Van Gogh Paint by Numbers: Starry Night and Sunflowers Kits Reviewed
Quick Answer
Van Gogh paint by numbers kits are available in the US from $29.99 USD. Two confirmed designs exist: Van Gogh's Starry Night and Sunflowers, both on a 40x50cm linen canvas with 24, 36, or 48 color options. The Starry Night is classified as advanced difficulty due to its layered blues and impasto technique requirements. Both ship to any US address in 5 to 8 days.
The Starry Night kit on a 40x50cm linen canvas. The sky sections require directional impasto brushwork to capture Van Gogh's characteristic swirling movement. Section density increases toward the village and cypress tree in the lower half of the canvas.
Vincent van Gogh is the most searched artist in the paint by numbers category. His paintings translate to the numbered canvas format better than almost any other artist in art history, not because they are simple, but because his technique is structurally compatible with what paint by numbers does. Van Gogh worked in bold, defined color areas separated by visible brushwork. He built color through layering rather than blending into invisibility. The numbered section system captures this logic exactly. This guide covers the two Van Gogh kits available in the US, what makes each one technically demanding, how to approach the impasto technique that defines his style, and how to choose between the 24, 36, and 48 color variants.
Why Van Gogh's Style Is Structurally Compatible with Paint by Numbers
Most portrait artists and photorealists are difficult to translate to paint by numbers because their technique depends on invisible transitions, colors that dissolve into one another through glazing, wet-blending, or airbrushing. When a numbered grid tries to represent that, you get hundreds of tiny sections with near-identical color codes that produce a flat, unconvincing result.
Van Gogh worked in the opposite direction. His Post-Impressionist technique used color as emotional expression rather than optical reality. Every stroke was visible, intentional, and directional. The swirling sky of The Starry Night is built from dozens of discrete color currents, each one a clearly bounded stroke of paint. The numbered canvas captures this structure with unusual fidelity, because the sections already exist as discrete color events rather than smooth gradients.
The Two Van Gogh Kits Available in the US
Two Van Gogh paintings are available as paint by numbers kits. Each is based on a different period of his work and presents a distinct technical challenge.
Kit 1 of 2
Van Gogh's Starry Night
Painted in June 1889 at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Depicts the view from Van Gogh's room window at night, with an idealized village below a swirling sky built from dozens of discrete color currents. The most recognizable painting in Western art.
The technical challenge in the paint by numbers version is capturing the sky's rotational energy through visible, directional brushwork. The numbered sections follow the curved currents of the original. The painter's job is to follow those currents with a loaded brush rather than filling sections with flat strokes.
View Starry Night Kit from $29.99Kit 2 of 2
Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
From Van Gogh's Arles period (1888), painted during what he later described as the most productive months of his life. This kit is based on the most celebrated version, featuring fifteen sunflowers in a ceramic vase. Created to decorate the Yellow House before Paul Gauguin's visit.
The technical challenge is opposite to the Starry Night. Instead of multiple contrasting hues across a complex sky, Sunflowers requires subtle differentiation across a near-monochromatic palette of yellows, ochres, and greens. The challenge is trusting that closely related shades will produce form when placed correctly.
View Sunflowers Kit from $29.99Comparing the Two Kits
| Dimension | Starry Night | Sunflowers |
|---|---|---|
| Period | 1889, Saint-Rémy | 1888, Arles |
| Primary palette | Deep blues, navy, electric tones, glowing yellows | Golden yellows, ochres, burnt sienna, warm greens |
| Color contrast | Very high: bold blue/yellow opposition | Low: near-monochromatic challenge |
| Primary challenge | Directional impasto, capturing sky movement | Distinguishing adjacent yellows, trusting tonal depth |
| Skill level | Advanced | Intermediate to Advanced |
| Recommended colors | 36 or 48 | 36 or 48 |
| Completion time | 20 to 35 hours | 15 to 25 hours |
| Best for | Dramatic, emotional high-contrast finished piece | Understanding Van Gogh's palette discipline |
| Starting price USD | From $29.99 | From $29.99 |
Choosing the Right Color Count
Color count is the single most consequential decision in a Van Gogh paint by numbers kit. Both paintings rely on tonal differentiation within constrained hue ranges: the Starry Night sky uses many closely related blues, and the Sunflowers palette uses many closely related yellows. A 24-color kit compresses these transitions too heavily, losing the layered depth that makes Van Gogh's paintings feel dimensional.
The jump from 24 to 36 colors captures the majority of tonal depth in both paintings. The jump from 36 to 48 is meaningful in the sky sections of the Starry Night, where the electric blues and golden halos around the stars are the emotional center of the composition. For both kits, 36 colors is the minimum we recommend; 48 is the choice for painters who want the most accurate result.
The Impasto Technique: What It Is and How to Apply It
Impasto is the technique Van Gogh used to apply paint in thick, visible layers that sit above the canvas surface and create physical texture. It defines his mature work and separates a Van Gogh paint by numbers result that carries the spirit of the original from one that merely replicates the color map. You do not need to master impasto to complete either kit, but applying it to the sky sections of the Starry Night and the flower heads of the Sunflowers produces a materially different finished canvas.
