Quick Reference: Your Complete Paint by Numbers Glossary
This comprehensive glossary defines 25+ essential paint by numbers terms used by Canadian artists. Whether you are a complete beginner trying to understand your first kit or an experienced painter looking to master advanced techniques, this guide explains every term you will encounter on your creative journey, from kit components like gesso and canvas tooth to advanced techniques like scumbling and glazing.
Every craft has its own unique vocabulary, and paint by numbers is no exception. Understanding the language used by artists, manufacturers, and instructors transforms how you approach your projects. Knowing what gesso does helps you appreciate canvas quality. Understanding stippling expands your technical capabilities. Recognizing the difference between hue and saturation deepens your color choices.
This comprehensive glossary defines every essential paint by numbers term Canadian artists need to know. From the fundamental kit components you find in every box to the advanced techniques that elevate finished pieces from ordinary to exceptional, this resource serves as your complete reference dictionary for the craft.
Glossary Sections
- Kit Components & Materials - The physical elements in your paint by numbers kit
- Color Theory Terms - Understanding how colors work together
- Painting Techniques - Methods that transform basic painting into art
- Equipment & Tools - Essential items for serious painters
- Process Terminology - Steps and procedures in paint by numbers
Kit Components & Materials
These are the physical elements you find inside every quality paint by numbers kit. Understanding what each component does helps you evaluate kit quality and care for your materials properly.
1. Acrylic Paint
Water-based paint that dries quickly and offers vibrant, opaque coverage. Acrylic paint is the standard medium for paint by numbers because it dries within 20 to 30 minutes, allows easy color corrections, and cleans up with plain water. Quality acrylics maintain their color intensity for decades when properly sealed.
2. Canvas
The fabric surface where you apply paint. Premium paint by numbers kits use a linen-blend canvas rather than pure cotton because linen offers superior durability, finer texture, and better paint adhesion. The canvas comes pre-printed with numbered sections that correspond to specific paint colors.
3. Gesso
A white primer applied to canvas before printing the design. Gesso creates a smooth, slightly absorbent surface that prevents paint from soaking through the fabric while providing the perfect texture for paint adhesion. Without proper gesso preparation, paint would bleed through canvas and create uneven coverage.
4. Canvas Tooth
The textural quality of the canvas surface created by the weave pattern. Good canvas tooth grips paint properly, allowing for clean lines and controlled application. Too much tooth makes detailed work difficult, while too little tooth causes paint to slide rather than adhere. Quality paint by numbers canvases balance these properties.
5. Stretcher Bars
Wooden frame pieces that support a stretched canvas, keeping it taut and ready for hanging. Pre-stretched kits arrive with stretcher bars already assembled, while DIY frame kits include stretcher bars you assemble yourself after completing the painting.
6. Reference Image
The colored picture included with your kit showing what the finished painting should look like. The reference image guides your color choices and helps you understand how individual numbered sections combine to create the complete artwork. Always keep your reference image visible while painting.
7. Numbered Sections
The small areas on your canvas marked with numbers that correspond to specific paint colors. Each number represents a particular color from your paint set. Painting all sections of the same number with the matching color builds the complete image one color at a time.
Color Theory Terms
Understanding color theory transforms how you see and work with the colors in your kit. These foundational terms help you make informed creative decisions when blending or making adjustments.
8. Hue
The pure name of a color, such as red, blue, or yellow. Hue refers to the basic color identity before any modifications through lightening, darkening, or saturation changes. When someone asks about a painting's color, they are usually referring to its hue.
9. Saturation
The intensity or vividness of a color. Highly saturated colors appear bright and pure, while desaturated colors appear muted or grayish. Quality paint by numbers kits include both highly saturated colors for vibrant focal points and desaturated colors for backgrounds and shadows.
10. Tone
The relative lightness or darkness of a color. Light tones appear closer to white while dark tones appear closer to black. Understanding tonal relationships helps create depth and dimension in paint by numbers artwork by guiding which colors come forward versus recede.
11. Tint
A color created by mixing white with a base color, producing lighter, softer versions. Pink is a tint of red. Sky blue is a tint of blue. Tints often appear in paint by numbers kits for creating highlights, soft skies, and gentle backgrounds.
