Product Showdown

Currently, I have a new passion: paint-by-numbers. They can take days to complete, require focus, are fun, easy to follow, and create high quality works of art. During my time painting, I have come across two major companies supplying various paint-by-number products: Paint Works by Dimensions and Royal and Langnickel. Though both companies offer quality products, there are some major differences between the two companies.

Paint Works by Dimensions

Paint Works by Dimensions offers high quality, frame-able, products of varying scenes, colors and sizes. The way the canvas is numbered is also notable. Colors used straight from the paint pots are signified by numbers, while colors that need to be mixed are signified by letters. This offers a less cluttered canvas with less text that needs to be covered with the paint.

The paint pots are also clearly labeled. The pots come connected, but can be taken apart. They are also designed to remain stable while opening and closing them, reducing the risk of spills. The paint is of high quality and easy to mix in the proper proportions.

There are directions included along with a replica of the canvas. The directions are easy to read and are printed in multiple languages. Within the directions are painting tips and techniques which I find quite helpful to really add that extra touch to the work.

The downside I find to purchasing this company's products is that they are not readily available at local chain arts and crafts stores such as Michael's. I had to go to a specialty craft store in order to find their products. This could lead to the paint becoming very chunky and thick or thinned out from sitting on the shelves for unknown lengths of time. The price is also a bit higher. They do have a website though, which offers all their products, which also guarantees the paint quality.

Royal and Langnickel

Royal and Langnickel offers quality products in smaller sizes than Paint Works by Dimensions. They offer varying scenes and colors. They also offer foil paint-by-numbers which is something that Paint Works by Dimensions does not offer. The foil paintings are painted on a plastic sheet with the foil being added only for framing. This can be a downfall if you were not planning on framing the piece since the whole point was to see it with the foil.

I find their labeling system on the canvas to be a bit confusing. They use the number system for colors that do not need mixing. When it comes to mixing the colors, they use both numbers separated by a slash. Example: 1/13, meaning to mix equal parts of color 1 and color 13. Not only does this make the canvas very cluttered with text, but it means there is a lot more text that has to be covered with the limited amount of paint given. I find that the text itself is very dark given the thin consistency of the paints. It takes many coats of even the dark colors to cover the text.

The pots themselves are not labeled, but they are labeled on the packaging. I find that I have to take a sharpie and label the bottom of the pots before I open up the packaging to ensure that I have the right colors. The pots are hard to open, making them prone to spillage. The paint itself is either too watery or not of high quality. They are also hard to mix given the thin consistency.

The directions are only on the back of the packaging. The are printed in multiple languages and do give painting tips, but they do not provide additional techniques to really make the painting of a high quality. Their products are easier to find, being sold at some Wal-Marts and Michael's.

Conclusion

In my opinion, I have decided to go with Paint Works by Dimensions. When it comes to reading the canvas, I do not get a headache from the large amount of cluttered text. The canvas text is not as dark, making it easier to cover. The paints are of a higher quality and the differences in sizes are great. I find that I would readily frame a Paint Works by Dimensions completed paint-by-number, but most likely not a Royal and Langnickel completed product.