Author Archives: Iiiireader

Escape to Oz: A Colouring Book Adventure

By: Good Wives and Warriors

Rating: 5 of 5

I own a number of the Escape coloring books by Good Wives and Warriors. Each one has been a fantastic and fun coloring adventure. This one, based on The Wizard of Oz is another great entry. It is the same size as the others (at approximately 7.5 x 7.25 inches) and has fantastic designs that mostly spread across two pages (though there are a few one page designs included as well.)

It is fun to see Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. The magic shoes are silver as described in the book rather than the ruby slippers of the movie. In my first project, I did a nod to the movie with the beginning of the tornado down in grayscale and then I moved to color just as the movie moved to color on the other side of the rainbow.

The designs are very detailed and, in many cases, intricate with small elements to color. I am choosing to use colored pencils with sharp points as it will be easier to color the tiny parts and because the designs are printed on both sides of the page.

The attached cover of the book is well made and is done in shades of green with black lines and also has gold foil. You can color the remainder of the cover (front and back) if you wish. The inside of the cover has fold-outs (front and back) and a white lines on green print which you can also color. The rest of the pages (including title and intro) are designs, so every page in the book can be colored.

The binding is sewn rather than glued, so removing pages will require a few snips of threads every few pages. I prefer to leave my together as it tells a whole story as it is but coloring into the binding takes some manipulation of the book.

96 pages of Fantastic Wizard of Oz designs

Designs are printed on both sides of the page

Paper is heavyweight, cream colored, slightly rough and non-perforated

30 Designs are printed across two pages

Sewn Binding

More than half of the designs merge into the binding area

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper. If you use these, the ink will mar the design on the back of the page.

Water-based markers left indistinct shadows on the back of the page but did not bleed through. The shadows were enough to be noticeable on the designs on the back of the page.

Gel pens and India ink pens did not bleed through.

Colored pencils work well with this paper both oil based and water based. I was able to layer and blend well using a blender stick and get a nice deep color with both types of pencils.

Create Magic: A Coloring Book by Katie Daisy for Adults and Kids at Heart

By: Katie Daisy

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my first coloring book by artist Katie Daisy. The designs are hand-drawn and have a lovely charming quality to them. There are lots of flowers and other elements from nature (birds, mushrooms, shells, etc.) Additionally, there are a few that are simply fun, such as a grouping of lanterns and another one of a globe. Many of the designs have inspiring sayings on them.

The designs are unique and fun to color. There is a nice level of detail but nothing too intricate or difficult to color. Each page makes for a fairly quick and easy project.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.

40 Hand-drawn designs, some with sayings, and most derived from nature

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, and perforated

Glue Binding

Designs do not merge into the binding area and most have a frame of sorts around the outer edge of the design.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page

Water-based markers and India ink pens bleed through the page in spots.

Gel pens leave a slight shadow on the back of the page but do not bleed through. Some pens require additional drying time be sure to allow ample time to keep the ink from smudging.

Colored pencils work well with this slightly rough paper. I was able to layer and blend easily with both oil and wax based pencils.

I use a blotter page below my working page when working with wet medium I this book. That keeps the ink from seeping through and marring the page below. I use card stock but a couple of pages of heavyweight paper work well, too. You can always simply remove pages prior to coloring to keep your book from damage.

In addition to the copy of this coloring book that I purchased on Amazon, the publisher sent me a sample advanced reader copy of this book.

Reflecting on the Names of Jesus: Jesus-Centered Coloring Book for Adults (Jesus-Centered Devotions)

By: Group Publishing

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a wonderful coloring book for the Christian colorist. The book contains 40 designs to color, each with one of the names of Christ as told in Scripture. On the page opposite (back of the preceding page), there is a Scripture reference and cite to the use of the name in the Bible. The Scripture is drawn from 19 different translations. In addition to the quote, there is a suggested question for you to ponder and ask while coloring.

