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Mermaids in Wonderland: A Coloring and Puzzle-Solving Adventure for All Ages

By: Marcos Chin

Rating: 5 of 5

Mermaids in Wonderland is the second beautiful coloring book by Marcos Chin. There are many beautiful undersea designs with many mermaids. There is also fish and other sea creatures and plants. The designs are detailed and fun to color. While there are small areas to color, for the most part, I don’t consider the designs to be intricate and difficult to color.

As with Mr. Chin’s earlier coloring book, this one is divided into two parts. The first (and larger) part is white background and the second part is with black background. There are a lot (more than I prefer) puzzle solving opportunities on the pages. I wish that the artists would put the puzzle queries on a single page (with pointers to the pages involved) and leave the wording off the coloring page. That’s my personal preference but others may like the puzzles as-is.
The cover of this book is very pretty. It has copper metallic accents and some of the elements are touched with clue and green tones while others are left as black on white line drawings. The front and back cover fold out with coloring opportunities on the inside (white background at the front cover and black background at the back), however, the paper is slick. There are also four detachable (perforated) postcards printed on a good heavyweight card stock. The postcards are pre-set up for address and stamp areas.
In my coloring book, the alignment of the pages was quite good. The binding is sewn rather than glued, so you can remove several whole pages at a time without loss of design by snipping a few threads. I was able to get the book to lay flat by breaking the spine slightly by push down very hard to fully open the book.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
94 pages of Mermaid Designs with a considerable number of puzzle to solve
Printed on both sides of the page
Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly smooth and non-perforated
Sewn Binding
Many designs spread across two pages
Many designs merge into the binding area (especially two-page spreads)
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page
Water-based markers can spot through and leave shadows on the back of the page. As with the prior book in this series, my worst experience was with Staedler triplus fineliners. The brush end of Tombow dual markers did not bleed through or leave shadows.
India Ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through or leave shadows. Gel pens take more time to dry than usual.
Colored pencils worked with with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based with good results. While the paper is lightly smooth, it still had enough tooth for good pigment, layering and blending.

Thailand Escape: My Colorful Trip Through Exotic Lands

By: Jade Gedeon

Rating: 5 of 5

I own three other coloring books by Jade Gedeon with this book, Thailand Escape being the fourth to add to my collection. I like to (and did) buy a second copy of this coloring book as I like to use one for primarily markers and colored pencil accents and another for use with water soluble and Inktense pencils.

The quality of the coloring book is the same as the previous three, with high quality cream tone paper with a distinctly rough touch. The designs show Thailand from what I consider the point of view of a tourist. There are architectural designs, designs which show the food and dress of the country and also some which bring the face of the people to the coloring book.
The paper is a cream tone and is heavyweight watercolor paper. There are five double page fold-out designs. All of the pages are perforated for easy removal from the book. As with the first three books, I found once again that all of my coloring medium worked well with this paper. I did find that if my alcohol-based Copic markers that were extremely full and wet, there was a slight tendency for feathering.
This is what I experienced in coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
Thailand inspired designs
Printed on one side of the page with five double page fold-out designs
Paper is thick watercolor paper in cream, rough texture and all pages are perforated for easy removal.
Sewn Binding
Designs stop short of perforations
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page and can feather side-to-side if the marker is juicy
Water-based markers, India ink pens, and gel pens do not bleed through the paper.
Colored pencils work well with the page though, due to the texture, it takes several layers to get a deep pigment. Both oil and wax based pencils worked equally well. I was able to get good color, layer different colors easily and blend extremely easily using a pencil style blender stick.

Yuko Higuchi’s Magical Coloring Museum

By: Yuko Higuchi

Rating: 5 of 5

The designs in this coloring book are unusual and interesting. It shows the story of a girl and her younger brother traveling through a fantasy land. They turn into (in one shape or another) the animals and plants that they come across. The designs are very well done and have an almost sketch like quality to them versus a simple line drawing. The use of cats in the designs is something that I have seen In Yuko Higuchi’s books for artwork so it is lovely to see them in this coloring book.

