Ledgebay's Custom Paint by Numbers holds a 4.9 average across 197 customer reviews. This page sets out what buyers consistently praise, what they complain about, and which of those complaints you can avoid by choosing differently at the point of order.
We sell the product, so read this with that in mind. The complaints below are real and are left in for that reason — a review page that only reports praise tells you nothing.
What buyers consistently praise
The canvas arrives flat
This is the single most-mentioned thing across Ledgebay reviews, and it almost always comes up as a comparison with a kit bought elsewhere that arrived folded in a flat envelope, with hard creases running through the image. Creases in a printed canvas do not come out.
Every Ledgebay canvas ships rolled in a tube for that reason. If yours arrives with a curl, lay it face up under a few books overnight and it relaxes.
The paint arrives usable
Pots are vacuum-sealed, so they arrive moist rather than half dried. Dried-out paint on arrival is one of the standard complaints in this category and it is a packaging problem, not an unavoidable one.
It holds attention
The recurring theme in the written reviews is not the finished object, it is the evenings. People describe it as something absorbing to do that is not a screen, with visible progress each session. That is the actual product.
It works as a gift
A large share of custom orders are gifts, and the reaction is different from a normal present because the recipient recognizes the picture immediately. If you are giving one, order the framed version — it removes every remaining decision for the person opening it.
What buyers complain about
These are the genuine recurring criticisms across our kits. Most are avoidable at the point of order, which is the useful part.
The numbers can be hard to read
The most common complaint by some distance. On the smaller sizes and in the finest sections, the printed numbers are small. Several reviewers mention using a magnifier.
How to avoid it: go up a size, and use the printed reference that comes in the box rather than squinting at the canvas. A lamp pulled in close makes more difference than people expect.
Some designs are not beginner-friendly
Difficulty varies enormously by image, and that applies doubly to custom work — a photograph with a lot of fine detail produces a lot of small sections.
How to avoid it: choose a photo with clear shapes and good light, and go up a size if it has several faces in it. A simpler photo on a bigger canvas is a much better first project than a complicated one on a small canvas.
A heavily used color runs low
If your image is mostly sky, or mostly one dog, you will use one pot far faster than the rest.
How to avoid it: add one or two spare paint sets at checkout. It costs a few dollars and removes the problem entirely. Stock designs have matching extra paint sets too.
The unframed canvas is trimmed close
The unframed version has a narrow border — enough to mount or have framed, not enough to stretch over your own stretcher bars.
How to avoid it: if you want to stretch it yourself, that is the one thing the unframed canvas does not suit. Choose framed, or plan to mount it on a board. Our guide to framing a finished canvas covers the options.
Light colors need two coats
Pale paint over a printed number often needs a second pass. This is normal for any paint by numbers kit rather than a defect.
How to avoid the frustration: work dark to light, and shade the printed number with a white colored pencil before painting over it. That one trick lets pale colors cover in a single coat.
What a custom canvas will and will not look like
It will look like a painting of your photo, not a reproduction of it. The conversion turns continuous shading into a series of flat numbered steps, so fine detail becomes brushwork and skin tones become a handful of distinct shades.
People who expect a photographic likeness are the ones most likely to be disappointed. People who expect a painting are generally delighted. Worth knowing which you are before ordering.
Finished examples are in our customer gallery — every one sent in by the person who painted it, custom canvases included. It is the most useful thing to look at before deciding.
Common questions
How long does a custom kit take to arrive?
Longer than a stock design, because the canvas is printed after you order. It is printed and shipped in the USA rather than drop-shipped from overseas.
How long does it take to paint?
Ten to twenty hours for most people, a bit at a time over a few weeks.
What sizes are available?
12x16, 16x20 and 18x24, each framed or unframed. Choose 18x24 if the photo has more than one face in it.
What is in the box?
Your photo printed as a numbered cotton canvas, an acrylic paint set mixed to your image, brushes, printed instructions and a color reference of your own photograph. Framed sizes include a tabletop easel.
Can someone check my photo before I order?
Yes. Send it over and you will get an honest answer about how well it will convert.
