Seaside Escape

Seaside Escape is a paint by numbers kit for adults, taken from Darrell Bush's painting of deck chairs on a beach at sunset.

Two striped deck chairs sit empty on the wet sand with a towel over the arm of one. A long timber fishing pier runs out to the left with a building at its end and people along the rail, gulls are working the air above the surf, and a sailboat is standing off to the right. The waves come in green and translucent with the sun behind them, and a line of white ibis picks along the tideline in the foreground.

Bush handles water so that you can see through the wave rather than just at it. Ledgebay licenses the original artwork rather than copying a stock image, so what you finish is a real painting, not a generic design.

What's in the box

• Pre-printed cotton canvas, rolled in a tube rather than folded, so it arrives without creases to iron out
• Full set of acrylic paints, vacuum-sealed so they arrive moist
• Four brushes in different sizes, wooden handles
• Printed instructions and a full-color reference photo
• An 11" x 17" printout of the design, useful if you'd rather not lean over the canvas
• Framed sizes also include a wooden tabletop easel

Choosing a size

The framed 12x16 and framed 16x20 arrive pre-stretched on a wooden frame, ready to hang the moment you put the brush down. No mounting, no separate frame to buy. The unframed 16x20 gives you the same canvas and the same paints for less. It is trimmed close to the printed edge, so it suits taping or mounting to a board rather than stretching over your own frame.

Will I be able to see the numbers?

The 16x20 is the easier of the two sizes on the eyes, and the 11" x 17" printout means you can check a section without leaning over the canvas. One reviewer notes approvingly that the printing on this design is not overly dark, so it does not show through pale colors. Most people paint with a lamp pulled close and reading glasses on. For the finest sections a magnifier helps.

Who it suits

Reviewers describe this one as advanced, and the reason is the water. Breaking surf is built from a great many narrow numbered shapes, and the whole middle of the canvas is given over to it. If you want a beach scene that is easier going, Be Still has one wave instead of five. If you want to spend a month on something that looks genuinely difficult when it is finished, this is the one.

Common questions

Do I need any painting experience?
None. Every section is printed with a number that matches a numbered pot, so there is no drawing, no color mixing and nothing to work out in advance. Start with the biggest areas and work down.

How long does Seaside Escape take?
Longer than most. Budget nearer 25 hours than 15 on a 16x20. There is no rush and nothing spoils if you leave it a while.

How do I paint the surf without it turning to mud?
Let each band dry before you put the next one beside it. The greens and whites in a wave sit directly against each other, and wet acrylic pulled into wet acrylic is the only way to lose the edge between them.

What if a color runs low or dries out?
There is a matching replacement paint set for this design, so a dried pot never ends the project. If a pot has only thickened, a drop of water and a stir usually brings it back.