I have another book which is the names of God. I really enjoy that book but wanted one of the names of Jesus and this is an outstanding one. I’m pleased with the hand-drawn designs and the names which were picked for the book. I’m not familiar with all of the translations but I found that each of them made the point of the name very well. It’s wonderful to think of the name that I am coloring and to ask myself how I can see this part of God at work in my life.

My only nit is that I wish the the Scripture for the design had been printed on the back of the same page so that if you remove a page from the book, you had both the design and appropriate Scripture kept together. I don’t plan on removing pages, so it isn’t a problem for me but I do know that many left-handed individuals prefer to remove pages so they are not coloring over the hump of the binding.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.

40 Design pages with the Names of Jesus from a wide variety of translations

Designs printed black on white on one side of page with Scripture and other information printed on the back as white on gray.

Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.

Glue Binding

Most designs cross over the perforations and merge into the binding area. The area lost if you remove a page from the book does not contain important elements of the design.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper

Water-based markers leave colorful shadows and can bleed through in spots to the back of the page

India ink pens spot through to the back of the page

Gel pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and got similar good results. I was able to get good pigment with deeper coloring by applying layers, I could layers multiple colors well and also blend easily using a pencil style blender stick.

I protect the pages below by working page with a blotter sheet. I prefer card stock as a blotter but you can use a couple of pages of heavyweight paper as well. You can also remove pages from this book (at the perforations) prior to coloring to keep the rest of the book in good shape.

Teacup Kittens Coloring Book

By: Kayomi Harai

Rating: 4 of 5

I really like the designs in this book. The artist, Kayomi Harai is new to me but I will certainly be looking for her books after purchasing the two that are now available. The kittens in the book are designed in what seems to be a hybrid of line drawing and grayscale as much of the cat fur details are done in shades of gray. The kittens are adorable and range from those in teacups to fairy kittens, a kitten in bath and many other cute poses.

In my first project, I used gray marker which almost completely obscured the shading so I will be careful with my use of gray in the future and use darker colors on the shading prior to using an all-over color to begin with.

My only issue with the book has to do with the publishing. Designs Originals has, this year, begun shrinking a number of the designs to include coloring information on the design page. It’s been disappointing to me as it renders to the designs harder to color by making the details too small. In this book, ten of the designs are reduced. I like the coloring information but think it could be limited to the colored sample pages or to a page of its own rather than reducing the coloring pages. Because of this issue, I dropped my rating a star from a five to a four.

Apart from that, I am really enjoying the book. With these particular designs, shrinking has made the designs a bit more difficult to color but, thankfully, it has not made them intricate or too tiny to deal with. There are many pages, at the front of the book, with coloring hints and colored samples of designs as well.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.

32 Kitten designs 22 full size and 10 reduced size designs

Designs are printed on one side of the page with cute quotes and journal lines on the back of the page.

Paper is medium weight, white, slightly rough and perforated. It is also noted as acid-free archival quality.

Glue Binding

Designs stop before the perforations

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can spot through as well depending on how heavily they are applied.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. Both oil and wax based pencils provide good color, layer the same or multiple colors well, and blend easily using a blending stick. Hard lead pencils can dent through the page.

I like to use a blotter page below my working page to keep seeping ink and dents from marring the pages below. I use card stock but two sheets of heavyweight paper work well, too. You can also simply remove pages before coloring to keep the rest of the book in good condition as well.

Manga to the Max Warriors: Drawing and Coloring Book

By: Erik Deprince

Rating: 5 of 5

I enjoy coloring both Manga and Anime characters and this is a really fun book to color. There are 29 characters are all warriors with unique skills and costumes. In addition, there are two pages of weapons which are mostly for individuals to draw their own weapons. There is also a page at the end of the book for individuals to draw their own character.

The designs are printed on one side of the page with information about the warrior printed on the back on the page in a light gray print that does not show through when I am coloring. There is a good mix of both male and female characters.

What is great about the way the book is put together is that while the pages are perforated, the information about the character is printed on the back of the coloring page of that character. That way, if you remove a page from the book, their information stays together.

