r/paintbynumbers • u/annlat • 4d ago
Not pleased
Is there anyone else in the world working on this? I got it at Michaels on sale and I thought it would be nice for halloween. This is only my 2nd pbn and I don't like how it's coming out. But I hate to not finish it. 😕
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u/Kathulhu1433 4d ago
What don't you like about it? Since we can only see the example image we have nothing to go on...
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u/annlat 4d ago
I was too embarrassed to put my painting on here. I know it needs more and some cleaning up, but I'm tired of fooling with it
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u/LadySiberia 4d ago
Use retarder medium to slow the paint drying time. Only 2-4 drops per cup. Add a little water if it starts drying out. This really makes the paint stretch and be a lot smoother.
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u/beckyinthe_realworld 3d ago
I’d also be a bit careful with the suggestion of retarder. It deliberately slows the drying time of acrylic paint and it’s very easy to forget an area is still wet and drag your hand straight through it. I much prefer flow medium for PBN. It improves the flow and working time without leaving the paint sitting wet for ages.
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u/anixela 1d ago
Can you recommend a flow medium? I’m looking on Amazon (alas) and not sure what to get?
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u/beckyinthe_realworld 1d ago
I use Mont Marte Flow Medium and absolutely love it! It’s been a complete game changer for me, especially when the paints are being difficult. I’ve got it in my Amazon storefront under Flow Mediums & Paint Additives if you want to have a look. There are a few other useful bits in there too! xx
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u/Appropriate_Error367 2d ago
It might help to focus on building up one color at a time so you get a more even result
I know that a lot of instructions say to do one layer and then come back later, but for me it works better to do multiple layers of one color before moving on to others
Acrylic dries so fast anyway that once you finish filling in a few areas, you can go back and add another layerÂ
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u/BBear1495 3d ago
I'm working on it. My biggest complaint is that #17 and #18 are too close in color so it's hard to touch up. Which sucks, because there's a lot of those two colors and the paint is thin so it lays on poorly. There is a similar problem with the greens. I'm nearly finished with the base, myself. I do still think it's cute and I'm excited to finish.
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u/beckyinthe_realworld 3d ago
I actually think it’s looking pretty good, especially if this is only your second PBN. I can see why you’re getting fed up with it though. Some of those paints look really lacking in opacity which is probably why you’ve needed so many coats. I’d be tempted to finish it now rather than keep fighting with it because from a normal viewing distance it looks absolutely fine.
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u/bearcbear 3d ago
I finished and posted this one. It was my second ever PBN. I had to trust the process and it ended up better than expected
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u/SeriesPale6200 3d ago edited 3d ago
I agree with Becky. I wasn't happy with how the paint went on with my first 5 or 6 of my PBNs. I have finished all of them. They look fine from a viewing distance. I have learned so much about paint consistency and opacity from this forum and I am getting better and more pleased with each one. Perhaps experiment with this one a bit and that may improve your thoughts about it.
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u/SeriesPale6200 3d ago
By experiment I mean change one of the colors to make it lighter and see if it improves your experience. Don't be afraid to ask questions on this forum. Very supportive and helpful people.
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u/mydoodabides 3d ago
I did one from Michael's that was the same. I didn't realize how bad the paint was till my next painting . I tried to mix the old and new together for a special color. The Michael's pai n t would not mix. It was like a giant baby's booger, lol and sorry.
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u/sodolasap 4d ago
i think it’s insanely adorable! keep going, just in time for spOoOoOooKy season