If you want color, real, saturated, look-at-me color, the peacock is the kit to reach for. Nothing else in the wildlife range uses this many blues and greens, and a finished peacock throws that jewel-tone energy across a whole room. It is the opposite of a moody grey elephant, and some months it outsells everything.

The designs cluster around a few looks. The full display, tail fanned out in a huge wheel of eyespots, which is the maximalist showstopper. The elegant profile, bird in three-quarter view with the tail trailing, calmer and easier. And the decorative or mandala peacock, heavily stylized, great for boho and glam interiors.

A color count that earns the price

Peacock kits carry more paints than most, often 36 to 48 colors on a 40x50cm canvas, because the tail runs through so many shades of teal, emerald, sapphire, and gold. Do not let the number scare you. More colors actually means each individual section is more forgiving, since the printed shading is doing the gradient work for you. Your job is coverage and staying in the lines.

Plan on 15 to 22 hours for a full-display peacock. The tail eyespots are repetitive, dozens of the same little concentric shapes, so it is soothing rather than stressful once you find your rhythm. Put on a podcast and settle in.

Think about where it will hang before you buy the size. A peacock is a lot of color, and in a small, already-busy room it can fight with everything else on the walls. Where it really sings is against a plain, calm background, a white or deep navy wall, a neutral hallway, a bedroom with quiet bedding. Give it room to be the loud one. At 40x50cm it is a strong accent, and if you have the wall for it, a larger 50x65cm display peacock becomes a genuine centerpiece.

Making the tail shimmer

The magic of a peacock is that iridescent shift from blue to green to gold. The kit fakes this with adjacent shades, and the effect only works if you keep those greens and teals in strict order and never contaminate one with another. Rinse hard between them. Where two shades meet inside a single feather, a gently softened edge sells the shimmer, and our guide on smooth blending covers exactly that move. The tiny gold and white accents in the eyespots go on last, and they are what make the tail catch the light.

Choosing your peacock

Beginners should start with the profile design, not the full fan. Fewer eyespots, larger body areas, still gloriously colorful. The full display is an intermediate project purely because of the repetition and color juggling, not because any single part is hard. If you love vivid nature subjects, you will feel right at home with our butterfly kits and our tropical parrots and palms sets, which share the same bright, high-saturation palette.

Every peacock design lives in our animals and wildlife collection. Because the finished piece is so decorative, it also makes a memorable gift for anyone with a bold sense of style, and the boxed versions are in our gift kits.

Is it worth it

For sheer visual reward, the peacock is near the top of the list. All those hours of teal and gold add up to a piece that genuinely brightens a room, no framing tricks required. Pick a 40x50cm profile peacock from the wildlife collection if it is your first, keep your blues and greens rigorously separate, and save the gold eyespot accents for the very end.

Common questions

Why do peacock kits have so many colors?

The tail runs through many shades of teal, emerald, sapphire, and gold, so a 40x50cm peacock often carries 36 to 48 pots. More colors actually makes each section more forgiving, since the printed shading handles the gradients.

How long does a peacock paint by numbers kit take?

Around 15 to 22 hours for a full-display peacock. The tail eyespots are repetitive but soothing once you find a rhythm, so many people find it relaxing rather than tedious.

How do I get the tail to look iridescent?

Keep the greens and teals in strict numbered order and rinse hard between them so none get contaminated. Soften the edges where two shades meet inside a feather, and add the gold and white eyespot accents last.