When I started this paint-by-numbers project more than four weeks ago—painting only on weekends—I hadn’t expected it to be such a time-consuming, back-breaking exercise. But THE KISS is worth it.

Will I do this again? Most likely not the paint-by-numbers, but I will definitely continue painting. In case you’re interested, here are some additional info:

1. Where did I buy the kit? Online at PaintByNumbersSverige.

2. What’s in the kit? Canvas, DIY frame, 2 sets of acrylic paint pots, 3 brushes, a color photo of the painting, and an A3-sized paper copy for reference. All good quality stuff!

3. What else did I buy or use for this project? My 1.5x magnifying reading glasses came in handy because the numbers are soooooo small (and my eyesight is not that great—haha). Biltema staple gun (for affixing the canvas to the DIY frame—the thumbtacks provided were insufficient). In addition to that, I bought Flow Aid (for more flowy, easy-to-apply paint), gesso (here’s why), and matte varnish (here’s why)—all Liquitex.

One thing’s left to be done for this particular piece. I will be applying a layer (or two) of matte varnish next week.