Paint by numbers for kids, made from your own photos

Kids care far more about a painting of their own dog, their last holiday or their favourite toy than a stock picture of a sailing boat. OutlineArt turns your photo into a paint-by-numbers kit for free, right in your browser, and you decide how simple it is.

Make it simple enough to finish

Most kids give up on a paint by numbers for one reason: too many tiny areas. You can sort that out before you print.

Start with the number of colours. Younger children do well with 8 to 12. Older kids can handle around 16, and teenagers who want a challenge can go to 20 or more. Then set the detail to Relaxed. It merges small bits into their neighbours and leaves bigger shapes that are easy to fill with a brush.

The photo matters too. One pet, one toy or a wide landscape works much better than a group photo or a messy room, so lower the zoom until the subject fills the page. If you can, print on A3 or US Tabloid (11 x 17 in), because a bigger page means bigger areas. On A4 or US Letter, stick to Relaxed and fewer colours.

Above the outline, the maker shows how many areas the pattern has. Lower is easier. If the number looks daunting, cut the colours or switch to Relaxed and make it again.

Paints and materials

The mixing recipes are written for a basic acrylic set, and acrylics give the brightest result. The downside is that they won't wash out of clothes once they're dry. For younger kids, washable poster paint or tempera works fine on thick paper too. Just mix it by eye to match the swatches on the colour key.

Print the outline on thick paper or card, 200gsm (about 110 lb cover) or heavier, so it doesn't buckle when it gets wet. Tape the corners to the table. Beyond that, you only need a couple of small brushes with good points, a pot of water and some kitchen roll.

With little ones, it helps to mix each colour ahead of time. Put them in small pots, an egg box or a palette and write the number next to each one. Then all they have to do is match numbers.

Tips while they paint

Paint one number at a time. Find every area marked 1, paint them all, then move on to 2. It's much calmer than hunting for a different colour in every area.

Do the light colours first. On an OutlineArt key, number 1 is the lightest and the colours get darker as the numbers go up. Dark paint easily covers a slip in a light area. The other way round is much harder.

Don't try to finish in one go. A pattern can take a few sessions, and that's fine. Keep the preview page nearby so they can see what they're working towards.

Ideas for their first one

Their own pet is the obvious choice, or a friend's. A photo of a drawing they made works really well too, and they get to see their picture turned into a painting. You could also photograph a favourite teddy on a plain background, use a holiday photo of a beach or a garden, or turn a family photo into a present for their grandparents.

For more on paint colours, read the guide to mixing acrylic paint. For paper and printer settings, see how to print it.

Safe for family photos

OutlineArt has no accounts, and it never uploads your photos. The pattern is made on your own device, so you can use photos of your children without sending them anywhere.