Quick answer: Animals are the most popular paint by numbers subject after flowers, and the ones that paint best share three things: a single animal rather than a crowd, a simple background, and strong contrast between the animal and what is behind it. Dogs and cats in close-up, birds against plain sky, and bold stylized designs (a colorful bulldog, a patterned zebra, a peacock) are the easiest and the most striking. Fine fur and feathers look harder than they are — they become broad sections — but the eyes and nose are where the likeness lives, so save them for a fresh evening and a fine brush.
Everyone has an animal they would like on the wall: the dog, the cat they grew up with, the bird that visits the feeder, the horse they rode as a child. This guide covers which animal designs paint well and which do not, the best ones in the shop by type, how to paint eyes, fur and feathers, and when to turn a photo of your own pet into a kit.
What you will find in this guide
What makes an animal design paint well
One animal, large. A single dog filling the canvas gives big sections for the body and manageable ones for the face. A pack of six gives small sections everywhere.
A simple background. Sky, grass, water or a flat color lets the animal stand out and gives you quick, restful areas to paint. Dense foliage behind a deer doubles the work.
Contrast. A black cat on a dark sofa becomes one shape. A black cat on a pale cushion becomes a cat.
Stylized beats realistic for beginners. A pop-art bulldog or a patterned zebra is made of bold, separate shapes. A photographic Labrador is made of hundreds of near-identical browns. Both look wonderful finished; the stylized one is half the effort.
Dogs and cats
The most ordered animal kits, and for good reason: a dog or cat in close-up fills the canvas with a face, and faces are what people want on the wall. The Happy Dog Portrait and the Cat Close Up are both single animals on simple backgrounds with clear, generous sections. For something bolder, the colorful bulldog in the abstract collection turns a dog into pop art. Difficulty: easy to medium; the eyes are the only fiddly part. Time: 15 to 25 hours.
Birds
Birds paint beautifully because feathers are naturally divided into shapes, and a bird on a branch or against sky has a simple background built in. Audubon's Roseate Flamingo is a single dramatic pink curve on a pale ground — one of the easiest designs in the shop and one of the most elegant. The Everglades Heron is a calm wading bird in soft marsh colors. Ogata Kōrin's Red-Crowned Cranes is a flock, but a stylized Japanese one with flat gold and white — more sections, all simple. Difficulty: easy to medium. Time: 12 to 25 hours.
Farm animals and wildlife
Cows have quietly become a favorite: a cow's face is big, calm and symmetrical, and designs like the Vibrant Cow Art paint it in bold, unexpected colors that are pure fun to fill in. The Abstract Zebras and Artistic Peacock in the abstract collection are the same idea: an animal reduced to pattern and color. For realistic wildlife, choose a single animal against a plain landscape. Difficulty: easy for the stylized designs, medium for realistic ones. Time: 15 to 30 hours.
Fish and water creatures
Ohara Koson's Two Veiltail Goldfish is a Japanese print turned into a kit: two orange fish on a plain ground, flowing fins, almost no background. Very restful and quick. The sea turtle in the abstract collection is the bolder, more colorful option. Difficulty: easy. Time: 12 to 20 hours.
Animals by the old masters
Japanese artists painted animals with a clarity that suits numbered canvas perfectly: Itō Jakuchū's Nee, Kōrin's cranes, Koson's goldfish. Browse the animals collection and the famous artists collection for the full range.
Your own pet as a kit
A custom kit turns a photo of your own dog, cat or horse into a numbered canvas, and pets are the most popular custom subject in the shop. The photo decides everything: eye level, close enough that the head fills a third of the frame, sharp eyes with a catchlight, and a background that contrasts with the fur. Choose 36 colors for realistic fur. Our photo guide covers pets in detail.
Painting eyes, fur and feathers
- Eyes first, on a fresh evening. The eyes carry the likeness. Paint them when your hand is steady and the light is good, with the finest brush, and do the catchlight (one dot of the lightest color) last of all.
- Fur is sections, not hairs. Do not try to paint individual hairs. Fill the sections as numbered; the design has already done the work of turning fur into shapes. Brush in the direction the fur grows and the texture appears on its own.
- Feathers like short strokes in the direction of the feather. Keep the edges between feather sections slightly soft.
- Background first, animal second, face last. The background is quick and gives you a sense of progress; the face is the reward.
- Noses and mouths are small dark sections that need two coats and a steady hand. Rest your wrist on the table.
- Blend a few fur edges once you are confident. Our advanced techniques guide shows how.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest animal paint by numbers?
A single stylized animal on a plain background: the Audubon flamingo, the goldfish, the vibrant cow, the colorful bulldog. Big shapes, strong contrast, few tiny sections.
Are animal portraits hard?
The body is easy; the face takes care. Paint the eyes and nose on a fresh evening with the finest brush, and the rest of the animal is relaxed work.
Can I turn a photo of my dog into a paint by numbers?
Yes, with a custom kit. Use a sharp, eye-level photo with the head filling a third of the frame, good light on the eyes, and a background that contrasts with the fur. Choose 36 colors.
How do I paint fur?
As sections, not hairs. Fill each numbered section and brush in the direction the fur grows; the texture comes from the design, not from your brush.
Which animal kits suit children?
The bold, bright designs: the colorful bulldog, the zebras, the peacock, the frog with glasses. See the kids collection too.
Do bird designs take long?
Usually not. A single bird against sky is among the quicker canvases, 12 to 20 hours. Flocks and detailed plumage take longer.
Put the animal you love on the wall
Start with the animals collection, or go straight to a custom kit of your own pet. Paint the background first, the eyes on a good evening, and finish with a catchlight. Then frame it and hang it where the real one can see it.
