What Paint Is Used in Paint by Numbers Kits?
Summary
Paint by numbers kits use high-pigment acrylic paint, pre-mixed and numbered to match every section of the canvas. This guide explains exactly what that paint is, why acrylic is the right choice, how to care for your paints between sessions, and what to do if a pot dries out.
If you are new to paint by numbers and wondering what kind of paint comes inside the kit, the answer is straightforward: acrylic. But not all acrylics are the same, and understanding what makes the paint in a good quality kit different from a cheap alternative is genuinely useful, both for getting a better result and for taking care of your paints between sessions.
This guide covers everything you need to know about the paint in your paint by numbers kit, from what it is made of and why it works so well on linen canvas, to how to prevent it from drying out and what to do if a pot thickens between sessions. For a side-by-side comparison of acrylic against watercolour, read our guide on watercolour vs acrylic for paint by numbers.
What Paint Is Used in Paint by Numbers?
Paint by numbers kits use high-pigment, water-based acrylic paint. It comes pre-mixed and pre-numbered in small sealed pots, with one pot for every colour in the design. You never need to mix colours yourself. Every paint pot in a Paint on Numbers kit is ASTM D-4236 compliant, non-toxic, odourless, and formulated specifically for coverage on premium linen canvas.
Every pot contains pre-mixed, numbered acrylic paint matched precisely to a section on your canvas. No mixing, no guessing, and no additional materials needed beyond a cup of water for rinsing your brush.
Why Acrylic Paint Is Used in Paint by Numbers
Acrylic is not chosen arbitrarily. It is the correct paint for a numbered canvas for several specific reasons, each of which directly affects the quality of your finished painting and the ease of the process.
Full Opacity in a Single Coat
Acrylic paint is opaque, which means it covers the printed numbers, dividing lines, and canvas texture beneath it completely. You paint over a numbered section, and the markings disappear. This is the single most important property for a paint by numbers kit. A translucent paint like watercolour leaves the numbers showing through, which is why acrylic is the only correct choice.
Fast Drying Time
Acrylic paint dries to the touch in 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how thickly it has been applied. This means you can paint one section and move directly to an adjacent one without waiting, and without the colours bleeding into each other across the boundary line. A slow-drying paint like oil would make this impossible on a canvas with hundreds of small adjacent sections.
Correctable Mistakes
If you paint the wrong colour into a section, you simply wait for it to dry and paint the correct colour over the top. Because acrylic is opaque, the correction is complete in a single coat with no trace of the error beneath. This is one of the most beginner-friendly properties of acrylic and one of the main reasons it is used in kits aimed at people with no prior painting experience.
Non-Toxic and Safe for Indoor Use
Acrylic paint is water-based and contains no harmful solvents. It is odourless, produces no fumes, and cleans up with plain water. This makes it safe to use in any room of the house, including with children present. Paint on Numbers kits use ASTM D-4236 compliant paints, which is the same safety standard required for art materials sold in the UK.
Long-Lasting and Fade-Resistant
Acrylic paint locks pigment into a durable polymer film as it dries. This makes it significantly more resistant to fading and discolouration than oil paints, which can yellow over time, or watercolour, which fades when exposed to light. A well-varnished acrylic painting on premium linen canvas will hold its colour for decades.
What Makes a High-Pigment Acrylic Different
Not all acrylic paint is equal. The quality difference between a high-pigment acrylic and a low-pigment craft acrylic is significant and directly visible in the finished result.
Pigment is what gives paint its colour. A high-pigment acrylic contains a large proportion of colour pigment relative to the filler and binder in the paint. This produces colours that are bold, saturated, and consistent, and that cover the canvas in a single coat without looking washed out or patchy. A low-pigment acrylic contains more filler, which means the colour is weaker, coverage is thinner, and two or three coats are often needed to achieve the same result.
Every Paint on Numbers kit uses high-pigment acrylic specifically formulated for linen canvas. The paint is designed to apply smoothly with the brushes included in the kit, dry evenly without streaking, and produce the bold, vibrant result that makes the finished painting worth displaying. Cheaper kits using low-pigment craft acrylics frequently produce the patchy, faded results that give paint by numbers a bad reputation it does not deserve when used with quality materials.
High-pigment acrylic covers the linen canvas completely in a single coat, producing bold, saturated colour. Low-pigment alternatives require multiple coats and often still look patchy in the finished result.
How the Paint Is Organised in the Kit
The paint in a paint by numbers kit comes in small sealed pots, each labelled with a number that corresponds directly to the sections on your canvas bearing the same number. When you open your kit you will find as many pots as there are colours in your chosen design: 24 pots for a 24-colour kit, 36 for a 36-colour kit, and 48 for a 48-colour kit.
The pots are pre-measured according to the design. Each pot contains enough paint to cover every section of that colour across the entire canvas, usually with a small amount left over for touch-ups or a second coat on very light colours. You should never need to buy additional paint to complete a quality kit.
The three colour count options available across our range each produce a different type of result:
- 24 colours: Bold, distinct colour zones with clear boundaries. The classic paint by numbers look. Ideal for beginner kits and simpler designs where the impact comes from the composition rather than colour subtlety.