The designs are detailed in some respects but many have a large amount of blank space around them. There is a heavy use of black for color and shading and the backgrounds of most of the pages have colors. The book has a dustcover which has lovely colors. The actual attached cover is white with aqua printing and could be colored if you wish to do so. The inside pages of the dustcover and the attached cover are blank white.
The exceptions are the pages at the front of the book and the and one at the end. These pages are cream in color and have a completely different texture than the rest of the pages. These pages are almost like vellum as they are fairly translucent. One side of the page is rough and the other side is slick and glossy. The rough side takes color well but the glossy side does not.
Unfortunately, while the designs are printed on only one side of these pages, the texture of the page alternates, first glossy, then rough, then glossy, etc. I’m not sure why this was done but it makes coloring uneven. Also, all medium wet and dry, either bleed through or show through on these pages. If you watch my silent video or look at some of the photos, you will see that you can easily see the designs through the back of the page on these translucent pages.
The use of two types of paper is a real departure for the publisher of this coloring book (Laurence King Publishing), who did the original coloring books for Johanna Basford. I must admit that the change of paper is not something that I like about the book. I wish that all of the pages had been done with opaque paper so that my coloring would be consistent. If I could, I would give the book a 4.5 because of the paper but as I cannot, I round up to a 5.
The rest of the pages have a completely different look and feel. They are opaque, medium weight and have a slightly rough feel.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
98 pages of designs (including title page and copyright page)
Most of the book is printed both sides of the page with just a few pages at the front printed on one side only
Two types of paper are used in this book: 1) thin, translucent cream with both a glossy and rough side and 2) medium weight, slightly rough white paper most of which had some sort of pre-printed color background
Most designs extend into the binding area with many two-page spread designs.
Glue Binding
My color mediums worked different with the two types of paper:
Translucent Paper:
All mediums either bled through or showed through plainly, including wax and oil based pencils. Pencils did not work as well on the glossy side color was lighter and blending results in some smearing of colors rather than a nice blend. Gel pens took a considerably longer time to dry. Also, using a hard point pencil or pen left dents through the paper.
Opaque Paper:
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens left slight shadows on the back of the page.
If you use markers with these pages, you will likely mar the designs on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but took a little extra drying time.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils.

Cinderella: Grayscale Adult Coloring Book (Beautiful Fairy Tales) (Volume 2)

By: Ruth Sanderson

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really elegant set of grayscale designs. The designs are based on the illustrations in Ruth Sanderson’s storybook version of Cinderella. As this is the second grayscale coloring book based on one of Ms. Sanderson’s illustrated storybooks, I am looking forward to seeing more of the tales brought to coloring books in the future.

The beautiful designs are extremely detailed and have small and intricate spots to color.
There are 24 designs in this book and, what is very interesting, is that there are 12 bonus pages that are duplicates of half of the original designs in the coloring book. This is fun to try different techniques or colors on (or to give away to friends if you are so inclined.)
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
24 Grayscale designs plus 12 bonus designs based on the fairy tale Cinderella for a total of 36 coloring pages
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality used by CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not extend into the binding area. The designs have a framing line at the outer edges
Glue Binding
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick; however, some of the darker areas of the designs had a tendency to smear using this type of blender. I found that liquid forms (Gamsol or mineral spirits) did a better job. This doesn’t bother me as I generally do not use a blender on grayscale designs. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils (like Verithins) leave dents through the paper.
I like to use a blotter when working in the book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.

I Don’t Know What They Are. I Just Draw These Things!: An Adult Coloring Book of Otherworldly Creations

By: Fred Von Tobel

Rating: 5 of 5

I like to color unique and different styles of fantasy. This is a coloring book that fits that description to a T. The designs are imaginative and include many fantasy creatures, a few scantily clad (or less) females and more. Some of the creatures border on the grotesque but never cross the line to downright ugly. Some of them are even cute in their strangeness. That the artist has a great sense of humor is evident not only in his designs but also in both his dedication statements and the after statement about the artist.

