic Klimt richness quickly. The facial sections and hands are the most delicate and require the finest brush in the set. Part of our famous art collection.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced painters, romantic gifts, anniversary presents, anyone who wants the most universally beloved Klimt on their wall.
Klimt The Dancer Paint by Numbers Kit | £24.99
Painted in 1916, The Dancer shows a woman standing half-turned against an explosion of roses - pinks, reds, corals, and golds - with background figures emerging from a deep green ground in Klimt's most floral and decorative style. The rose sections are the heart of this canvas: hundreds of individual blooms, each one a small numbered section that builds into one of the most visually rich compositions in Western art. In the 36 and 48-colour versions, the floral sections have their own tonal mapping, and working through them produces the same loose, confident quality of Klimt's original brushwork. The central figure's face and the contrast between her pale skin and the riot of colour around her are the most technically rewarding sections to complete. Part of our floral and botanical collection.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced painters, floral art enthusiasts, those who want the most richly decorative design in the Klimt range.
Klimt The Girlfriends Paint by Numbers Kit | £24.99
Painted in 1916-1917, The Girlfriends shows two women standing close against a deep rose-red background, one in a billowing burnt-orange robe, the other wearing an ornate patterned collar and headdress, with a vivid peacock spread across the left side in greens, golds, and reds. This is Klimt at his most boldly decorative: the deep rose-red background, the jewel-like peacock feathers, and the ornate collar of the foreground figure make this one of the most compositionally varied and visually complex designs in the collection. The peacock sections in particular - painted in Klimt's characteristically flat, decorative style - are among the most distinctive and rewarding in the range. Part of our paint by numbers for adults collection.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced painters, those who want bold colour and decorative complexity, the most compositionally varied Klimt in the range.
Klimt Friederike Beer Paint by Numbers Kit | £24.99
Painted in 1916, the Portrait of Friederike Maria Beer is one of the most compositionally ambitious portraits Klimt ever produced. Friederike stands at the centre of the canvas in a richly patterned coat, while every centimetre of the background is filled with East Asian figures - drummers, warriors, dancers, and masked performers in yellows, greens, pinks, and reds - drawn from a Japanese lacquer screen that Klimt owned. This is the most complex and demanding kit in the Klimt range: a central portrait surrounded by dozens of individual background figures, each one a complete character with its own gesture, costume, and colour. The 48-colour version is the ultimate challenge in our masterpiece paint by numbers range. Part of our famous art collection.
Best for: Advanced painters, those who want the most ambitious and intricate Klimt canvas, the strongest statement piece in the range.
Klimt Johanna Staude Paint by Numbers Kit | £24.99
The Portrait of Johanna Staude (1917) was the last portrait Klimt ever began and was left unfinished at his death in 1918. Its raw, immediate quality - less decorated than his earlier works, more intensely focused on the face - makes it one of the most psychologically direct paintings of the Vienna Secession period. A woman meets the viewer's gaze directly, dark eyes steady, her face composed against a burning terracotta-red background. Her coat is painted in broad, gestural strokes of blue, purple, black, and white - Klimt at his most expressionistic. As a Klimt paint by numbers kit this is the most portrait-focused and emotionally direct work in the range. The pale face against the burning red background is the tonal relationship that defines the composition and the most rewarding section to complete. Part of our paint by numbers for adults collection.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced painters, those who prefer intense portraiture over decorative complexity, the most emotionally direct Klimt in the range.
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How to Choose the Right Klimt Kit
Start Here: The Kiss
If you want one Klimt canvas and you want the most famous and universally resonant result, The Kiss is the answer. It is the most immediately recognisable Klimt composition, the most emotionally powerful finished piece, and the strongest gift in the entire famous art range. It is also the most technically balanced design: the ornamental gold sections are bold and satisfying to fill, while the facial and hand sections provide the delicate detail work that makes the finished painting genuinely impressive.
For Maximum Decorative Impact
The Dancer and Girlfriends are the most richly decorative designs in the range. The Dancer has hundreds of individual rose sections that produce an extraordinary floral depth. The Girlfriends have the peacock, the ornate collar, and the vivid rose-red background - three completely different decorative challenges within a single canvas. Both produce finished pieces of significant visual complexity and ambition.
For Portrait Intensity
The Johanna Staude is the most focused and psychologically direct portrait in the collection. If you are drawn to the face itself - the tonal complexity of skin against a bold background, the expressionistic coat work - this is the Klimt that will absorb you most completely. It is also the most emotionally resonant historical context: you are painting the last portrait Klimt ever began.
