Paint by Number kits were created in 1951 by Palmer Paint Co (Detroit, Michigan) owner Max Klein and artist Dan Robbins. The co-authors were looking for a way by which almost anyone could paint a full-fledged painting without special artistic skills and knowledge, which would create a new hobby format and increase demand for Palmer Paint Co. products. After months of trial and error, Dan Robbins combined the idea of coloring books for children with the principles of teaching painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, who painted the canvas with outlines and numbered, after which his students filled in the outlines with the appropriate color.
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