The designs are of the figures and generally have some sort of framing around them. There are no background details. The designs have a good develop of detail but are not difficult or intricate to color.

In addition to the coloring pages, there is a short tutorial on drawing and a few hints on coloring. There are a good number of colored samples included on glossy pages as well.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.

31 Manga Warrior Coloring Pages including 29 Characters and 3 draw it yourself pages

Designs are printed on one side of the page with character information printed on the back of the page.

Paper is medium weight, white, slightly rough and perforated. It is also noted as acid-free archival quality.

Glue Binding

Designs stop before the perforations

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can spot through as well depending on how heavily they are applied.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. Both oil and wax based pencils provide good color, layer the same or multiple colors well, and blend easily using a blending stick. Hard lead pencils can dent through the page.

I like to use a blotter page below my working page to keep seeping ink and dents from marring the pages below. I use card stock but two sheets of heavyweight paper work well, too. You can also simply remove pages before coloring to keep the rest of the book in good condition as well.

Anime Doodle Girls: Coloring Book (Volume 2)

By: Jenny Luan

Rating: 5 of 5

This is the second in a series of Animal girls by Jenny Luan. This is my first of her books and I am really enjoying it. It should probably be more rightly called manga girls as anime is based on actual animated characters and manga is based on similarly style characters but with no basis in actual animation.

The designs are really cute and have a number of characters based on fairy tales, myths, or associated with specific countries or times. The designs are easily colored without a lot of intricate detail. They have framing lines which I really appreciate for a natural stopping point while I am coloring. There are considerable doodle elements included which allows you to use a wide variety of colors in the design if you so choose.

There are 29 designs in the book including the design on the title page. In addition, the artist has included several bonus pages from her other coloring books. It is a fun way to try out her different styles before investing in a new book.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the pages with my coloring medium:

29 Animal Doodle style girl designs with bonus pages from other coloring books.

Printed one side of the page

Paper is type of CreateSpace paper: thin, white, slightly rough, and non-perforated.

Glue Bound

Designs do not merge into the binding and designs have a framing line at the outer edge.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper

Water-based markers bleed through in spots

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can seep through in spots if used heavily or in multiple coats.

Colored pencils worked nicely with this thin but slightly rough paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and got good color with multiple layers of the same color, good results from layers of different colors and nice blending results using a blending stick. Hard lead pencils easily dent through the page and can damage the page below.

I suggest using a blotter page of card stock or a couple of sheets of heavier weight paper under your working page. It can keep seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.

Beautiful Days (A Pressure Releasing Coloring Book Making Life Blossom) (Chinese Edition)

By: Pu Yingmei

Rating: 5 of 5

Beautiful Days is the Chinese edition of a coloring book by Pu Yingmei. The wording within the designs are all in English; however, the covers are in Chinese. The information page states that the original version of the book was in published in South Korea in 2015 while the Chinese version was published in 2016.

The designs cover a wide range of popular subjects including animals, sewing, dolls, typewriters, paints, and even a type of hippie VW style van. There are many designs with lots of flowers and doodle art to allow the colorist the ability to re-image the designs with a wide ranging color palette.

The binding on this coloring book is sewn but it is different from what I have seen in US and UK sewn books. The stitching is in red and there is no binding cover on the edge you can see the folded edge of the paper and the stitching. Surprisingly, this works really well for getting the book to lay flat for coloring. No matter what page I turned to in the book, the book easily fell into a flat position.

The paper in this book is a cream tone and is heavyweight with a slight roughness to the paper. That provides a good tooth for gripping colored pencil pigment. I was able to test both oil and wax based pencils with good results. The pigment went on well with multiple layers of the same color, with layers of multiple colors and I was able to easily blend both types of pencils with a blending stick.

The designs are printed on both sides of the page, so I tested my other coloring medium and found that only alcohol-based markers bled through the page. I had no bleed through or shadows on the back of the page from water-based markers, India ink pens or gel pens.

