Art decorates our lives and our everyday life. So, without beautiful paintings, photographs, sculptures and other beauties created by artists, photographers and sculptors, life would be dull, boring and uninteresting, and apartments would be uncomfortable and empty. However, many people want their art to be not only beautiful, but also to be of practical use. So that you can sit and lie on the art furniture, and wear jewelry in Everyday life, and use pictures to block the holes in the wallpaper. However, why do we need paintings if we have wallpaper?


Wallpaper of stunning beauty is the work of designer and artist Iris Maschek. True, they only come in black and white, but these colors are more than enough to create a stunning effect in the apartment, as if there is a three-dimensional hologram on the wall, and not the most ordinary wallpaper.



However, are they ordinary? These wallpapers can easily replace paintings, they are so self-sufficient in their beauty and originality. But they will probably only be liked by a follower of minimalism both in art and in interior design.

So what is painting? It would seem that everyone knows the answer to this simple question, but not everyone can formulate the answer. After all, every person has his own, different from others, concept of this phenomenon.

If you ask a pragmatist what painting is, he will most likely say that it is a reproduction of the surrounding reality using various coloring media. That is, for a practical person, this action involves, first of all, the mind, with the help of which the artisan creates his “masterpieces” with clearly calibrated lines and once and for all mastered technique.

Connoisseurs have always called such creations the “lowest style” of decorative images.

The historian answered the question: “What is painting?” - will answer that this is one of the most important ancient arts, which originated at the dawn of time. And if at first exclusively materialized objects were transferred to stone, wood or bronze, then later, during the times Ancient Egypt, began to depict thoughts and feelings. At the same time, symbolism appeared in painting - the art of showing a phenomenon or object figuratively.

An artist, like any other person, capable of subtly feeling and understanding the essence of things, to the question: “What is painting?” - will answer that this is art capable of conveying a special vision real world and influence the feelings of those around you. This requires a special talent, a spark, inspiration, a different way of looking at things - you can call it different things, the main thing is to understand that someone is capable of becoming an artist, and someone is not. And even if you study and work long and hard, at best it will be possible to churn out simple, similar paintings. And nothing can be done, talent is measured differently for everyone, and this has been the case at all times. In every century, great masters were born and died, and often only after their death did their paintings become famous throughout the world.

The heyday of painting was the Renaissance, which gave the world such great masters as Titian, Botticelli, Masaccio, Rembrandt, Vermeer and many others. After their time ran out, critics repeatedly put fine arts diagnosis of "decline and tastelessness." However, years passed, and new artists were placed on the pedestal of honor, such as Matisse, Renoir, Picasso, Aivazovsky and a whole legion of others who followed them.

Fine art is alive and now, for example, modern art is represented by paintings by John Marcose, Robert Zeller, and Geri Winks. Perhaps in 150-200 years their paintings will be sold at auctions for crazy prices, and they will have their own followers, like the Dutch and Spanish masters of the Renaissance. Contemporary painting in Russia can also boast such names as Georgy Dmitriev, Evgeny Balakshin, so this art is still relevant in our country.

Why do we need painting in the age of electronics and all kinds of video devices? Perhaps this art will soon cease to exist? I think not, just as books, theater, opera and ballet have not died. Most likely, painting will remain the preserve of a certain number of connoisseurs, as well as wealthy people. That is, nothing will change, since this high art has always been only for the elite and a circle of connoisseurs.

In 1951, Max Klein and Dan Robbinson created universal remedy for drawing. Everyone, even without a hint of talent, had the opportunity to create masterpieces. Not only that, but also copy paintings by famous artists. Inspired by the practice of Leonardo da Vinci, the creators numbered the paintings by numbers so that those wishing to paint the canvas step by step.

At first, Americans fell in love with this type of hobby. Afterwards, Europeans began to massively buy painting kits for their children, give them to their loved ones, and even resell the painted paintings. A few years ago we also liked this activity. A lot of different areas of painting by numbers have appeared - landscapes, still lifes, love theme. Painting by numbers has become an indispensable and favorite hobby.

