How Long Does Paint by Numbers Really Take? (Honest Answer)

One of the most common questions before starting a paint by numbers kit is: how long is this actually going to take? The answer depends on three things — canvas size, complexity level, and how much time you paint per session.

Here are honest estimates, not optimistic marketing ones.

Time by Canvas Size

These are total hours of active painting — not calendar time. Most people paint in 30–90 minute sessions.

Time by Complexity

Two canvases the same size can have very different completion times depending on complexity.

Simple (landscapes, abstract, large shapes): Fewer, larger sections. A 16×20 simple landscape might take 10 hours.

Medium (animals, portraits, flowers): Mix of large and small sections. Expect the middle of the range above.

Complex (detailed portraits, cityscapes, crowd scenes): Many tiny sections, fine detail work. A 16×20 complex portrait can easily take 30+ hours.

Simplification Level Matters

If you're creating a digital canvas yourself — for example using TryPaintByNumbers.com — the Simplification Level setting directly controls how long it will take. Higher simplification = larger sections = faster to paint. Lower simplification = more detail = more time. Set it based on how much time you want to invest.

Time by Experience Level

Complete beginner: Add 30–50% to the estimates above. You'll spend extra time reading numbers, rinsing brushes, waiting for paint to dry before adjacent sections, and correcting small mistakes.

Some experience (2–5 canvases): Right at the estimates above.

Experienced (10+ canvases): Often 20–30% faster. You develop a rhythm — loading brushes efficiently, reading sections faster, knowing where to start and stop each session.

How Many Sessions Will It Take?

Most people paint in 45–90 minute sessions before taking a break. Here's what that looks like in practice:

What Slows People Down Most

Tiny sections. Fine detail areas with 20–30 tiny sections in a small space take longer per square inch than open areas.

Waiting for paint to dry. You can't paint two adjacent sections back to back without the colors bleeding. Working in a jump-around pattern — painting non-adjacent sections while others dry — helps significantly.

Running out of a color. If a pot runs dry mid-canvas, matching the exact shade is hard. Ordering early or ordering an extra pot of frequently used colors prevents this.

Stopping and restarting. Every time you start a session, there's a warm-up period — finding your place, loading the right color, remembering where you left off. Longer, fewer sessions are more efficient than many short ones.

Tips to Finish Faster

1. Paint in a jump-around pattern — fill sections in different areas of the canvas, not just left to right. This lets other sections dry while you work.
2. Use the largest brush that fits each section — bigger brushes cover faster.
3. Group sections by color — fill all sections of one color across the whole canvas before switching to the next color. Less brush rinsing, less time lost.
4. Set a timer — 25–30 minute focused sessions with short breaks (Pomodoro method) keep quality high and reduce hand fatigue.

The Honest Bottom Line

A medium 12×16 canvas for a beginner painting 3 times a week for an hour at a time will typically take 4–6 weeks to finish. For experienced painters doing the same thing, more like 3–4 weeks.

That's not a quick weekend project — but it's not meant to be. The process is the point. Most people find the time flies once they're in a rhythm.