The Ultimate Hobby Showdown: Paint by Numbers vs. Diamond Painting vs. Adult Coloring
Summary
Paint by Numbers, Diamond Painting, and adult colouring all offer guided, relaxing creativity, but they are fundamentally different experiences. This guide compares all three hobbies across process, output quality, mess level, cost, skill ceiling, and long-term satisfaction, so you can make a confident decision about where to invest your creative time.
The adult craft market in the UK is dominated by three standout hobbies: Paint by Numbers, Diamond Painting, and adult colouring. On the surface, all three offer the same promise, a relaxing guided creative experience that results in a finished piece of art. In practice, the processes, the outputs, and the long-term satisfaction they deliver are vastly different.
This guide gives you an honest, direct comparison across every dimension that matters, so you can choose the right hobby for your personality, your space, and your goals.
The Three-Way Comparison: At a Glance
How Paint by Numbers, Diamond Painting, and adult colouring compare across the five measures that matter most.
| Measure | Paint by Numbers | Diamond Painting | Adult Colouring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | Acrylic paint, linen canvas, brushes | Resin drills, sticky canvas, applicator pen | Paper, pencils or markers |
| Mess Level | Moderate (water, wet paint) | Low (dry, occasional loose drills) | Minimal (dry materials only) |
| Entry Cost | £24.99 per kit | £20-40 per kit | £5-20 per book, plus pencils |
| Output Quality | Gallery-worthy, archival when sealed | Sparkling mosaic, distinctive look | Paper print, not suitable for framing |
| Skill Ceiling | High, grows with every kit | Low, consistent from first kit onwards | Medium, technique improves over time |
| Relaxation Level | High, especially once in flow | Very High, deeply repetitive | High, minimal cognitive load |
| Portability | Low (requires stable surface) | Medium (manageable with a tray) | Very High (take anywhere) |
| Display Value | High (frame and hang immediately) | High (framing kits available) | Low (paper not suitable for wall art) |
Paint by Numbers: The Artist's Path
Paint by Numbers is the only guided craft in this comparison that uses genuine fine art materials. Acrylic paint on a linen canvas is not a craft shortcut. It is a simplified fine art painting, and the finished result looks like one.
The Process
You apply liquid acrylic paint to a pre-numbered canvas using brushes, matching pot numbers to canvas sections. The process involves brush control, understanding paint opacity, and managing wet mediums. It is the messiest of the three hobbies, requiring a water cup, paper towels, and a stable flat surface. Sessions typically run 1-3 hours, and most kits require multiple sessions to complete.
The Output
The finished result has the texture and appearance of a genuine hand-painted artwork. Sealed with varnish, it is of archival quality and looks at home on any wall. There is nothing about a completed paint by numbers canvas that identifies it as a kit rather than a painting. Browse our paint by numbers for adults collection to see the range of designs available.
The Skill Ceiling
This is Paint by Numbers' most significant advantage over the other two hobbies. Once you master the basics, blending techniques, colour layering, and directional brushwork can all be applied to create results that go well beyond the numbered guide. The learning never plateaus. A painter who has completed twenty kits produces noticeably better results than one completing their first, in ways that are visible and satisfying. For technique guidance, read our guide to painting in the correct colour order.
The Ideal Paint by Numbers Painter
Someone who wants to genuinely develop an artistic skill, values a finished piece that can be framed and displayed as real art, and is willing to manage a small amount of mess in exchange for a significantly higher quality output.
Diamond Painting: The Mosaic Approach
Diamond Painting, sometimes called crystal art, is closer in nature to cross-stitch than to painting. You use an applicator pen to place small faceted resin gems, known as drills, onto a sticky coded canvas.
The Process
Highly repetitive and deeply meditative. Diamond Painting requires very little cognitive load and zero artistic judgment, making it one of the most accessible crafts available. It is cleaner than paint by numbers, but requires managing thousands of tiny pieces across a session. The drills come sorted into small bags labelled with codes matching the canvas, and the applicator pen picks up one drill at a time using a wax tip. Sessions can be paused and resumed easily, which suits painters who work in short bursts rather than long dedicated sessions.
The Output
The defining characteristic of Diamond Painting is sparkle. The faceted drills catch light and create a shimmering, textured mosaic effect that is immediately distinctive and unlike anything produced by the other two hobbies. Square drills give a full grid coverage look, while round drills produce maximum shimmer and are easier for beginners to place. The finished piece can be framed and displayed but the synthetic sparkle aesthetic is not suited to all interiors. Browse our diamond painting collection for the full range.
The Skill Ceiling
Low, by design. A beginner and an experienced crafter will produce near-identical results from the same kit. The skill in Diamond Painting lies in speed, organisation, and the ability to sustain focus across a very repetitive task, not in artistic technique. This is a feature for many people, not a flaw. The consistent, predictable output is precisely what makes it deeply relaxing.
The Ideal Diamond Painting Person
Someone who wants maximum relaxation with zero pressure, enjoys highly repetitive tactile tasks, loves the sparkle aesthetic, and prefers a hobby that can be picked up and put down without losing progress.
Adult Colouring: The Accessible Entry Point
Adult colouring books represent the lowest barrier to entry in this comparison. No specialist equipment is required beyond coloured pencils or markers, and the books themselves are available from most high-street retailers.
The Process
You colour pre-drawn black and white illustrations using coloured pencils, gel pens, or markers of your choice. There are no numbered sections and no colour instructions, which means colour selection is entirely down to the individual. This is simultaneously the most creative and the most anxiety-inducing aspect of adult colouring for some people. The process is portable, quiet, and completely mess-free, making it the most flexible of the three hobbies in terms of where and when it can be practised.