How to draw pictures by numbers

There are several types of drawing techniques. You can paint with oil or acrylic paints, which affects appearance products. The basis for applying the pattern is matched to the paint - canvas or cardboard. It is also important to mix paints and colors correctly.

The most popular paints are acrylic. Once they decided to use them for painting by numbers, a problem arose. Acrylic dries quickly and must be diluted with a solvent. But diluted paint does not adhere well to the canvas. Therefore, the owners of the painting business came up with special round tubes for storing paint.

The canvas is completely white with marked and numbered outlines. Some are 2-3 cm in size, others are up to 1 cm. There are also a few millimeters. Paint-by-number pictures are carefully numbered and designed, so accurate coloring is very important. Any stroke, even a light and imperceptible one, creates the overall tone of the picture. In particular, paintings by Leonid Afremov. When I painted his picture, at first I didn’t understand why there were so many small markings on the base. Subsequently I saw that the contour creates overflows. Up close, there is no originality in his works, but if you move five meters away, it seems as if the drawing is alive. Therefore, you need to carefully color each number. They are marked on the margins and tubes, so there will be no mistakes.


Don't worry about not having enough paint. Everything is calculated and numbered, so there are enough tubes for one painting.

The value of paintings painted by numbers

The art value of such paintings is quite low. Most critics insist that paint-by-numbers painting should not be considered art. They note that this type of activity can be called a hobby or a pleasant pastime. It can be done by people who do not know how to draw and create. But assigning paintings by numbers to artistic culture impossible. Famous works art made by professionals. They express inner world artist. All his feelings, emotions, hopes are represented in colors. Although paintings by numbers on canvas look like real masterpieces, they still remain coloring.

The drawing is selected according to the amateur. A huge assortment allows you to choose the most suitable picture. It’s interesting that despite criticism, paintings by numbers hang even in the White House. Once upon a time, the enterprising Thomas Stephens forced White House employees to draw these pictures fraudulently. Since Stephens was the president's secretary, everyone thought this was an indirect order from the head of state. To this day, the gallery of paintings created by employees of the American government delights the eyes of posterity.

After this incident, painting by numbers became the rage of fashion. People started buying them en masse and hanging them all over their homes. Enterprising comrades came up with instructions on which painting is suitable for each home, even advising what height to choose in order to hang the finished masterpieces.

Yes, paintings by numbers cannot be classified as real painting. Artists spend a lot of time and inspiration to create real works of art. They are admired and inspired.

On the other hand, if we classify such a hobby as a type of hobby, then why not make a living from it? The originals are expensive, and their high-quality copies are also unavailable to the average person. It is much easier to buy a canvas with paints for a few hundred rubles, spend a couple of days painting and enjoy your work. Painting by numbers on canvas looks impressive in country houses, in the living room or office. How nice it is to show others something you created with your own hands! Therefore, some amateurs begin to paint by numbers in order to show off to their friends the suddenly revealed potential of the artist.

There are many people who want to buy paintings created in this way, which allows them to earn a living by honest labor.

Why do you need paintings by numbers specifically for you?

I am sure that if you were an excellent artist, you would have been able to achieve success in your career long ago. I'm sure you liked to draw at school or color in coloring books with pencils. The opportunity to study with the best masters - artists - goes to only a few. But then you heard or saw an advertisement and wondered - what is this, paintings by numbers? How can you draw like this? There is no need for prior training, buying materials or thinking about details. Therefore, coloring pictures by numbers will replace everything that was missing before. You will be introduced to beauty. Your hands will produce a new, beautiful creation. As soon as you see the painting begin to appear on the plain, numbered canvas, your eyes will light up.

This is the same as knitting, embroidery or fishing. This is what you like and brings inner satisfaction. This is a luxurious gift and a real home decoration. And an indispensable practice for you, as a future artist.

I wish you success in your endeavors. Share with us images of paintings you have drawn. We will be glad to see your achievements!