DIY: Uno, Dos y Tres: Paint Your Art Out!

Source: Elle Crée

Relájate with these paint-by number kits inspired by Latinas!

By Lindsay López-Isa Lamken

[Note: This is an unsponsored post. Lateenz did not receive any compensation or anything of value from Elle Crée.] 

As Teenz, we spend so much time on our devices! It’s a good idea to unplug every now and then and do something more . . . real. We recently saw these paint-by-number kits by Elle Crée – they are so beautiful and a great way to honor and learn more about amazing Latinas.

Source: Courtesy of Elle Crée/Frida Kahlo Kit
Source: Courtesy of Elle Crée/Carmen Miranda Kit

In case a kit is not in your budget, Elle Cree also has a series of free download pages to paint or color, like this page for Felicitas Méndez!

Source: Courtesy of Elle Crée/Felicitas Méndez Coloring Page Download

Each coloring page also includes the story of the Latina it features: “Felicitas Méndez was a Puerto Rican civil rights activist. For most of her life, she lived with her husband and children in Orange County, California. In 1944, their local school district refused to enroll the Mendez’s three children based on their ethnicity. Felicitas Méndez refused to accept this decision. She, along with four other parents, sued the school district and organized committees that pushed to end segregation for Hispanic children. Two years later, the court ruled in her favor and concluded that the school district had violated the Mexican-American citizens right to equal protection. This decision paved the road for laws to be passed to integrate all California’s schools and seven years later for the Supreme Court to rule that segregation was unconstitutional. We remember her as being brave, outspoken, and determined as she fought for her children’s rights and the rights of many others.”

Source: Courtesy of Elle Crée/Rita Moreno Kit

The first paint-by-number kits were created in the U.S. in the 1950s by artist Dan Robbins who was working for a paint company at the time and looking for a way to make more money for the company. Robbins says he got the idea for the kits after reading that Leonardo da Vinci – one of the greatest artists in history – used numbered patterns to help teach his students and to guide his assistants in completing the less detailed parts of his paintings.

Source: Courtesy of Elle Crée/Cacti in Bowl Kit

If you don’t see any kits that inspire you, you can also check out PBNify. This website turns your uploaded images into a DIY paint-by-number pattern.