Awareness of the outside world. “Each day the first day. Each day a life. Each morning we must hold out the chalice of our being to receive, to carry, and give back.” Dag Hammarskjöld.
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The Great Wave off Kanagawa – Paint by Numbers Kit from Today Is Art Day.
The idea of paint by number was invented by specific person for specific reason. My Modern Met: The Fascinating History of “Paint-by-Numbers” Kits, Taggart 2023.
The Great Wave is not a painting. From Internet comments, people may not realize this? Also, Hokusai was the designer of the image. Carvers and printers were also involved in creating the final products. Reminds me of comic books, which require writers, pencilers, inkers, colorists, and lettering artists.
Directions said to start with the light color, but that was the wave itself. So I started with sky because background.
By the time I got to the last colors, the two dark blues, I was swishing the paint on. I found I could not be precise. First off, the paint didn’t go where I wanted it to, at least not compared to fine line markers.
Secondly, you literally cannot be precise. You cannot keep it between the lines. You want to cover the black numbers and lines. I had to decide which of the two bordering colors would burst out of its bounds to obliterate the marking line.
Thirdly, I think being free with paint is the point. A line of paint needs to be applied with smoothness and authority, much like calligraphy with an ink brush. I think I was trying too hard to be exact. With one of the light blues, I took so long to paint that the pot dried, leading me to think I was not using the materials in the way they were designed.
What I Learned
Paint by number is all about process. If you want a pretty picture, you are better off buying a print.
By doing the painting myself, I learned about the materials. How does paint behave? How do brushes behave?
By doing the painting myself, I learned about the image. What are the shapes? What colors are used? Oh look, a bit of that color over there.
I suspect people who have this as a hobby work on several at a time. Move on to the next while the paint on the first one dries.
I also strongly suspect outcome is still dependent on artistic ability. The procedure seems simple. Put color A on area A. In reality, there are many, many micro decisions. How much paint? Where? These would add up to different final results for different people.
In his 1998 memoir—Whatever Happened to Paint-By-Numbers?—He [Dan Robbins] wrote, ‘I never claim that painting by number is art. It is the experience of art’ ” My Modern Met: The Fascinating History.
Exactly.
Links
CNN: The man who invented paint-by-numbers has died at the age of 93, Johnson and Baldacci 2019
“No records of the number of prints of the Great Wave produced during the Edo Period exist … And because the prints were not considered valuable at the time, their owners did not take much care of them and in most cases would end up throwing them away!” The British Museum: The Great Wave: spot the difference, Korenberg 2020.
Posts
Using 36 Views as inspiration [Views of Vulcan, Revisited]
Cookiegawa Wave [More T-Shirts for the Barn]
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Quick comment here, more later. If you are using acrylic paints, drop a few drops of water in the pot and stir well with a toothpick Might have to add one more drop and/or stir more, depending on how long the paint has dried.
I never thought of it that way but learning the tools of any activity is always a good start. Note: The Karate Kid.
Thanks for the paint tip. As for the Great Wave, it is becoming a Thing. More to follow.