Color by Numbers for Father's Day: Mountains, Cities and Trains
Color by numbers works as a Father's Day gift because the subject matter does the persuading: mountains, world cities, trains, music and the sea, rather than anything that looks like a craft kit. He fills in numbered areas with numbered markers, no drawing skill involved, and ends up with a painting for the study, the shed or the hallway. Sets in the color-by-numbers collection start at €59.95 for two canvases that share a palette, and Custom Photo – Color by Numbers turns a photo of his car, his boat or his dog into a canvas from €49.95.
In short
- Themes that actually appeal: mountain landscapes, world cities, trains, musical evenings, the northern lights and the underwater world.
- Markers, not paint: nothing to mix, nothing to rinse, no drying time. He can do half an hour after dinner and leave the rest where it is.
- One set, two canvases: every themed set contains a pair drawn from the same palette, so one box of markers makes two matching pictures.
- Three levels: up to 20 colors (Essential), up to 30 colors (Detailed) and up to 40 colors (Premium), across eight sizes from 30×40 to 60×80 cm.
- Or give thread instead: cross-stitch kits start at €29.95 in our ready-made designs, alongside the Custom Photo Cross Stitch Kit.
The gift for the man who says he wants nothing
Father's Day has a reputation problem: socks, another mug, a gadget that ends up in a drawer. A color-by-numbers set escapes that because it is not really an object — it is something to do. It gives him a reason to sit down with the phone out of reach and make something with his hands.
It also asks nothing of him upfront. The canvas arrives pre-printed with numbered areas and he fills them in with numbered markers: no talent, no lessons, no setup. Because it is markers rather than acrylic paint, there is no water pot to knock over and nothing to wait on — he can stop mid-shape and pick it up a fortnight later. We set out the differences in color by numbers with markers versus paint.
Which theme for which father
This is where the gift is won or lost. Pick the subject he would choose himself, not the one that looks nicest in the photo. Most of these are sets of two canvases sharing one palette, so the pair hangs together as a diptych.
| If he is into… | Set | Why it lands |
|---|---|---|
| Walking, climbing, the outdoors | Mountain Landscapes | Big skies and clean lines. The most straightforwardly masculine thing in the collection, and satisfying to colour. |
| Travel and architecture | World Cities | Skylines and streets. Good for anyone with a map on the wall or a trip they keep talking about. |
| Trains and old engineering | Train Romance | Steam, rails and railway light — a genuinely specific interest, properly served. |
| Music | Musical Evenings | Instruments and late-night warmth. Pairs nicely with a record on. |
| The sea, diving, fishing | Underwater World | Deep blues and strong shapes, with plenty of colour to play with. |
| Wild places and dark skies | Northern Lights | Long gradients across a night sky. Choose a higher colour level to get the glow right. |
If travel or landscape is the right direction, our overviews of travel and world-city themes and landscape and nature themes go further into each one.
His car, his boat, his dog: the custom photo route
Nothing beats the specific. Custom Photo – Color by Numbers takes a photo you upload and turns it into a numbered canvas with matching markers, from €49.95. The motorbike he restored. The boat. The dog that follows him round the garden.
Photos with good light, real contrast and one clear subject convert best — a car against a plain background reads far better than a group shot taken from across a field. Run your choice past the checklist in which photo works for color by numbers first, and find every size and price in Custom Photo: prices and sizes.
Size, colour level and what it costs
The three levels are up to 20 colors (Essential), up to 30 colors (Detailed) and up to 40 colors (Premium). Essential gives larger areas and a quicker result; Premium gives subtler shading, which matters most on skies and water — so a northern lights subject rewards a higher level, while a graphic city skyline does not need it. Sizes run 30×40, 40×40, 40×50, 40×60, 50×50, 50×60, 50×70 and 60×80 cm.
| Set size | Up to 20 colors (Essential) | Up to 30 colors (Detailed) | Up to 40 colors (Premium) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30×40 cm, two canvases | €59.95 | €72.95 | €85.95 |
Larger sizes climb from there to €120.95 for the biggest set; single canvases run from €49.95 to €109.95. Shipping is free worldwide with no minimum order. To gauge how many evenings you are handing him, read how long color by numbers takes, and when it is done, finishing and framing the canvas explains how to get it on the wall.
Or give thread instead: cross-stitch kits
Markers are not the only option. Our cross-stitch kits start at €29.95 — lighthouses, campervans, a tent under the stars, dogs, snowy mountains and canal houses are all in there. Browse the lot in ready-made designs, narrow down to landscapes and nature or animals and pets, or take the Custom Photo Cross Stitch Kit, which does the same personalisation trick in thread. Our Father's Day cross-stitch ideas compares the options, and there is a separate round-up of cross-stitch gift ideas for grandad if you are buying a generation up.
In the UK and the United States, Father's Day falls on the third Sunday in June. Order with a bit of room rather than in the last few days — you will see the exact delivery time for your address at checkout. No countdown, no invented deadline: just give the post some space.
Frequently asked questions
Is color by numbers a good gift for a man who says he wants nothing?
It is one of the better answers to that problem, because it is an activity rather than an object. He gets several quiet evenings making something with his hands, and a painting for the wall afterwards. Choose the subject he would pick himself and it rarely misses.
Which themes work best for Father's Day?
Start with his interests rather than the occasion. Mountain Landscapes suits walkers, World Cities suits travellers, Train Romance suits anyone who loves old engineering, Musical Evenings suits a music lover and Underwater World suits divers and sea people. Northern Lights is the one to choose if he likes a challenge with gradients.
Is it not a bit childish?
The format is simple, but the results are not. The designs are proper compositions on canvas, and at the higher levels, with up to 30 or up to 40 colors, the shading is subtle enough that the numbers disappear entirely in the finished piece. It is closer to model-making than to a colouring book: methodical, absorbing and unmistakably adult.
Can I use a photo of his car, boat or dog?
Yes. Custom Photo – Color by Numbers turns an uploaded photo into a numbered canvas with matching markers, from €49.95. Objects with clear outlines, like a car or a boat against a plain background, convert particularly well. Choose a sharp, well-lit image with real contrast.
How long will one canvas take him?
That depends on the size and the colour level rather than on any skill. A 30×40 cm canvas at up to 20 colors (Essential) is a handful of relaxed evenings; a 60×80 cm canvas at up to 40 colors (Premium) is a project to return to over weeks. Nothing dries out in between, so he can leave it as long as he likes.
What if he would rather have a cross-stitch kit?
Then our ready-made designs are the better place to look. Cross-stitch kits start at €29.95 and cover lighthouses, campervans, camping, dogs, mountains and canal houses, plus a custom photo version in thread. It is a smaller and more portable gift at a lower price.