Quick answer: Monet's paintings suit paint by numbers almost as well as Van Gogh's, for a different reason: instead of bold separate strokes, they are built from soft patches of closely related color, which become generous, forgiving sections on a numbered canvas. The Water Lily Pond and The Japanese Footbridge are the most popular Monet kits; The Artist's Garden at Giverny and the garden at Argenteuil are the easiest starting points; the cliffs at Étretat and Pourville suit anyone who loves the sea; Woman with a Parasol is the one for a portrait lover. All come as 16 × 20 inch canvases with numbered paints and brushes, with or without a frame.
Monet spent forty years painting the same garden, the same pond and the same stretch of Normandy coast, and never ran out of things to see in them. A Monet kit is a slow, calm project — nothing dramatic happens on the canvas, and that is exactly the appeal. This guide walks through the Monet designs in the shop, which one to choose, and how to paint soft Impressionist color so it looks like light rather than mud.
What you will find in this guide
Why Monet works as paint by numbers
Impressionism was about painting light, not things. Monet laid down small touches of color side by side — a pink next to a lilac next to a pale green — and let the eye blend them. On a numbered canvas those touches become sections in closely related shades, and because the shades are so close, a slightly wobbly edge between two of them is invisible. Monet kits are among the most forgiving in the shop.
The trade-off is subtlety. There are fewer strong contrasts to guide you, so the canvas looks like very little until about two-thirds of the sections are filled in, and then it suddenly comes together. Painters who need early encouragement should start with a garden; painters who enjoy a slow reveal will love the water lilies.
Water Lily Pond
The pond at Giverny, which Monet painted more than two hundred times in the last decades of his life. The kit is almost entirely water, reflected sky and floating lilies: broad, flowing sections in greens, blues and lilacs with the pink lilies as small accents. Difficulty: medium — large sections, but many close shades to keep track of. Time: 20 to 30 hours. Best for: the classic Monet, and bedrooms and quiet rooms. See the Water Lily Pond kit.
The Japanese Footbridge
The green bridge over the same pond, framed by willows and wisteria. The bridge gives the picture a clear structure that the pure water-lily paintings lack, which makes it the easier of the two to paint and the one most people recognize. Difficulty: medium. Time: 20 to 30 hours. Best for: a first Monet with a definite focal point. See the Japanese Footbridge kit.
The gardens: Giverny, Argenteuil, Vétheuil
Monet was a gardener before he was a famous painter, and the garden pictures are his happiest. The Artist's Garden at Giverny is a sloping bed of purple irises under trees: big, simple sections and a clear design, probably the easiest Monet in the range. The garden at Argenteuil, with its corner of red dahlias, is similar in difficulty and warmer in color. The Artist's Garden at Vétheuil, with its tall sunflowers lining a path to the house, is the most detailed of the three. Difficulty: easy to medium. Time: 15 to 25 hours. Best for: gardeners, beginners, and anyone who wants color on the wall quickly.
The coast: Étretat, Pourville, Sainte-Adresse
Monet painted the Normandy coast in every weather. Étretat shows the famous chalk arch across a grey-green sea; The Cliff Walk at Pourville is two figures on a windy clifftop with a bright sea below; The Terrace at Sainte-Adresse is an early, sunlit picture of flags, flowers and sailing boats. The sea and sky give these designs large restful sections; the figures and boats add detail. Difficulty: medium. Time: 20 to 30 hours. Best for: anyone who loves the sea, and rooms in blues and greys.
Woman with a Parasol
Monet's wife Camille and their son on a windy hillside, painted in 1875 — the most loved figure painting he ever made. The sky is a huge, easy area; the figure, with her blowing veil and the light through the parasol, is the detailed part. Difficulty: medium to hard, because of the face and veil. Time: 25 to 35 hours. Best for: painters with a canvas or two behind them who want something with a person in it. See the Woman with a Parasol kit.
Which one to choose
| If you want… | Choose |
|---|---|
| The famous one | Water Lily Pond or The Japanese Footbridge |
| The easiest start | The Artist's Garden at Giverny |
| Warm colors for a living room | The garden at Argenteuil |
| The sea | Étretat or The Cliff Walk at Pourville |
| A figure | Woman with a Parasol |
| A pair for one wall | Water Lily Pond + The Japanese Footbridge |
Tips for painting a Monet
- Trust the close colors. Three greens that look identical in the pots are not identical on the canvas. Paint them as numbered and judge only when the area around them is filled.
- Keep the brush soft and the strokes short. Monet dabbed. Short, overlapping touches in the direction of the water or the foliage suit these designs far better than long smooth strokes.
- Do not aim for crisp edges between neighboring shades of the same color. A slightly soft edge is correct here. Our blending guide shows how to feather two wet sections together.
- Paint the sky and water first, then the foliage, then the accents (lilies, flowers, figures) last.
- Choose a satin or matte varnish. Gloss can look too hard on an Impressionist surface; satin keeps the softness. See our sealing guide.
- A light wooden frame suits Monet better than a dark one. Our framing guide covers the options.
Frequently asked questions
Is Monet paint by numbers hard?
Mostly medium. The sections are large and the colors are close, so wobbly edges disappear. The challenge is keeping track of many similar shades and trusting the design before it comes together.
Which Monet paint by numbers is easiest?
The Artist's Garden at Giverny, followed by the garden at Argenteuil. Both have big, clear sections and bold flower colors.
Which is the most popular Monet kit?
Water Lily Pond and The Japanese Footbridge, the two Giverny pond pictures, are the most ordered.
What size are the Monet kits?
16 × 20 inches (40 × 50 cm), with the option of a wooden frame, including numbered paints and three brushes.
Why does my Monet canvas look like nothing halfway through?
Because Impressionist paintings are made of close colors that only read as a picture once most of them are in place. Keep going; it usually comes together in the last third.
Can I hang two Monets together?
Yes, and they suit it: the two pond pictures, or two gardens, make a natural pair. Frame them identically and hang them two inches apart.
Paint the garden at Giverny
The full range is in the Monet collection. If you prefer bolder strokes, our Van Gogh guide compares his kits the same way, and the famous artists collection has Klimt, Vermeer, Munch and more. Whichever you choose, paint the water first.