Creative Haven Summer Scenes Coloring Book (Adult Coloring)

By: Teresa Goodridge

Rating: 4 of 5

This is my second coloring book by Teresa Goodridge. It shares some of the same issues that I had with the first book, which are 1) the designs are very sketchy and seem sized down from the original artwork and 2) the sample colored images in the book (front and back page both inside and out) are of the actual painted artwork on which the designs are based rather than a colored sample based on the line drawings in the book. Even though it has similar issues, I find that I like these designs better and the faces of the people in the book (with the exception of those on the Ferris wheel designs) can be colored with at least a flesh tone marker or pencil.

I can work with the smaller less finished drawings but I think it is a little disingenuous to show the paintings and allow customers to think that their finished projects can look anything like those. It seems like someone made a line drawing version based on the original work. Details are changed somewhat and sizing becomes an issue. The line drawings have a cartoon feel to them rather than the elegant look of the original art.

The designs are evocative of summer with beach, cabin, dock and other scenes which bring to mind summertime activities. There are lots of flowers and insects that make me think of gardening during the warmer months.

For my first project, I chose to do a wooded cabin in the woods. It reminded me of summer vacations that my family has had in the past. I was able to use alcohol-based markers for the first coat of color and then details with my colored pencils. I’ll post a photo of my first project as well as samples from the book.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use for testing and for most of my coloring projects.

31 Summertime designs with a cartoon style quality compared to colored samples in the book.

Designs are printed one side of the page

Paper is white, medium weight, slightly smooth and has perforated pages.

Glue Binding

The designs stop well before the perforations and have a framing line at the outer edges

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper

Water-based markers bleed through in spots

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page. India ink can spot through on the paper if I apply multiple layers

Colored pencils work well with this paper. I was able to get good color and to get deeper pigment by layering the same color. I found that I could layer multiple colors and blend easily using a pencil style blending stick. This was the case with both oil and wax-based pencils. Hard lead pencils leave dents on the back of the page.

I prefer to use a blotter page under my working page to keep ink from seeping through or dents from marring the pages below. You can also remove pages from the book to color. I like card stock for my blotter page but a couple of sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

The Coloring Book of Cards and Envelopes: Christmas

By: Nosy Crow

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really adorable set of color it and make your own Christmas cards. The designs are extremely cute with areas to color or write in on all sides of the note cards. I would have been happy with just the cards but the set of 24 also comes with fold it yourself coordinating envelopes and stickers to seal them with. The designs are detailed and some have a few intricate areas to color. I don’t find them difficult to color but they may present issues for someone with vision or fine motor skill issues.

The envelopes have areas to color and decorate as well and the inside of the envelope is done is a all-over holiday theme design. The designs of the cards are really cute with all sorts of Christmas theme items, including Santa, deer, birds, bears, Christmas trees, and some adorable penguins. This is my first set of note cards by this company but it certainly will not be the last one.

The cards are printed on a medium weight card stock while the envelopes are printed on a heavy weight paper. All of the pages are perforated for easy removal from the book, however, you still need to cut (using scissors or paper cutter) certain parts of the page.

Each page of cards has two on it with a cutting line to separate them. The book also recommends that you trim the perforated side of the cards and the envelopes as it is slightly rough once it is removed from the book.

The fold lines are lightly scored on both the cards and the envelopes. There are written instructions on the method of folding the envelopes as well as stickers at the back of the book that can be used to help seal the envelopes. I don’t know how well these envelopes will hold up in the mail but my intent is to use them as gift cards which will not be mailed. If you are going to mail them, be aware that they are an unusual size and will probably require additional postage.

My alcohol-based markers bled through both types of paper.

My water-based markers were mixed. None of them bled through the note card paper but all but Tombow brush end markers bled through the envelopes.

Gel pens and India ink pens did not bleed through or leave marks on the back of either types of paper. I really liked the way that my India ink pens worked with and looked like with these cards.

Colored pencils work well with the slight rough texture. I got could color with both oil and wax based pencils. I was also able to layer and blend well using a blender stick.