I just finished this piece and wanted to share the progress from the first few strokes to the final result. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tricks that really helped me level up my painting process and get rid of that blocky, "printed" look.

If you want your next canvas to look less like a kit and more like a professional painting, here are my top tips:

**1. Start with the Focal Point (The Face/Eyes) 👀** A lot of guides say "paint dark to light" or "do the background first." But as you can see in my first few pics, I actually love starting with the face and eyes! It brings the subject to life immediately. Having those eyes staring back at you keeps you super motivated to finish the rest of the canvas.

**2. Thin Your Paints (Flow Improver is magic) 💧** Never use the paint straight out of the pot if it's thick and gooey! Add a tiny drop of water or, even better, an acrylic *flow improver*. It makes the paint glide on smoothly, saves your brushes from fraying, and most importantly—leaves zero harsh brush strokes.

**3. Ditch the Kit Brushes 🖌️** Seriously, invest $10 in a decent set of miniature detail brushes online. The ones that come in the box are usually too blunt. Good brushes are an absolute game-changer for those tiny, frustrating micro-cells and getting crisp, clean edges.

**4. The "Overlap" Blending Trick 🎨** To make the painting look natural, I slightly overlap the edges of touching colors while they are still a tiny bit wet. Instead of leaving a harsh line where color #1 meets color #2, softly blending that border makes the shading look seamless. This is crucial for hair and skin tones!

**5. Trust the Process with Light Colors ✨** Yellows, whites, and light pinks will almost always show the printed numbers through the first coat. *Do not glob the paint on heavily to cover it.* Paint one smooth, thin layer, let it dry completely, and then apply a second coat. Patience is key!

From blank canvas to finished art 🎨 Sharing my progress pics and top 5 tips for leveling up your PBN game!