What This Post Is About
Karen Sutcliffe is a Canadian customer who ordered three custom paint by numbers kits: a portrait of her granddaughter Ivy, a memorial tribute to her late French Bulldog Bosco, and a third. This is her story, in her own words, alongside the finished portrait of Ivy that she shared with us and asked us to use in our advertising. We think it speaks for itself.
Most of what we share about our kits involves colour, bright canvases, vibrant landscapes, vivid portraits. But some of the most powerful finished paintings we've ever seen have no colour at all.
Karen Sutcliffe's portrait of her granddaughter Ivy is one of them. Black and white, painted entirely in greys and shadows and careful light, it captures something that the original photograph does in a fraction of a second, and Karen recreated it over many patient hours with a brush and numbered pots of paint.
Ivy. Painted by her grandmother, Karen Sutcliffe, from a custom Paint On Numbers Canada kit. Signed by the artist.
A Commission of Love, in Three Parts
Karen didn't order one kit. She ordered three.
The first was this portrait of Ivy, her granddaughter. The second was a memorial tribute to Bosco, her Brown French Bulldog, who passed away before she could complete the painting. The third is still in progress. Each one is a commission, in the truest sense of the word, a deliberate act of love rendered in paint.
Here is what Karen wrote to us when she shared Ivy's finished portrait:
"You have no idea how much this means to me. Bosco, the brown frenchie, passed away and completing this painting is very important to me. Once I'm finished all 3, would you like to use them for advertising? I'm not saying they are perfect by any means, but it shows how amazing your product really is."
– Karen Sutcliffe, Canada
What Happened When Something Went Wrong
Midway through her kits, Karen reached out. A colour card was missing from one of her sets, and she needed it to finish the Bosco memorial painting.
We didn't send a replacement card. We sent a complete fresh paint set, free of charge, with a tracking number, so she could finish the painting of her late dog without any further delay or hassle.
This is not unusual for us, but it is important. A memorial painting is not a hobby project. It is a commitment to someone who is no longer here, completed in the time that is left. Getting in the way of that with policy and process and "please allow 3 to 5 business days" is not the kind of company we want to be.
"Thanks again for your amazing customer service!!!!"
Can You Really Do a Black and White Custom Paint by Numbers?
Ivy's portrait answers this question more clearly than any written explanation could. Yes. And it is arguably harder than a colour portrait, which uses colour contrast to anchor depth and detail. A black and white painting relies entirely on the painter's ability to distinguish between dozens of shades of grey and apply each one correctly to build the illusion of three-dimensional form.
When you order a black and white custom paint by numbers kit, the photo conversion process maps your image into a numbered canvas using greyscale tones rather than colour values. The same principle applies: every section has a number, every number has a corresponding paint pot. The difference is that the paint pots contain variations of grey rather than a spectrum of colour, and the skill required to judge which grey goes where is genuinely more demanding.
Karen painted Ivy's portrait using 48 colours across a large canvas. Look at the detail in the eyes. The catchlights. The eyelashes. The way the hair separates into individual strands at the top of the messy bun. This is what 48 shades of grey can do in patient hands.
Tips for a Black and White Custom Kit
- Choose your source photo carefully. A high-contrast black and white photograph, or a colour photo with strong natural light and clear shadow definition, will convert into a more paintable canvas than a flat or evenly-lit image. Read our complete photo guide before uploading.
- Go with 48 colours. In a colour portrait, 24 or 36 colours can still produce a rich, lifelike result. In a black and white portrait, 48 shades of grey are what gives the painting its depth and dimension. The difference between 24 and 48 colours on a greyscale canvas is the difference between a graphic silhouette and a photograph.
- Paint light before dark. In greyscale, the tonal relationships between sections are even more critical than in colour. Our guide on painting order applies especially strongly here.
- Allow extra time. The subtle tonal differences between grey shades require more care and concentration than bold colour sections. A black and white portrait of this detail level takes longer than a colour kit of equivalent size. That is not a warning; it is what makes the result worth it.
Is a Custom Paint by Numbers Worth It? Karen's Answer
The honest review buried in Karen's email is not the one about customer service, impressive as that part is. It is the question she asked us: "Once I'm finished all 3, would you like to use them for advertising?"
A customer who has just finished a painting they are proud of, and who immediately thinks "other people should know about this," is the real verdict on whether a product is worth it. Karen had three kits on the go, one of which was a memorial for a pet she lost, and her first instinct when sharing the completed portrait was generosity toward the brand that made it possible.
That tells you more than any star rating.
Create Your Own Custom Portrait
Whether it is a grandchild, a pet, a person you love, or someone you have lost, a custom paint by numbers kit turns a photo into something you make with your own hands. All orders ship across Canada in five to eight business days.
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About the Author: William Murdock
Founder of PaintOnNumbers.ca. When Karen asked if we wanted to use her paintings in our advertising, the honest answer was: only if we could tell the whole story properly. This is us trying to do that.