12. Shade
A color created by mixing black with a base color, producing darker, deeper versions. Maroon is a shade of red. Navy is a shade of blue. Shades typically appear in paint by numbers kits for creating shadows, deep backgrounds, and dramatic accents.
Painting Techniques
These techniques transform basic paint by numbers from simple color filling into expressive artwork. While not required for basic completion, mastering these methods elevates your finished pieces dramatically.
13. Blending
The technique of creating smooth, gradual transitions between two adjacent colors to eliminate the blocky appearance of separated sections. Blending makes paint by numbers look more like traditional fine art. For complete instruction, read our guide to color blending.
14. Scumbling
A dry-brush technique where minimal paint is applied with a stiff brush in scrubbing motions, creating textured, broken color effects. Scumbling works exceptionally well for grass, foliage, fur, and rough surfaces where solid color application would look artificial.
15. Stippling
Creating images or textures by applying small, distinct dots of color rather than continuous strokes. Stippling excels at creating sand textures, foliage details, fur patterns, and atmospheric effects like falling snow or distant trees.
16. Underpainting
An initial layer of paint applied as a foundation before adding the main colors. Underpainting establishes overall tonal values and color temperature, helping subsequent layers achieve richer, more dimensional results. While not required for basic paint by numbers, advanced painters often add underpainting for enhanced depth.
17. Glazing
Applying transparent or semi-transparent paint over completely dried paint layers. Glazing modifies the colors below without obscuring them, creating luminous effects impossible to achieve through direct painting. This advanced technique requires patience but produces stunning results.
18. Wet-on-Wet
Painting wet colors directly into other still-wet colors, allowing them to blend naturally on the canvas. This technique creates soft transitions and atmospheric effects but requires speed since acrylic paint dries quickly. Skies and water often benefit from wet-on-wet application.
19. Dry Brushing
Using a brush with very little paint to create textured, broken strokes that show canvas texture beneath. Dry brushing differs from scumbling primarily in technique direction and pressure. This method works well for adding highlights, creating weathered effects, and detailing fur or hair.
20. Layering
Building paintings through multiple successive paint applications, allowing each layer to dry completely before adding the next. Layering creates depth, richness, and dimensional effects impossible to achieve in single applications. Most quality paint by numbers benefit from at least one or two layers per color.
Equipment & Tools
Beyond the materials included in standard kits, certain equipment improves your painting experience and finished results. Understanding these tools helps you decide which accessories deserve investment.
21. Palette
A flat surface used for mixing paint colors or holding small amounts of paint while working. Disposable paper palettes work for short sessions, while plastic or ceramic palettes serve long-term needs. A palette becomes essential when blending or modifying kit colors.
22. Easel
A vertical or angled stand that holds canvas at comfortable working height. Tabletop easels work for smaller paintings while floor easels accommodate larger works. Working with an easel reduces neck and back strain compared to painting flat on tables, especially for longer painting sessions.
23. Brush Sizes
Brushes come in various sizes typically numbered 0 through 12 or larger, with smaller numbers indicating finer brushes. Quality paint by numbers kits include three brushes: a fine detail brush for small numbered sections, a medium brush for general work, and a larger brush for backgrounds and broad areas.
Process Terminology
These terms describe the steps and procedures involved in paint by numbers from receiving your kit through displaying the finished artwork.
24. Pre-Printing
The factory process of printing numbered sections onto primed canvas. Quality pre-printing produces clear, easy-to-read numbers with crisp lines between sections. Poor pre-printing results in faded numbers, blurry section boundaries, or uneven ink distribution that complicates the painting process.
25. Sealing
Applying a protective topcoat to a completely finished and dried painting. Sealing protects against dust, UV damage, and physical wear while potentially adjusting the final appearance through gloss, satin, or matte finishes. Read our complete sealing guide for proper technique.
26. Varnishing
The specific application of varnish, the most popular sealing material for acrylic paintings. Varnish comes in gloss, satin, and matte finishes. Gloss varnish enhances color vibrancy while matte varnish reduces glare. The choice depends on display location and personal preference.
