Van Gogh Paint by Numbers: Which Kit Is Right for You?
Summary
Van Gogh paint by numbers kits let you recreate two of the most iconic paintings in art history: the Starry Night and Sunflowers. This guide covers both kits, what makes each one technically challenging and rewarding, which is right for your skill level, and how to get the best result from either canvas.
Van Gogh is the most searched name in paint by numbers for good reason. His two most famous works, the Starry Night and Sunflowers, translate into numbered canvases in a way that is genuinely faithful to the originals: the swirling energy of the night sky, the layered warmth of the sunflower heads, and the distinctive impasto quality of his brushwork all come through in a well-produced kit. The result is a finished painting that looks unmistakably like Van Gogh on your wall.
This guide covers both kits in detail, explains what makes each one technically distinct, and gives you everything you need to choose the right one and complete it well. If you want to understand the acrylic paints you will be working with before you start, read our guide on what paint is used in paint by numbers.
The two Van Gogh paint by numbers kits in our Famous Art collection. The Starry Night is the more technically demanding of the two. Sunflowers is the more approachable, though neither is a beginner kit.
Why Van Gogh Works So Well as Paint by Numbers
Most famous art reproductions present a challenge for paint by numbers: the original works are defined by subtle colour gradients, fine brushwork, and tonal transitions that are difficult to capture in a numbered system. Van Gogh is the exception. His style is defined by bold, directional brushstrokes, strong colour contrasts, and clearly delineated shapes. These qualities translate directly into a numbered canvas in a way that Vermeer or Da Vinci simply cannot.
The numbered sections in a Van Gogh kit are not arbitrary: they follow the logic of his actual brushwork. Painting the swirling sections of the Starry Night in the correct order genuinely teaches you something about how Van Gogh constructed his compositions. The same is true of the Sunflowers: the way the petals and seeds are separated into distinct colour zones mirrors the way he actually built up each flower head with directional strokes.
This is why Van Gogh paint by numbers kits sit in our Famous Art collection as the most technically educational designs we stock. You are not just reproducing a picture. You are learning to see the way he painted.
Van Gogh's Starry Night Paint by Numbers
Famous Art Collection | Advanced
The Starry Night is the most technically demanding kit in our collection and the most rewarding to complete. The swirling night sky requires you to work with deep contrasting blues, bright whites, and the subtle yellows of the stars across hundreds of small, interlocking sections. What makes it demanding is not just the colour count but the way those colours interact: each section builds on the ones around it, and the cumulative effect of all those swirling shapes coming together is what produces the movement and energy that defines the original painting.
The village in the lower section of the composition provides a welcome contrast. The dark, angular rooftops and the bold vertical cypress tree are painted in large, clearly defined blocks that offer relief from the intricate sky work above. Most painters find a satisfying rhythm working between the two: fine detail in the sky, broad strokes in the village, then back up again.
This kit is not suitable for complete beginners. If you have not completed at least one or two standard kits first, the section density and colour count will feel overwhelming. But for painters who are ready for it, it is the finest creative challenge in the collection.
Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
Famous Art Collection | Intermediate to Advanced
The Sunflowers is a different experience from the Starry Night in almost every way. Where the night sky demands intricate, sustained concentration across hundreds of small sections, the Sunflowers rewards a more flowing, layered approach. The flower heads are built up through warm yellows, deep ochres, burnt oranges, and rich browns, with each petal and seed head separated into clearly defined zones that give the painter genuine control over the final result.
The warm, earthy palette is one of the most satisfying in the collection to work through. There are no jarring colour transitions: everything moves naturally from one warm tone to the next, and the overall effect of watching the bouquet emerge from the canvas is deeply rewarding. The vase and the background, painted in muted blues and greens, provide a welcome contrast and are among the more straightforward sections in the kit.
This is the more approachable of the two Van Gogh kits, though it still sits firmly in intermediate to advanced territory. If the Starry Night feels like too much for where you are as a painter, start with Sunflowers. The skills you build painting this canvas will prepare you well for the night sky.
Starry Night vs Sunflowers: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Sunflowers if you have completed one or two kits and want a challenging but manageable famous art project. Choose Starry Night if you have completed three or more kits and want the finest technical challenge in the collection. Do not attempt the Starry Night as your first or second kit.
The two kits demand fundamentally different skills. The Starry Night is about precision and patience across a large number of small, interlocking sections. The relationships between adjacent colours are what create the swirling movement, and getting those relationships right requires careful, systematic work. The Sunflowers is about colour layering and tonal gradation within larger, more forgiving sections. Both are genuinely demanding, but they are demanding in different ways.
