Difficulty Levels Decoded: How to Pick Your First (or Next) Paint-by-Numbers Kit

Roth Miklós

When a first paint-by-numbers kit ends up abandoned in a drawer, lack of talent is rarely to blame. It is a mismatch: a beginner picks a gorgeous, densely detailed design, spends three evenings on one square centimetre of foliage, and quietly gives up. Difficulty selection is the single decision that determines whether the hobby sticks — and it is also the least explained part of most webshops. This guide unpacks how difficulty actually works, using the five-level scale published by Festede, a Hungarian manufacturer of numbered painting kits, as a concrete example.

What “difficulty” really means in paint by numbers

Difficulty is not about artistic skill — the numbers do that part for you. It comes down to three variables:

Numbered area count. Each canvas is divided into numbered segments, and the segment count is the most objective difficulty metric available. Festede’s own scale, published on its product pages, runs from “very easy” designs with roughly 0–500 numbered areas up to “very hard” designs exceeding 2,500. More segments means smaller segments, and smaller segments mean finer brushes, steadier sessions and more hours to completion.

Color count and blending. A 20-color design reads very differently from a 40-color one. Adjacent segments in near-identical shades — the thing that creates realistic skin tones and skies — demand more attention per session.

Detail density in the subject. Portraits and animal faces concentrate tiny segments in expressive areas; landscapes and graphic designs spread larger, forgiving shapes across the canvas. Two kits with the same area count can feel a level apart for this reason.

A level-by-level selection guide

Presented as the shop’s own five-step system — other brands scale differently, but the logic transfers:

•             Very easy (about 0–500 areas). Ideal for children, seniors, and adults who want a finished canvas in two or three relaxed sessions. Large segments, bold shapes. This is also the sensible choice for a first-ever kit, whatever your age.

•             Easy (roughly 500–1,000 areas). The sweet spot for gift-buyers who are unsure of the recipient’s patience. A weekend project with visible progress every evening.

•             Medium (roughly 1,000–1,500 areas). For returning painters who finished an easy kit and want more realism without a month-long commitment.

•             Hard (roughly 1,500–2,500 areas). Detailed fur, fabric, foliage. Expect multiple weeks of regular sessions. Rewarding, but only if you already know you enjoy the rhythm of the hobby.

•             Very hard (2,500+ areas). Effectively a long-form art project. Choose this for yourself only after completing a hard kit — or for a recipient you have watched finish one.

Custom photo kits follow the same rules

Festede also produces custom kits from the customer’s own photo (JPEG or PNG files, with minimum resolution requirements and a design proof sent for approval before production, per its FAQ). The same difficulty logic applies: a close-up portrait with a clean background converts to a manageable design; a group photo of eight people at a wedding becomes a sea of tiny face segments. If you are ordering a custom kit as a gift, simpler source photos translate into kinder difficulty levels.

Practical buying notes

•             Kit contents are standardized: a 40×50 cm canvas (stretched on a frame or rolled), numbered acrylic paints, brushes and a printed reference — verify the current contents on the product page, as configurations can change.

•             Prices are volatile. Kits seen in a roughly 9,000–18,000 Ft range depending on type and options are indicative only; check the live site before budgeting, and note the shop’s free-shipping threshold if you are buying several.

•             The 50-day guarantee helps gift-buyers. According to the shop’s official FAQ, kits carry a 50-day no-questions money-back or exchange guarantee — which takes most of the risk out of guessing a recipient’s preferred level.

•             Shipping is regional. The shop currently ships to Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia, per its FAQ.

Why starting easy is not a compromise

Art educators have long argued that early success is what builds a durable creative habit — the finished canvas on the wall is the motivation for the second, harder one. (Institutions like Tate make the same point in their learning resources: approachable entry points beat ambitious first attempts.) A very easy kit finished in three evenings teaches brush control, paint consistency and the peculiar satisfaction of watching an image emerge — everything a very hard kit demands, minus the abandonment risk.

Pick the level that guarantees a finish, not the one that flatters your ambition. The 2,500-area masterpiece will still be there in the spring.

Useful references for this topic: Service details, Authority guidance, Industry context, Further official reference.