27. Stretching
Mounting a completed canvas onto stretcher bars to create a finished, ready-to-hang artwork. Stretching transforms rolled paintings into professional-looking displayed pieces. Many painters complete this step using DIY frame kits rather than seeking professional framing services.
28. Fold Lines
Creases that develop when canvas is rolled for shipping. Fold lines typically disappear within 24 to 48 hours after unrolling, but stubborn creases sometimes require additional treatment. Read our guide to removing fold lines for complete instructions.
29. Finishing
The collective term for all post-painting steps including drying, sealing, stretching, framing, and displaying. Quality finishing transforms a completed paint by numbers from a craft project into displayable artwork. Most kits arrive with detailed finishing instructions tailored to that specific design.
How This Glossary Helps Your Paint by Numbers Journey
Understanding terminology accelerates your skill development in paint by numbers. When watching tutorial videos, reading instruction sheets, or seeking advice from experienced painters, knowing these terms transforms confusing jargon into actionable information.
Beginners benefit most from mastering the kit components and basic technique terms. Knowing what gesso, canvas tooth, and reference images mean helps you evaluate kit quality before purchasing and care for materials properly during use.
Intermediate painters expand their vocabulary into color theory and advanced techniques. Understanding hue, saturation, scumbling, and stippling opens creative possibilities beyond basic numbered painting. These terms appear constantly in tutorials and instructional content.
Advanced painters use the entire glossary fluently, applying terms like glazing, underpainting, and wet-on-wet techniques to elevate paint by numbers from craft into fine art. The vocabulary becomes second nature, supporting confident creative decisions.
For step-by-step guidance through your first project, read our complete beginner's guide. Once comfortable with basics, explore our essential techniques masterclass to apply these glossary terms in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gesso in paint by numbers?
Gesso is a white primer applied to canvas before printing the numbered design. It creates a smooth, slightly absorbent surface that prevents paint from soaking through the fabric while providing optimal texture for paint adhesion. Quality paint by numbers kits use properly gessoed canvas for best results.
What is canvas tooth and why does it matter?
Canvas tooth refers to the textural quality of the canvas surface created by the weave pattern. Good canvas tooth grips paint properly for clean application and detailed work. Cheap kits often have either too much tooth (making fine details difficult) or too little tooth (causing paint to slide). Premium linen-blend canvases provide ideal tooth balance.
What is the difference between scumbling and stippling?
Scumbling uses scrubbing brush motions with minimal paint to create broken, textured color effects. Stippling creates patterns through small distinct dots of color. Both techniques add texture and visual interest, but scumbling produces irregular brushstroke patterns while stippling creates uniform dot patterns. Choose scumbling for natural textures like grass and stippling for fine details like sand.
What is the difference between a tint and a shade?
A tint is created by mixing white with a base color, producing lighter, softer versions like pink (a tint of red). A shade is created by mixing black with a base color, producing darker, deeper versions like maroon (a shade of red). Understanding the difference helps you select appropriate colors for highlights versus shadows.
Do I need to varnish my paint by numbers painting?
Varnishing is recommended but not required. Varnish protects your finished painting from dust, UV damage, and physical wear while potentially enhancing the final appearance. Unvarnished acrylic paintings remain vulnerable to environmental damage over time. For long-term display and preservation, varnishing represents worthwhile additional investment.
What is the difference between sealing and varnishing?
Sealing is the broad term for applying any protective topcoat to a finished painting. Varnishing specifically refers to applying varnish, the most common sealing material. All varnishing is sealing, but not all sealing uses varnish. Other sealing options include resin, fixative sprays, and specialty acrylic mediums.
What does pre-stretched mean for paint by numbers?
Pre-stretched paint by numbers kits arrive with the canvas already mounted on stretcher bars, ready to paint and display without additional assembly. Rolled kits require either DIY stretching using a frame kit or professional framing after completion. Pre-stretched kits cost slightly more but eliminate the framing step entirely.
Ready to Apply Your New Knowledge?
Now that you understand the language of paint by numbers, put your knowledge into practice. Browse our complete catalog of premium kits and start your next masterpiece today. New customers save with code WELCOME15 for 15% off your first order.
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