The Painting Craze That Swept the Nation – and is Still Going Strong

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A blank page can be intimidating. So can a blank canvas, especially to an amateur painter. Before the 1950’s many people had never so much as picked up a paintbrush. A man named Dan Robbins changed that for millions of Americans.

The Inception

It all started in Detroit in 1951 with the Palmer Paint Company. The company’s owner, Max S. Klein, was looking for a new way to market paint. He went to Robbins, who had been creating painting sets for kids, and asked him to invent something for adults.

The concept was to bring paint into the homes of the post-war American people. It was a novel new way to generate paint sales. It was called paint by number. The kit included a printed canvas, a numbered paint set, and simple brushes. The idea took off almost immediately, although it wasn’t well-received by the critics.

Split Opinions

To many, paint by number was problematic. It was seen as a violation of the true art of painting. The critics saw it as impersonal and consumerist. Paint by number enthusiasts were looked down on as imbeciles with paintbrushes.

Klein and Robbins had succeeded, however, in creating a household craze that was also a financial boon. People who had never painted before now had an accessible way to get started. You can get started on your own work of art right here.

The Key to Success

Part of the reason paint by number kits took off the way they did was that they hit at a special time in American history. The country had just come out of a world war. Many women who had joined the workforce went back to being homemakers. Many men who had joined the service had returned home.