Numbers Showing Through the Paint? Fix That “Cheap Paint-by-Number” Look in One Minute

One of the most common frustrations in paint-by-numbers is when a delicate yellow, juicy orange, or marshmallow-pink shade doesn’t fully cover the number—it sneaks through, undermining the magic of your “professional masterpiece” and leaving the artwork looking, well… cheap. 😭

Why Do Numbers Show Through? The Secret to a “Premium Canvas” & An Honest Answer from Varvikas

There’s a popular myth in paint-by-numbers: if the segment number shows through your soft yellow or pink paint, the paint must be “bad.” In reality, it’s quite the opposite! If your acrylics are vibrant, juicy, and non-toxic, they physically can’t be as dense as concrete. 🧐

Honest Chemistry: Why We Ditched Cadmium and Cobalt

In professional painting, artists use pigments based on heavy metals—cadmium and cobalt—for 100% opacity. These are perfectly opaque but come with a major downside: they’re toxic.

At Varvikas, we made a principled choice: absolutely no heavy metals.

• 100% Safe: Our kits can be used by children, people with allergies, and expectant mothers.
• Eco-Friendly: We use modern organic pigments that don’t harm the environment.
• Pure Color: Organic pigments give bright, neon colors that cadmium would dull or wash out.

We’ve already taken the first step toward your perfect result: our canvases are printed with light gray markings instead of black. This alone makes it much easier to cover the numbers. Still, if a tricky shade is giving you trouble, here are four pro tips:

1) Enemy #1: A Wet Brush

Many people instinctively dunk their brush in water before every stroke. In paint-by-numbers, this is a disaster—acrylic hates water and loses its covering power.

Rule: After cleaning your brush, make sure it’s nearly dry. Wipe it thoroughly with a tissue!

That way your pigment stays rich, and each layer will cover the numbers and keep the color vibrant.

2) The “White-Out” Method

If you’re tackling a very light area and the number is still peeking through, dab a bit of white paint from your kit (or even correction fluid) directly onto the number. Let it dry. Now your main color will go on over a clean white base—no numbers, just sparkling, pure color.

3) The “Stippling” Technique (Instead of Brushing)

When you simply brush back and forth, you may wipe paint right off the raised number. Don’t smear the paint—dab it in with short, gentle taps, right on the number. This layer can be a bit thicker than usual. The result? A padded, opaque “cushion” of paint that hides every mark.

4) Double-Coat Approach

Apply a thin first coat and let it dry fully (5–10 minutes), then add a second. Important: As acrylic dries, it becomes more opaque—and that second layer will always mask the number, leaving the surface smooth.

The Secret to a “High-End” Look: Impasto

If you want your work to look like true art, don’t be afraid to lay it on thick! In painting, this technique is called “impasto”—creating texture with rich, voluminous strokes. Light plays on the subtle relief, mimicking real oil paintings and completely hiding any markings underneath. This instantly gives your painting gallery-worthy prestige.

In Varvikas kits, we include extra paint so you don’t have to scrimp—and you can create that artistic texture every time.

Ready to create a masterpiece that looks like it came from an art gallery?

Order your perfect kit here:

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