The designs (which appear to be hand-drawn) are detailed but not what I consider intricate and small to color. There is a heavy use of black in some of the designs both for shading and as a pre-filled in color. The lines are a thicker black than many other coloring books.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
31 line drawing fantasy designs by Fred Von Tobel
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality used by CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not extend into the binding area. The designs have a dark black framing line at the outer edges
Glue Binding
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick; however, some of the black areas of the designs had a tendency to smear using this type of blender. I found that liquid forms (Gamsol or mineral spirits) did a better job. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils (like Verithins) leave dents through the paper.
I like to use a blotter when working in the book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.

Vera Bradley Coloring Collection

By: Vera Bradley

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a stunning collection of 80 postcard size designs inspired by fabric designs by Vera Bradley. There are four separate small format books (which are currently also sold separately for about the same amount as all four in this set.) The books are Color Bold, Color Beautiful, Color Bright, and Color Strong. The size is approximately 6 x 4 inches and the designs are printed on a fairly heavy card stock.

The designs are printed on one side of the note with an inspiring saying and journal lines printed on the back. Also on the back is the name of the fabric which inspired the design and the date it was released. At the front and the back of the book are full color thumbprints of the original fabric so you can be inspired by the original or decide to go your own way.
The books are well put together. They each have a glossy, full color cover, a white ribbon attached bookmark and are glue bound similar to notepads. They are extremely easy to remove (just turning the pages started to tear the page away from the binding. The four books arrive in a heavy cardboard sleeve that is perfect for storing them.
The paper has a slight roughness to the touch which makes them wonderful for use with colored pencils (both wax and oil based.) While alcohol-based markers bled through the note slightly, water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens did not. If I want to use alcohol-based markers, I’ll put a couple of pieces of paper below my working page to keep ink from seeping through or simply remove the card from the book before I start to color.
I love Vera Bradley items and am thrilled with these cards to color. I intend to color them and mount them on home made presentation cards to make into gift cards. I will transfer the information from the back of the note to the inside of my note card. I will also pick up another set to keep for myself. I am also picking up at least two more of these sets to give as gifts to friends who color. I think they are fantastic and a wonderful value as well.

The Neil Gaiman Coloring Book

By: Neil Gaiman

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book of designs based on stories by Neil Gaimans stories for children. The illustrator in this book is Jill Thompson. The stories include: The Graveyard Book, Coraline, Fortunately, the Milk, Instructions and Crazy Hair. Some of the designs are slightly macabre but are quite fun and represent the stories really well. While the designs are detailed in nature, they are not what I consider intricate and difficult to color.

There is a heavy use of black for shading (including cross hatching) and as a pre-printed color throughout the coloring book. As colored pencils (my medium of choice for this book), shows up on black, I will have to be careful when coloring near the bigger patches in the designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
96 pages of designs based on Neil Gaiman stories(includes title and copyright pages as all pages have coloring elements on them.)
Printed on both sides of the page
Paper is medium/heavy weight, white, slightly smooth and non-perforated
Many designs (including the two page spreads) merge into the binding area.
Hybrid glue and sewn binding with lots of little stitches. If you wish to remove pages, you will have to cut them out. I don’t plan to do so as many of the designs spread across two pages.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper. If you use this coloring medium, it will mar the designs on the back of the page.
Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through the paper but did leave slight shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked fairly well with the paper. The paper still has enough tooth to get good pigment. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and both worked well. I could layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors and blended okay using a pencil style blender stick.

Richard Doyle’s Fairyland (Dover Art Coloring Book)

By: Richard Doyle

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book of designs which have been adapted by Marty Noble from the original designs by Richard Doyle. Mr. Doyle’s artwork dates back to 1870 as a series of illustrations. In 1884, Andrew Lang wrote a story based on those illustrations. The artwork and the blurbs in this book are based on that storybook.