The Output
The finished result is a coloured illustration on paper. The quality is largely determined by the quality of the colouring tools and the skill of the colourist. Even high-quality results are not suitable for wall display in most homes, as the paper format and the nature of the illustration do not produce gallery-worthy art. Adult colouring is primarily a process hobby rather than an output hobby.
The Skill Ceiling
Medium. Colour blending, shading, and layering techniques can be developed and improved over time, producing noticeably more sophisticated results with practice. However, the ceiling is constrained by the paper format and the pre-drawn illustration. Unlike paint by numbers, there is no meaningful way to extend the skill into genuine independent art creation.
The Ideal Adult Colourist
Someone who wants the most portable, mess-free, and affordable entry into creative hobbies, who enjoys the freedom of choosing their own colours, and who values the process of colouring over the finished output.
Skill Acquisition Over Time: The Critical Difference
The most important difference between the three hobbies is not the process but the long-term reward. The question is not which one relaxes you most in the first session. The question is which one still satisfies you after twenty sessions.
Paint by Numbers provides a continuous learning curve. Diamond Painting and adult colouring plateau earlier but deliver consistent relaxation throughout.
Paint by Numbers is the only one of the three where each completed kit makes you measurably better at the next one. The brushwork improves. The blending becomes more natural. The colour sense develops. After ten kits, the results look substantially different from the first one, and that progression is deeply satisfying for a certain type of person.
Diamond Painting and adult colouring both plateau relatively quickly. The tenth session produces results very similar to the first. This is not a criticism. For people whose primary goal is relaxation rather than skill development, a consistent, low-pressure output is exactly what they want. The plateau is part of the appeal.
The physical difference between a completed paint by numbers canvas and a finished diamond painting. Two entirely different aesthetic outputs from two entirely different processes.
Which One Is Right for You?
- You want to genuinely develop an artistic skill that improves with every kit
- You value a finished piece that can be framed and displayed as genuine wall art
- You appreciate traditional painting styles, including landscapes, portraits, and famous art reproductions
- You are comfortable with a moderate amount of mess in exchange for a significantly higher quality output
- You want a hobby with no ceiling, where growth continues indefinitely
Explore our paint by numbers for adults collection or start with our beginner-friendly kits if this is your first kit.
- You want maximum relaxation with zero pressure or artistic judgment
- You prefer a clean hobby that can be done on the sofa during television
- You love sparkle, texture, and the satisfying tactile click of placing each drill
- You work in short sessions and need a hobby you can pause and resume easily
- You want a consistent, predictable result from every session
Browse our diamond painting collection for the full range of designs and sizes.
- You want the most portable, mess-free, and affordable creative hobby available
- You enjoy choosing your own colours rather than following a numbered system
- You want something you can do anywhere, including commuting, travelling, or in waiting rooms
- You value the process of colouring more than the quality of the finished output
- You want to try a creative hobby before committing to a more involved kit
If you are genuinely torn between Paint by Numbers and Diamond Painting, consider what you want the finished piece to do. If it will live in a frame on your wall, Paint by Numbers produces a result that looks like fine art. If it will live in a display case or behind glass for the sparkle effect, Diamond Painting is the better choice. Adult colouring is best treated as a process hobby first, with the finished page as a bonus rather than the goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is paint by numbers better than diamond painting?
Neither is objectively better. Paint by Numbers produces a higher quality output that looks like genuine fine art, and offers a skill ceiling that grows with practice. Diamond Painting is cleaner, more portable, and more deeply repetitive, which makes it more relaxing for some people. The better choice depends entirely on whether you prioritise skill development and output quality, or relaxation and consistency.
Which is easier, paint by numbers or diamond painting?
Diamond Painting is easier in the sense that it requires zero artistic judgment and produces consistent results regardless of experience. Paint by Numbers has a slightly steeper learning curve in the first session, as brush control and paint management take a little practice. However, most beginners find paint by numbers very accessible with our beginner-friendly kits, which use larger sections and simpler colour palettes.
Which craft produces the best finished result?
Paint by Numbers produces the most gallery-worthy finished result. A completed and sealed paint by numbers canvas is indistinguishable from a hand-painted artwork and is suitable for display in any room. Diamond Painting produces a distinctive sparkling mosaic that suits certain aesthetics very well. Adult colouring produces a paper illustration that is not generally suitable for wall display.
Is diamond painting or paint by numbers more relaxing?
Both are highly relaxing, but in different ways. Diamond Painting is more immediately relaxing because the repetitive, low-judgment process requires very little cognitive effort. Paint by Numbers can take 15-20 minutes to settle into, but once the flow state is established, many painters find it more deeply absorbing. For the science behind why creative hobbies reduce stress, read our guide to the benefits of painting for adults.
Which hobby is best for beginners with no artistic experience?
All three are suitable for complete beginners. Diamond Painting and adult colouring require no prior artistic experience and produce consistent results from the first session. Paint by Numbers is equally suitable for beginners, as the numbered system guides every brushstroke. Our beginner-friendly kits use larger sections and simpler palettes to make the first experience as approachable as possible.
Can I do paint by numbers if I have never painted before?
Yes. Paint by Numbers is specifically designed for people with no painting experience. Every section is numbered and matched to a corresponding paint pot, so no colour mixing or artistic decision-making is required. Many of our most satisfied customers had never picked up a paintbrush before their first kit.
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