Paint by Number Mural: The Complete DIY Guide (with Pro Tips)

At PBNify we know that creating art is a powerful way to bring people together. But how do you make a collaborative art piece that’s engaging, fun for all skill levels, and results in something truly spectacular?

The answer: a giant paint by number mural.

PBNify was built for small‑scale individual projects, but it’s absolutely possible to create a large‑scale paint by number mural using PBNify plus a little expert know‑how.

To guide you through the process, we sat down with Pat Carroll from Paintable Pictures. Paintable Pictures is the authority on creating professional‑grade, large‑scale paint by number murals for events, festivals, and brand activations. They’ve delivered murals for over 100 events across the United States, including for Ed Sheeran, the US Air Force, and Google. Pat shares his insights on how anyone can plan, design, and execute a DIY paint by number mural using a tool like PBNify.

Paint by Number Mural Step 1: Ask the Right Questions Before You Start

Before you even think about artwork or pick up a brush, the most critical step is understanding how the mural fits into the overall event, and whether a DIY tool like PBNify is the right fit. A mural for a three‑hour cocktail hour is going to be different from one designed for a week‑long outdoor music festival.

“The first thing you want to decide when you're creating a paint by number mural is how it fits into the overall event,” says Pat. “Is this a small informal event? If so, a tool like PBNify might be perfect to create a DIY mural. Or is this a 100,000‑person music festival with brand sponsorships? In that case you might need more serious tools.”

Think through logistics:

• Installation: How will the mural be set up at the location? Do you need someone with special skills to install it, or do you want something turnkey that’s easy and fast to stand up and break down?
• Environment: Is this an indoor or outdoor event? Will it need to withstand weather? That may impact the mural materials.

According to Pat, “Once you think through how the mural fits into your overall event plan, you’ll be more sure that you’re building something that will be successful.”

Paint by Number Mural Step 2: Design Your Masterpiece

Once you have a clear plan, it’s time for the fun part: designing your mural. The key is to find the balance between an image that’s visually exciting and one that isn’t so complex that a crowd has trouble completing it within your timeframe.

This is where PBNify can be your best friend if you go the DIY route. Our tool allows you to turn any photo or design into a digital paint by number template in seconds.

1. Choose your image: Select a high‑contrast image with clear subjects. For group events, bold graphics, logos, or landscapes often work better than detailed portraits.
2. Upload to PBNify: Upload your image to pbnify.com.
3. Select your palette: Choose the number of colors. For a large mural, fewer colors (between 8 and 20) are often better to keep the project manageable.
4. Generate your template: PBNify will create your numbered outline and a corresponding color palette. Save both the numbered outline and the color key.

As Pat explains, it’s helpful to be smart about the design you choose: “You want to pick a design that balances being fun and exciting for a crowd to engage with, but not so complex that it intimidates people from painting it.”

For professional projects, there’s no comparison to human design, and Paintable Pictures uses human designers to create each of their paint by number murals. “That said, software tools like PBNify can be great for projects on a tight budget, if you have design skills yourself, and for informal events where the stakes aren’t super high.”

Paint by Number Mural Step 3: Go Big! Transfer Your Design to a Mural Surface

You have your PBNify template, but how do you get it onto a giant wall or a set of panels? This is where the magic of scaling up happens.

“At Paintable Pictures we use specialized printers to create oversize paint by number murals. But most DIYers won’t have access to these, so a common workaround is using projectors and tracing a large projected template.”

This is the hardest step, and the one that gets most people hung up on completing their DIY mural.

Step 4: The Importance of Color Matching

With your mural outlined, the final piece of the puzzle is the paint. Color accuracy can make or break the final impression, especially when the mural includes brand elements.

“Once you have your design— the right balance of excitement and complexity— it’s super important to have paints that match the painting precisely,” Pat advises. “Especially if your mural has logos or brands that sponsor the mural— being pixel‑perfect there especially matters.”

The color palette generated by PBNify can help you. Take the HEX or RGB color codes to a quality paint store to get your paint custom‑mixed.

When to Call the Paint by Number Mural Pros

Creating a DIY custom paint by number mural is an admirable project. However, for major events, brand activations, or when you have a tight deadline, the logistics can become challenging.

“We started Paintable Pictures because it’s hard to build custom paint by number products. We build them to the highest standards and handle logistics of getting the mural to your event.”

There are events where a DIY paint by number mural is the right choice, and others where it makes sense to work with a professional service. For turnkey mural kits and support, visit Paintable Pictures.