Paint by Numbers Desert Puzzle

Created by Dan Robbins in the 1950s, Paint by Numbers kits were a cultural phenomenon that was embraced by millions of aspiring artists. A cross between a coloring book and a painting, these kits enabled even a novice painter to become a fine artist. The concept was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, who used numbered patterns on canvas to teach his apprentices how to paint. Through these kits, Robbins made painting accessible to all, ‘Every man a Rembrandt’ as the packaging said. The finished paintings from the '50s and '60s are now sought-after collector's items. 

This 1000-piece, 27" x 20" (68.6 x 50.8 cm) rectangular puzzle is an iconic Paint by Numbers painting: a desert landscape scene with dramatic red rocks and a lone traveler. The original kit titled ‘Painted Desert’ contained 40 oil colors which made it among the more detailed of the kits. The painter’s brush control is evident in the clean lines, hard edges, and solid areas of color that make this painting so recognizable as a Paint by Numbers kit.

The difficulty level of this puzzle is hard. A large number of colors and small details in the painting make this puzzle a satisfying challenge

pieces: 1000
size : 27" x 20" (68.6 x 50.8 cm) rectangular
difficulty : 4 / 5