I’m done! Well, kinda.
The last little bits—and I mean little—were difficult to get through, and I was tense throughout the whole process. First of all, many of the paints were drying out, and I could never get the consistency right when I added water. The paint was either still difficult to work with, or it was way too runny. I couldn’t seem to find a happy medium, which was probably a me thing.
Next, the numbers in many of the remaining cells were either missing or illegible. When the numbers were legible, the color choices were often odd. Not only did they not match the original artwork, they often didn’t even match the picture of the completed paint-by-number included in the kit! At that point, I said “F it!” and start choosing my own damn colors.
Speaking of colors, I also ran out of two different paint colors. One was close enough to another color, so that was no problem. The second color was a dark green, and I substituted with a medium green. It really made no difference because, by that point, I realized much of the foreground I was working on made no sense whatsoever.
In short, I just wanted to be done, so I did what I had to do to get through it. Had I agonized over every cell that was missing a number or called for a color that made no sense in the big picture, I would have never finished…well, kinda finished.
Finally, while I had technically completed the paint-by-number, I was still left with a dilemma. The painting was advertised as being 16×20-inches, it actually measures 15.75×19.5-inches. Therefore, I can’t frame it as-is without some of the unpainted margins showing. While I could add an extra half-inch of sky to the length of the canvas, I’m not talented enough to create something for the side margins.
In the end, I decided that I would simply paint a border around the whole thing and call it good. I’ve ordered some Frog tape in order to do that. I’m hoping for a nice, crisp-looking border, but since I’m at the helm, it will probably look like crap.
Oh, yeah, I forgot…there’s one more thing. I have to cut the canvas to fit the frame, and I’m not sure how that will turn out. First of all, I couldn’t cut a straight line to save my life. Secondly, I don’t have a surface-protector large enough to lay down underneath the whole canvas. That means I can’t trim the full length in one cut; I’ll have to make two cuts. That increases the odds of me cutting it wonkily. Don’t ask how; just trust me. Finally, I’m concerned that my utility knife won’t make sharp cuts.
Oy vey! Wish me luck, guys!
I think what I’ll do as far as the blog is write a complete review of my paint-by-number kit once I’m totally finished. Until then, here is the technically-finished painting:
Looks good! Could you use a flatened large card box to cut against?
I was thinking that too but didn’t think I’d have anything long enough. However, your comment reminded me to check. I have ONE box that Sassy’s big bag of food came in, and it is just the length I need!