If you have never ordered a custom paint-by-numbers kit before, the first question is reasonable: what actually comes in the box? Different companies pack different things, and the difference between a generous kit and a sparse one shows up quickly once you start painting.
This is a clear breakdown of what a quality custom paint-by-numbers kit includes, and what each item is for.
A Numbered Linen Canvas
The main event. A pre-stretched linen canvas (typically 40×50 cm, though sizes vary) printed with the outlined regions of your design, each region marked with a small grey number indicating which paint to use.
Premium kits stretch the canvas onto a wooden frame before shipping. Budget kits send the canvas rolled up, which is workable but creates creases that take days to relax.
A Set of Numbered Paint Pots
Usually 24 to 36 small pots of pre-mixed acrylic paint, each one labelled with a number that matches the regions on the canvas. The paint is ready to use straight from the pot — no mixing required.
Quality kits use heavy-body acrylics that cover in a single coat. Cheap kits use thin paints that need multiple coats to look opaque.
A Set of Brushes
A good kit includes at least three brushes in different sizes: a fine brush for detail (eyes, fur, edges), a medium brush for mid-size regions, and a broader brush for skies, backgrounds and larger areas.
Some premium kits include four or five brushes. One-brush kits are a red flag.
A Colour Card
A small printed card showing every paint colour with its corresponding number. Useful when you want to plan ahead — for example, painting all of one colour across the canvas at once before moving to the next.
A Reference Sheet
A printed copy of the finished design — either the stylised version or the original photo, depending on the company. A good kit includes both: the original photo so you can compare your progress to reality, and the stylised version so you can see how the finished painting should look.
Instructions
Step-by-step guidance covering how to set up your workspace, how to handle the paints, what order to paint in, and how to clean brushes between colours. Premium kits include a few extra tips about lighting, drying time and varnishing the finished canvas.
What Premium Kits Add
A small wooden easel. Useful for keeping the canvas upright while painting and for displaying in-progress work between sessions.
A varnish bottle. A small bottle of clear varnish for sealing the finished painting once dry.
A hanging kit. Wire, hooks or sawtooth hangers ready to attach to the back of the stretched canvas.
A QR code to a video guide. Some companies include a short video walk-through of the painting process.
What Should Not Be in the Kit
Mixing instructions. If a custom kit asks you to mix your own colours from primaries, it is not a real custom paint-by-numbers kit — it is a generic adult painting set with a printed canvas.
Loose paint sachets. Pre-mixed paint should arrive in sealed pots, not foil sachets that dry out within weeks of opening.
A photocopy reference sheet. A blurry, low-resolution reference defeats the entire point of a custom kit.
A well-packed custom paint-by-numbers kit feels generous the moment you open the box: the canvas is taut, the paints are heavy, the brushes feel sturdy, and the reference materials are clear. If your kit doesn't, the company has cut corners somewhere you will eventually notice.
— Be Artistic Club