- 36 colours: Our most popular choice. The additional colours allow for smoother tonal transitions, more realistic shading in faces and fur, and a noticeably more sophisticated finished result.
- 48 colours: The most detailed and realistic option. Recommended for expert kits, complex portraits, and famous art reproductions where the colour gradations in the original artwork need to be faithfully captured.
How to Care for Your Paints
Acrylic paint dries permanently once exposed to air. Inside sealed pots, it stays workable for months, but improper storage or a loose lid can cause pots to thicken or skin over. Here is how to keep your paints in the best condition throughout the project.
- Reseal each pot immediately after use. Do not leave pots open while you paint other sections. Acrylic begins to skin over within minutes of exposure to air.
- Store in a cool, dry place. Heat and direct sunlight accelerate drying. A drawer or cupboard away from windows is ideal. Do not store in a car or garage where temperatures fluctuate.
- Use within three months of opening. Once the seal is broken, even with careful resealing, the paint will gradually thicken. Start your kit within a reasonable time of receiving it and aim to complete it within a few months.
- Do not dilute unnecessarily. The paint is supplied at the correct consistency for single-coat coverage on linen canvas. Adding water to thin it further reduces opacity and coverage quality.
If a pot has thickened between sessions, add one or two drops of water, seal the lid firmly, and wait two to three minutes. Then stir gently with a cocktail stick or the end of a brush handle until the paint returns to a smooth consistency. Repeat with a further drop of water if needed. Do not add too much water at once: small amounts gradually worked in preserve the pigment concentration and coverage quality better than a single large addition.
Can You Use Your Own Acrylic Paint Instead?
Technically, yes, but it is not recommended and rarely produces a better result. The paints supplied in a paint by numbers kit are pre-mixed to match the exact colour of every numbered section on your specific canvas. Recreating those matches from scratch using your own tubes of acrylic requires careful colour mixing and testing, and even experienced painters often find the results slightly off compared to the original reference image.
There is one situation where adding your own paint makes sense: if a pot runs out before you have finished all the sections of that colour. In that case, matching the colour as closely as possible with a standard artist acrylic is a reasonable solution. Contact our support team first if this happens, as we can often supply a replacement pot directly.
Brush Care: Protecting the Tools That Apply Your Paint
The quality of your paint means very little if the brushes applying it are in poor condition. Acrylic paint is permanent once dry, which means dried paint on brush bristles cannot be removed and will stiffen and splay the fibres, producing increasingly ragged brushwork as the kit progresses.
Rinse your brush thoroughly in clean water every time you switch colour, and rinse again at the end of every session before putting the kit away. If paint has dried on the bristles, a small amount of brush soap or washing-up liquid worked into the bristles while damp, then rinsed completely, will usually restore them. Never leave a brush resting in a cup of water, as this bends the bristles permanently and loosens the ferrule over time.
Rinsing your brush thoroughly between every colour change keeps the bristles clean and prevents one colour contaminating the next. Acrylic paint is permanent once dry, so do not let it set on the bristles.
Further Reading
Understanding your paint is the foundation of good technique. The natural next step is learning the right order to apply it: read our guide on whether to paint light or dark colours first. For advice on planning your sessions around drying times, see our guide on how long paint by numbers takes. And when you are ready to choose your next kit, our best paint by numbers kits UK 2026 guide covers our full ranked picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paint is used in paint by numbers kits?
High-pigment, water-based acrylic paint, pre-mixed and numbered in small sealed pots. Each pot corresponds to a number on the canvas. Paint on Numbers kits use ASTM D-4236 compliant acrylic paint that is non-toxic, odourless, and formulated for full opacity on linen canvas.
Is the paint in paint by numbers kits toxic?
No. The acrylic paints in paint by numbers kits are non-toxic, water-based, and safe for indoor use. They are odourless, produce no fumes, and clean up with plain water. Our paints are ASTM D-4236 compliant, meeting the same safety standards required for art materials sold in the UK.
Can I use my own acrylic paint for paint by numbers?
It is not recommended. The supplied paints are pre-mixed to match every numbered section of your specific canvas exactly. Recreating those matches from scratch requires careful colour mixing that is difficult to do accurately. Use the supplied paints for the best result.
What do you do if paint by numbers paint dries out?
Add one or two drops of water to the pot, seal the lid, wait a few minutes, then stir with a cocktail stick. Repeat until the paint reaches a smooth consistency. Always reseal pots immediately after use and store the kit in a cool, dry place to prevent drying out between sessions.
How much paint comes in a paint by numbers kit?
Each pot contains enough paint to cover all sections of that colour on the canvas, with a small amount left over for touch-ups. Kits with 24 colours include 24 pots, 36-colour kits include 36 pots, and 48-colour kits include 48 pots. Running out of a specific colour mid-project is uncommon with quality kits.
How long does delivery take?
Allow 2 to 3 business days for processing, then 6 to 8 business days for delivery across the UK.
Ready to Start Painting?
Every Paint on Numbers kit includes high-pigment ASTM D-4236 compliant acrylic paints, a premium 40x50cm linen canvas, and three artist brushes. Everything pre-matched, pre-numbered, and ready to paint. From £24.99, delivered to your door across the UK.
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