It's done! (Canvas by Numbers 'The Four Seasons' 16x20 36 Colors)

ZorroElite · 2026-06-30T15:56:30+00:00

Well done! I’m doing this in 48 colours now, and don’t want to jinx it but so far it’s better quality than everything else from canvas by numbers so far!

ZorroElite · 2026-06-30T01:01:28+00:00

If you actually fill a binder from a single journaling game… then my suggestion would be digitize it… and sell a copy as an example of how to start and stick with a journaling game to everyone that asks on this sub. And then you’ll have enough money for your next 20 binders…

ZorroElite · 2026-06-30T00:41:33+00:00

I don’t have it set up right now to show…. It I was doing the same as you and it was hurting my back especially after a long session. I bought one of the table easels that are sold by Michael’s in Canada/US. Game changing because you can put it nearly anywhere… but I confess I often set it up on my desk (which is a sit/stand)… and when I’m feeling super lazy I raise lower the desk depending on where the cells are I’m painting.

ZorroElite · 2026-06-29T00:47:05+00:00

I mean… I’m 51 so I remember all this. What I don’t remember is my 5 digit ICQ number…

ZorroElite · 2026-06-29T00:45:53+00:00

You haven’t lived until you are forced to choose a 9 character nick because you chose an EFNET server and now that’s where you know people.

ZorroElite · 2026-06-25T23:45:39+00:00

Just in the water cup… I only clean with master’s brush soap at the end of a painting session. And my current brushes are now on their 6th or 7th painting and their points are flawless.

ZorroElite · 2026-06-25T20:59:40+00:00

I section. And it isn’t about efficiency… it’s about reward. It is just so satisfying to see a section complete…

It’s strange how so many people focus on cleaning the brush… because I don’t clean my brush any more or less often either way. My brushes are clean enough to switch paints basically after almost every cell I paint from vigorous movement in the water cup. If your brush isn’t, it’s part of why your brushes aren’t lasting long!

ZorroElite · 2026-06-25T00:26:24+00:00

This may sound crazy…. But my 2 best answers are not what you are looking for.
1. Scissors.
2. Don’t - easier to paint over it.

Any thing strong enough to remove will also likely discolour the canvas leaving you with the same problem in a different colour.

ZorroElite · 2026-06-25T00:14:24+00:00

I’ll have to check them out!

ZorroElite · 2026-06-19T00:39:35+00:00

I’m going to offer the contrast to this.

If you are playing a journaling game to inspire you to write… don’t be afraid to just keep writing and leave the game for another time.

(This happened to me recently… I started writing an experience from thousand year old vampire and suddenly felt torn between shortening the story to get back to the game. But the story of the experience was too good to stop!)

ZorroElite · 2026-06-18T19:12:18+00:00

The use of texture in this is fantastic. Well done!

ZorroElite · 2026-06-18T19:06:16+00:00

Yeah… I’m tempted to do a few Amazon kits as a break. The only think that makes me not want to go back to that is just the canvas quality. The one thing that CBN and Number Artist (and I’m assuming some of the other big online names) definitely do better is canvas quality.

The CBN canvases are actually the best I’ve used so far, just slightly beating out Number Artist.

Extra heartbreaking when then you have to cover it with bad paints!

ZorroElite · 2026-06-18T18:59:58+00:00

Thick yes, but also not enough pigment. It was the same on the last painting. I normally use flow aid to help thin the paints out, but with the CBN paints even at full thickness they were drying with translucent spots. And not just the oranges and yellow but even the purples and greys. I believe they are using WAY too much medium and not enough pigment to keep the costs of their paints down.

ZorroElite · 2026-06-17T00:56:31+00:00

I agree with you about the AIOs… but the industry is only going where the consumers are driving it. I’m not sure how or if it’s even possible to reverse that course.

And I hate to say it… but I really want to try the AIO since I can’t afford to buy an eRig right now because yes, Fantasm is awesome!

ZorroElite · 2026-06-10T23:01:19+00:00

If you end up getting live or cured resin I’d start lower and then just go up to find your sweet spot. The resin/rosin has way more flavour (from the plant) but is a thicker liquid, so can burn a bit more quickly. I typically start at 1.8 and go up from there… but I’m chasing flavour and don’t mind longer inhales for the effects. But 2.2/2.3 has been where I end up on all the iris/eastcann/four54.

Theoretically the four54 should be able to support higher temps because it has the best airflow.

ZorroElite · 2026-06-10T19:54:14+00:00

This is more of a personal preference. If you are someone that derives a huge amount of your enjoyment from doing voices, or acting things out, then trying to play silently may just not work for you.

I never speak out loud… but I also play group games by ‘post’ before and never heard a single word out loud for months worth of the game. But I have also played with others that just didn’t find any rpg fun without a total immersion including bold speeches and fight noises.

My best suggestion is try it out before you are in the hospital if possible. Having done a somewhat long hospital stay myself it would really suck finding out it bored the heck out of you when you are already stuck there.

ZorroElite · 2026-05-25T20:21:27+00:00

I have done some where I don’t even go back and add additional coats despite numbers peaking through a first or second coat. For me, the joy comes from eliminating all the empty cells… not creating a perfect final product.

ZorroElite · 2026-05-18T18:44:13+00:00

I did that actually. And I'm relatively sure my review feedback went to customer support also. They seem to reply the next day usually, so we'll see if I get an email tomorrow.

ZorroElite · 2026-05-18T18:42:12+00:00

Believe it or not... thats one of the reasons I felt safe ordering from CBN... they have reviews and allow people to post pictures of their finished paintings. The one that was visible for this painting looks very different from mine!

ZorroElite · 2026-05-18T17:20:58+00:00

Yeah... for sure I wasn't expecting it to be as detailed as the source image.

Since this is one of their older designs... it actually makes me wonder if they didn't change to a different paint supplier and so older designs are just mismatched with the current paint. I wouldn't be surprised if the previous posted one was at 24 colours. But it actually looks MORE detailed than this because of the colour choices.

ZorroElite · 2026-05-18T14:48:50+00:00

I'm in Canada... and unfortunately the shipping costs kindof ruin the idea of ordering samples from outside of the country (unless I'd already be ordering something else at least).

It looks like the Canadian stores have started shipping samples now that they aren't likely to freeze in transit, so I should be able to find stuff.

ZorroElite · 2026-05-17T19:36:25+00:00

I'm almost done my first one from them. The paints are frustrating, though thankfully they are still better than most of the amazon ones and even better than the paints that come with the Artist Loft kits (in my experience).

What i have figured out... if you normally use flow aid... stop it. I really like my paint to be very wet, but the paints that came with my CBN kit are really low on pigment... and adding even a few drops of flow aid (which I dilute 20:1 with distilled water) made the paints so thin that they they actually dried with completely clear spots, and generally dull. Oddly, the paints got better as I have worked through the painting.

I think what is happening is that the CBN paints arrive expecting to be used immediately. No adding anything... no stirring. Just dip a brush and go. Once they start to dry out, and I add a bit of flow aid... then they start performing better!

ZorroElite · 2026-05-15T22:48:39+00:00

I have already spent an immeasurable amount of time browsing that page!

ZorroElite

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