The designs are detailed, some more so than others. However, I would not categorize the illustrations are intricate and difficult to color. Some designs have a heavier use of black as both a color and a shading technique (especially with multiple lines drawn for shading.)
This is a series of illustrations with fairies who are impish and having fun rather than the elegant fairies I usually see in coloring books. It makes for a cute change and is quite fun to color. The designs are mostly horizontal in format and the book includes one design which spreads across two pages.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium.
29 Fairyland designs adapted by Marty Noble based on Richard Doyle original illustrations
Printed on both sides of the page
Paper is medium weight, slightly rough, white and non-perforated
Staple bound with three heavy duty staples and easily opens to a flat position for coloring.
Designs stop well before the binding area (except for the one that spreads across two pages) and can be removed in whole from the book by removing the three staples at the binding. The designs have a framing line at the outer edges and a short explanatory sentence at the bottom of the design.
Only one design spreads across two pages and it is the center design meaning it is made up of a single page with staples in the middle
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper
Water-based markers spot through and/or leave colorful shadows on the back of the page
Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you apply heavily or use multiple coats.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. Both oil and wax-based pencils provided good pigment, layered well with the same or multiple colors and blended well using a blending stick. Hard lead pencils did not dent through the page.
If you choose to use any medium other than colored pencils on the pages of this book, you will probably find bleed through or colorful shadows on the design at the back of your working page.

Colors of the Seasons Color by Number Coloring Art

By: Product Concept Mfg Inc.

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a lovely color-by-number coloring book which has Bible Scripture quotes on each of the design pages. In some cases, the emphasis is on the quote and it is integrated into the design while on others, the quote is simply placed at the bottom of the page. The picture are really lovely but do not reflect the wording of the quotes.

The Scripture is from both Old and New Testaments and cites are provided; however, the publisher did not provide which a listing of translations the quotes were taken from. They did not give any credits for artists.
The designs are quite detailed and a few have intricate spots to color. The designs are cut off on all sides, so you will be coloring unfinished elements. A simple fix for this is to size down the image a bit and put a framing line around the design but that was not done in this case. A nice touch is that on the back of the book, there is a spot to sign and date your work. The color key is on the back of the book.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
24 hand-drawn designs of various subjects. Bible Scripture is included on each page.
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is white, medium/light weight, slightly smooth and perforated
Staple Bound
Designs cross over the perforations but nothing essential to the design is lost if you remove a page from the book
All wet medium: markers (alcohol and water-based), India ink pens an gel pens bleed through the paper to some extent. I suggest using a blotter page under your working page or removing the page from the book before coloring. That will keep ink from leaking through and damaging the rest of the book.
Colored pencils worked well with this book. I was able to blend, layer the same and multiple colors using both oil and wax-based pencils.

The Search for the Lightbulb Burglar: A Steampunk Coloring Book Mystery

By: David Habben

Rating: 5 of 5

I really liked the designs in this coloring book and so did my husband. I purchased a second copy so we would not have to share!

The coloring book is not really so much Steampunk (which puts emphasis on steam powered machines, etc. with steam being the power of choice rather than gas or electricity.) It is something more like Lightbulb Punk perhaps a new genre where electric light bulbs power everything. In any case, the designs are an interesting and new twist and will be fun to color.
The book is kind graphic novel as it tells the story of looking for the Lightbulb Burglar. It might have been nice to have had a little bit of the story written on the back of the page as some of it was a little hard to follow. This is a small nit as the vast majority of my coloring books don’t have a narrative to follow.
The designs are very well drawn and the paper used is excellent. While the designs are detailed, I don’t consider them intricate or difficult to color.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
48 Designs inspired by (but not really part of) Steampunk about the search for a lightbulb burglar
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is heavy weight, white, slightly rough and perforated
Sewn Binding
The designs stop short of the perforations so you can remove pages without loss of the designs themselves.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper. I use a blotter page of card stock or a couple of sheets of heavy weight paper under my working sheet with this book. It will keep ink from seeping through to the next page. You can also simply remove the page at the perforations before coloring.
Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through the paper but did leave slight shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked really well with the paper. The slightly rough texture of the paper provided good tooth which allowed pigment to easily adhere to the page. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and both worked well. I could layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors and blend easily using a pencil style blender stick.