Load the brush correctly
Pick up enough paint that there is a visible ridge at the brush tip. For impasto, you want two to three times the normal load. The paint should feel heavy, not thin.
Follow the numbered curve
In the Starry Night, numbered sections follow Van Gogh's actual brushwork direction. Paint each section in one continuous curved stroke. The stroke direction is the technique, not the coverage.
Do not overwork the paint
Once a section has a directional stroke, leave it. Going back over impasto paint flattens the texture you created. Apply, follow the curve, stop.
Save the stars for last
The radiating yellow and cream sections around the stars and moon should be applied last, over fully dry blue sections. A thick application of the lightest yellows over the deep blues produces the glowing halo effect.
Pricing, Sizes, and What Is Included
| Specification | Both Kits |
|---|---|
| Canvas size | 40x50cm (16x20in) |
| Canvas material | 100% pure linen, 320 gsm, double-primed with archival gesso |
| Color options | 24, 36, or 48 colors (36 or 48 recommended) |
| Paint standard | ASTM D-4236 compliant, pre-mixed acrylic, non-toxic |
| Brushes included | 3 brushes: fine detail round, filbert, flat |
| Frame options | Without frame, DIY wooden frame, or stretched on frame |
| Starting price USD | From $29.99 |
| US delivery | 5 to 8 days to all 50 states |
Buy 2 Get 1 Free
Applies site-wide, no code needed. The cheapest kit is automatically free when 3 are added to cart.
New customers: WELCOME15
15% off your first order. Stacks with buy 2 get 1 free. Applies to all kit types.
Free shipping over $75
Free on all US orders over $75. All 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii. Tracking on every order.
Common Questions
Is there a Van Gogh Starry Night paint by numbers kit?
Yes. Van Gogh's Starry Night is available as a paint by numbers kit from $29.99 USD on a 40x50cm linen canvas with 24, 36, or 48 color options. It is classified as an advanced kit due to its layered blues and impasto technique requirements. Delivered to any US address in 5 to 8 days.
How many colors should I choose for a Van Gogh paint by numbers kit?
36 or 48 colors for either kit. The Starry Night sky requires differentiation between many closely related blues, and the Sunflowers requires distinguishing adjacent yellows and ochres. A 24-color kit compresses these ranges too heavily, losing the tonal depth that gives both paintings their dimensional quality. The 48-color version produces the most accurate result; 36 colors is a strong middle ground.
Is the Van Gogh Starry Night paint by numbers hard?
Yes, it is an advanced kit. The difficulty is not in section count but in the technique required to capture the painting's energy. The sky demands directional, heavy brushwork following the curved sections rather than flat coverage. Painters who have completed one or two standard landscape kits beforehand will approach the Van Gogh sky with better results than those painting for the first time.
What is the difference between the Starry Night and Sunflowers kits?
The Starry Night is high-contrast with bold blue-yellow opposition and requires directional impasto in the sky sections. The Sunflowers is near-monochromatic, requiring painters to trust that closely related yellows and ochres will build form when placed correctly. Both are advanced kits from different periods of Van Gogh's career. The Starry Night produces the more dramatic finished piece; the Sunflowers teaches more about his colour discipline.
What is impasto and do I need to use it for the Van Gogh kit?
Impasto is the technique of applying paint in thick, visible, textured layers. You do not need it to complete the kit, but applying directional impasto strokes to the sky sections of the Starry Night and the flower heads of the Sunflowers produces a canvas that carries the authentic energy of the original in a way that smooth flat coverage cannot achieve.
How long does a Van Gogh paint by numbers kit take to complete?
The Starry Night typically takes 20 to 35 hours across multiple sessions at the 36 or 48 color count. The Sunflowers typically takes 15 to 25 hours. Both are multi-week projects for most painters working in one to two hour sessions. The impasto approach takes longer per section than flat coverage but produces a significantly better result.
Further Reading
- Famous Art Paint by Numbers covers all masterpiece kits including Monet, Klimt, Renoir, and Hokusai
- Monet Paint by Numbers for a direct comparison of the two most searched impressionist artists in this category
- How to Blend Colors for a Seamless Finish covers advanced color techniques directly applicable to the Van Gogh sky sections
- Sealing and Framing Your Masterpiece covers how to protect and display a completed Van Gogh canvas
- Browse the Famous Art Collection
Shop Van Gogh Paint by Numbers
From $29.99 USD. Buy 2 get 1 free. New customers use WELCOME15. Free shipping over $75. Delivered to all 50 states in 5 to 8 days.
About the Author
William Murdock is the Founder of Paint On Numbers, based in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Famous Art collection was built on the principle that a paint by numbers kit is only worth producing for a masterpiece if the canvas format can serve the painting's visual logic. Van Gogh's work meets that test more fully than almost any other artist in history.