If you are still working out which difficulty level is right for you, our guide on how long paint by numbers takes gives realistic time estimates for both advanced and intermediate kits, which will help you plan your sessions properly before you start.
How to Get the Best Result from a Van Gogh Kit
Always Paint Light to Dark
This matters more on a Van Gogh kit than on almost any other design in the collection. The colour relationships in both the Starry Night and the Sunflowers depend entirely on the contrast between light and dark sections. If you paint a dark section first and then try to apply a lighter adjacent colour, the dark pigment bleeds across the boundary line and the edge becomes muddy. Always complete your lighter yellows, creams, and pale blues before moving to the deep navies, dark browns, and blacks. Read our full guide on whether to paint light or dark colours first for the complete technique.
Use the 48-Colour Version If You Can
Both kits are available in 36 and 48 colours. The 48-colour version produces noticeably more faithful results for both designs. In the Starry Night, the additional colours allow for the subtle tonal shifts within the swirling sky that give it depth and movement. In the Sunflowers, they capture the delicate gradations within each flower head that distinguish a rich, complex result from a flat one. If you are investing the time a Van Gogh kit requires, the 48-colour version is worth it.
Work by Colour, Not by Section
On a standard kit this is good advice. On a Van Gogh kit, it is essential. The number of distinct colours in these designs means that jumping between colours constantly, finishing one section, rinsing, loading a new colour, painting one section, rinsing again, which adds hours to the total time and makes consistency difficult. Load each colour once, paint every section of that colour across the entire canvas, then move to the next. The swirling patterns of the Starry Night in particular become far more manageable when approached this way.
In the Starry Night, especially, adjacent sections of very different colours sit directly next to each other across the entire canvas. Acrylic dries to the touch in 10 to 15 minutes, but moving to an adjacent section before the first is fully dry risks lifting the paint at the boundary. Give each section a full 15 minutes before painting directly alongside it. Patience at the boundaries is what separates a clean, crisp Van Gogh result from a muddy one.
Other Famous Art Kits Worth Considering
If you enjoy the idea of painting a masterpiece but want to explore beyond Van Gogh, our Famous Art collection includes several other exceptional designs. Monet's Japanese Bridge sits between the Sunflowers and the Starry Night in difficulty and is one of the most meditative painting experiences in the collection. The Kiss by Klimt is particularly rewarding for the gold leaf sections, and the Mona Lisa is the finest portrait challenge we stock.
Further Reading
Before you start your Van Gogh kit, read our guide on what order to paint your colours in: it makes a visible difference in complex, famous art kits. For session planning and realistic time expectations, see our guide on how long paint by numbers takes. And for our full ranked guide across every category, see best paint by numbers kits UK 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Van Gogh paint by numbers suitable for beginners?
The Van Gogh Sunflowers is suitable for painters who have completed at least one or two standard kits. The Starry Night is advanced and requires three or more completed kits before attempting it. Neither is recommended as a first paint by numbers project.
Which is harder: Van Gogh Starry Night or Sunflowers paint by numbers?
The Starry Night is significantly more demanding. It has more sections, more colour interactions, and requires more sustained precision than the Sunflowers. The Sunflowers is a more approachable starting point for painters new to famous art reproductions.
How long does a Van Gogh paint by numbers kit take to complete?
The Starry Night at 48 colours takes most painters between 25 and 40 hours of active painting time. The Sunflowers takes between 20 and 30 hours. Most painters spread this across multiple sessions of 1 to 2 hours over several weeks.
Are Van Gogh paintings in the public domain?
Yes. Van Gogh died in 1890, well over 70 years ago, so his original works are in the public domain across the UK and EU. Our kits are based on these public domain originals.
What colour count should I choose for a Van Gogh paint by numbers kit?
The 48-colour version produces noticeably more faithful and detailed results for both the Starry Night and the Sunflowers. If you want the richest, most accurate reproduction of the original, always choose 48 colours. The 36-colour version still produces a beautiful result and is a reasonable choice if you want a slightly simpler experience.
How long does delivery take?
Allow 2 to 3 business days for processing, then 6 to 8 business days for delivery across the UK.
Shop the Van Gogh Collection
Both Van Gogh kits are available now on premium 40x50cm linen canvas with high-pigment acrylic paints. From £24.99, delivered to your door across the UK.
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