For the Ultimate Challenge
The Friederike Beer is unquestionably the most ambitious canvas in the collection. Dozens of individual background figures, each one requiring its own colour and tonal treatment, surrounding a complex central portrait. If you have painted several kits already and want the most demanding and rewarding challenge our famous art range offers, this is it.
The most important sequencing decision in any Klimt kit is to paint the background and ornamental sections before the portrait sections. In The Kiss, fill the gold ornamental areas first. In The Girlfriends, paint the deep rose-red background before touching the figures. In The Dancer, establish the green background before moving to the roses or the central figure. The reason is always the same: the background colour temperature in a Klimt painting defines the tonal relationships of everything that sits against it. If you paint the face before the background is established, you are making tonal decisions in a vacuum. Paint the background dry, then paint the figure into it, and the face will emerge with exactly the luminosity Klimt intended. For more on sequencing complex canvases, our 7 pro techniques guide covers the full approach.
The Klimt Collection as a Series
Every Klimt kit in the collection is available in 24, 36, and 48 colour depths and in three frame options - rolled canvas, DIY wooden frame kit, or fully ready-framed. This consistency makes them a natural series for anyone who wants to build a gallery wall of Klimt masterpieces painted by their own hand.
The most natural starting point for a Klimt series is The Kiss as the centrepiece, with The Dancer and The Girlfriends as the flanking works - the three most decoratively rich and visually spectacular designs in the range. The Johanna Staude and Friederike Beer then add portrait depth and historical range to the collection.
All works by Klimt in our collection are in the public domain. Our canvases are original interpretations of the compositions adapted for paint by numbers and are not affiliated with or licensed by any Klimt estate or institution.
Related Guides
- The 10 Most Famous Paintings You Can Paint by Numbers: where Klimt sits in the broader context of famous art paint by numbers
- Van Gogh Paint by Numbers: the other cornerstone of our famous art collection
- Portrait Paint by Numbers: The Complete Guide: essential reading before painting any of the Klimt portrait kits
- 7 Pro Techniques: How to make your Klimt canvas look like the original
- How to Display Your Finished Canvas: framing and hanging guidance for large, complex canvases
- Best Paint by Numbers Kits UK 2026: our full ranked guide across every category
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Klimt paint by numbers kit should I start with?
Start with The Kiss. It is the most famous Klimt composition, the most technically balanced design in the range, and the most impressive finished result for the level of challenge involved. If you have painted several kits already and want something more demanding, The Girlfriends or The Dancer are the next step up.
Are Klimt's paintings in the public domain?
Yes. All works by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) are in the public domain. Our canvases are original interpretations of his compositions adapted for paint by numbers and are not affiliated with or licensed by any Klimt estate or institution.
What skill level do the Klimt kits require?
All Klimt kits are intermediate to advanced in complexity. The ornamental background sections are manageable for confident beginners. The portrait facial sections - particularly in The Kiss, Johanna Staude, and Friederike Beer - require careful attention to tonal gradation and are best approached after you have completed at least one or two other kits. The Friederike Beer is the most complex canvas in the range and is best suited to experienced painters.
What colour depth should I choose?
The 24-colour version gives a bold, graphic interpretation of the composition. The 36-colour version adds significant tonal depth to both the portrait and ornamental sections. The 48-colour version is the ultimate level, capturing the full chromatic complexity of Klimt's original palette. If this is your first Klimt, start with 36 colours: the step up from 24 in terms of finished quality is significant, and it remains very manageable.
What is included in each kit?
Every kit includes a pre-printed HD linen canvas, a full set of numbered acrylic paint pots (24, 36, or 48 colours depending on your choice), a three-piece brush set, and a printed reference guide. Kits are available rolled, with a DIY wooden frame kit, or fully ready-framed.
How long does a Klimt kit take to complete?
Most adults complete a standard 40x50cm kit across six to twelve sessions of around an hour each. The Friederike Beer will be at the upper end of that range due to the complexity of the background figures. For a full guide to session planning, read our guide to how long paint by numbers takes.
Paint a Klimt Masterpiece
Every kit includes HD linen canvas, numbered acrylic paints, and three artist brushes. Choose your colour depth, your frame style, and the Klimt that belongs on your wall. From £24.99, delivered across the UK.
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