For those not in the know, paint by numbers is a painting system where outlines of a painting are already drawn onto the canvas, and each shape is marked by a number that corresponds with a paint color. It is as simple as following the given numbers and matching them with a preselected color palette that comes with the canvas.

Paint by numbers can be found in most children's coloring books. Consequently, some might see it as merely a children's activity by association, but by no means is the activity limited to kids. Adult paint by numbers kits can be far more elaborate and harder to do, and aspiring artists use them to practice their brush techniques. 

Although it is only recently that adult paint by numbers kits have seen a revival in interest, this does not mean that Indonesians weren't interested in them before. Before the pandemic, there was already a relatively small but established number of paint-by-number enthusiasts in the country, catered to by enterprises like Bartega Studio.

"Bartega was founded in 2017. We currently employ two to four artists and several freelancers. Excluding the tutors, our team has 15 people," said cofounder Benson Putra, 29, who established the studio with Jazz Pratama and Nadia Daniella. He and the other cofounders have seen some degree of success. They were included on the Forbes 2020 30 Under 30 list. 

"Initially, we were B2B [business-to-business]. We decided to make events with a more casual theme for a more social atmosphere because we want people to feel more creative than they think they are."

Creative spot: Bartega Studio recently introduced a fixed painting spot at Ashta District 8. (Courtesy of Bartega Studio) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Bartega Studio)

According to Benson, the team often finds people who feel that they are not artistic or not creative enough just because they are not working in the arts. However, the necessity of being creative nowadays is not only found in a purely creative industry.

"Many people feel that way, so if they are tasked to make a presentation of a product or a project, it becomes an obstacle for them. They find it difficult to translate their ideas into a visual element with a narrative that can actually be used in various contexts and further engage conversations with participants."

Breaking through and adjusting

Only recently offering its paint-by-number packages, Bartega Studio is actually known for its "paint and sip" events, combining painting with wine tasting or other drinks to be explored.

"We don't want to just provide conventional drawing classes. We want to change people's perception so that they can see art or painting as an activity that is not only for people with a background in art or people who are interested in painting," Benson explained.

Bartega Studio acts more like an event organizer, collaborating with restaurants, cafes, apartments or hotels. "For wine, we work with manufacturers, distributors or various imported brands, but it depends on the type of activity we do."

The studio will sometimes offer beer, coffee or tea in lieu of wine to adapt to its target ambiance and audience, but that's not the only thing that needs to be adjusted. The studio also tries to cater to different themes and difficulty levels.

"The main reference is that the painting needs to be done in two to three hours, so the level of difficulty should be moderate, yet not too easy," Benson explained. 

"The challenge is that we need to find the middle ground – not just mixing good colors – so people can feel that when it's finished, it [is worthy of] being displayed in their house."

The themes of the painting can be generic, like scenery, food or landmarks, but there are times that Bartega creates outlines dedicated to highlighting a brand or its product. Benson and his team also adjust the nuances to make the experience even more immersive.

"For example, for the Kyoto or Tokyo theme with Japanese nuances, we can organize the event in a restaurant that serves Japanese cuisine or has Japanese interiors."

The studio often accepts client requests for custom events. Although the primary market is around 25-35 years old, there have been more private events like birthday parties and social gatherings that include guests over 40 years old.

"We are lucky to have people who see this as something positive for them, but of course, it would not have been as easy as this if we did not have social media. Our social media helps us to create this mental image of what art looks like, what kind of people join the event, what sector joins our event, the location, the beautiful image that they can associate with our activity," said Benson. "It really helps to change people's perceptions."

Soothing experience

Painting is said to be one of the best methods of relieving stress, but Benson knows this might not be the case for everyone.

"This hobby is not for everyone because, for example, I feel that many people feel they find peace in cooking, but for me, that's not the case," said Benson. "Even though I can cook, I don't find it as relaxing as my true hobby, which for me is painting."

That is not to say that its boons aren't genuine, however. Art therapy, such as painting, has been proven to reduce stress in numerous studies, according to Arti Pramadani, a psychologist at the Sejiwa Psychological Service. 

Rejuvenate: According to Arti, painting can help people to reconnect the missing links between their mind, body, and soul. (Courtesy of Arti Pramadani) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Arti Pramadani)

"Painting can be a safe means for individuals to express whatever they feel," said Arti. "The process of channeling or expressing negative emotions or feelings can make a person's psychological condition better."

Arti likens the process of painting to taking out the garbage. "Imagine our negative emotions are 'garbage' from the process of our daily life. If the 'garbage' remains, we will not have enough space to think, to grasp the stimuli that we need to catch in our daily lives."

Taking out the "garbage", Arti says, leads to increased productivity, which explains why art activities are popular for corporate events. "The productivity increases because we have sufficient space to process the stimulus that comes to us."

Furthermore, it allows the painter to improve the connectivity between various aspects of themselves. Arti explained that the way individuals expressed themselves by painting was more like nonverbal communication. 

"When we paint with our brush, we are being aware or being mindful in each stage of the process, of how much paint needs to be attached to our brush, of when we see the colors, it makes our thoughts, feelings and bodies slowly reconnect with each other," she said.

"When various aspects of ourselves are connected, we feel good about ourselves. If we are comfortable with ourselves, usually other aspects of life can also improve."

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