Paint by Number Mural: A DIY Guide with Pro Tips
At PBNify we know that creating art is a powerful way to bring people together. But how do you make a collaborative art piece that's engaging, fun for all skill levels, and results in something truly spectacular?
The answer: a giant paint-by-number mural.
The idea is simple. Turn an image into numbered shapes, scale it up, and let a crowd paint it together. Making that work at mural size takes more thought. The image has to read from across the room, the sections have to be comfortable to paint, and the materials have to work for the event.
To explain how those decisions come together, we asked Pat Carroll of Paintable Pictures, PBNify's sister company. Paintable Pictures has created paint-by-number murals for more than 100 events across the United States, including projects for Ed Sheeran, the U.S. Air Force, and Google. Pat's advice can help you plan your own mural and understand when professional production makes sense.
Paint by Number Mural Step 1: Ask the Right Questions Before You Start
Before you even think about artwork or pick up a brush, the most critical step is understanding how the mural fits into the overall event, and whether a DIY tool like PBNify is the right fit. A mural for a three-hour cocktail hour is going to be different from one designed for a week-long outdoor music festival.
“The first thing you want to decide when you're creating a paint by number mural is how it fits into the overall event,” says Pat. “Is this a small informal event? If so, a tool like PBNify might be perfect to create a DIY mural. Or is this a 100,000-person music festival with brand sponsorships?” For a large, professional event, a professionally produced mural is probably the better fit.
Think through logistics:
- Installation: How will the mural be set up at the location? Do you need someone with special skills to install it, or do you want something turnkey that's easy and fast to stand up and break down?
- Environment: Is this an indoor or outdoor event? Will it need to withstand weather? That may impact the mural materials.
According to Pat, “Once you think through how the mural fits into your overall event plan, you'll be more sure that you're building something that will be successful.”
Paint by Number Mural Step 2: Design Your Masterpiece
Once you have a clear plan, it's time for the fun part: designing your mural. The key is to find the balance between an image that's visually exciting and one that isn't so complex that a crowd has trouble completing it within your timeframe.
PBNify can help you explore the DIY route. Upload your image to see how it translates into numbered shapes and a limited color palette. The result gives you a starting point for evaluating the design before you transfer it at mural scale.
- Choose your image: Select a high-contrast image with clear subjects. For group events, bold graphics, logos, or landscapes often work better than detailed portraits.
- Upload to PBNify: Upload your image to pbnify.com.
- Create your template: PBNify automatically creates a numbered outline and matching color guide. The free design uses up to 20 colors. Save both.
As Pat explains, it's helpful to be smart about the design you choose: “You want to pick a design that balances being fun and exciting for a crowd to engage with, but not so complex that it intimidates people from painting it.”
For event murals, Paintable Pictures uses human designers to create each paint-by-number design. PBNify can still be useful when you want to manage a smaller, informal DIY mural yourself.
Paint by Number Mural Step 3: Go Big! Transfer Your Design to a Mural Surface
From here, the project becomes a large-format transfer job. PBNify's free download is made for an 8-by-10-inch home print, so a DIY mural requires a separate method for transferring the design to a wall or panels.
“At Paintable Pictures we use specialized printers to create oversize paint by number murals. But most DIYers won't have access to these, so a common workaround is using projectors and tracing a large projected template.”
This is the hardest step, and the one that gets most people hung up on completing their DIY mural.
Paint by Number Mural Step 4: Match Your Paint Colors
With your mural outlined, the next job is choosing the paint. If you're using PBNify, start with the color guide. Choose the closest paints you can find, then test each color on the mural surface and let it dry before painting at full scale.
“Once you have your design — the right balance of excitement and complexity — it's super important to have paints that match the painting precisely,” Pat advises. “Especially if your mural has logos or brands that sponsor the mural — being pixel-perfect there especially matters.”
The challenge is moving from a digital design to physical paint. A screen, a home printer, and mixed paint can each render the same color differently. That may be acceptable for an informal project, but it matters when the mural includes a logo or sponsor color.
Paintable Pictures handles that step as part of professional mural production. Its murals come with paint matched to the numbered design, so the palette is ready when the mural reaches the event. That removes one of the hardest parts of producing a branded mural yourself.
When to Call the Paint by Number Mural Pros
Creating a DIY custom paint by number mural can be a rewarding project. For major events, brand activations, or tight deadlines, the logistics can become challenging.
“We started Paintable Pictures because it's hard to build custom paint by number products. We build them to the highest standards and handle logistics of getting the mural to your event.”
There are events where a DIY paint by number mural is the right choice, and others where it makes sense to work with a professional service. For turnkey mural kits and support, visit Paintable Pictures.