Category Archives: Adult Color Books

Amy Brown Faeries Coloring Book 2

By: Amy Brown

Rating: 5 of 5

I own a couple of coloring books by Amy Brown. She has a unique style and look to her faeries that is really fun to color. I was really pleased to see that other of her older and out of print books are being re-printed once again. This is the second book in her series of Faeries.

The designs has some detailed elements but are, for the most part, open and easy to color. I like the sense of movement I feel when I am coloring one of Ms. Brown’s designs. There is always a feeling of flow and grace to her lovely creatures.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
20 Hand-drawn Faerie Designs by Amy Brown
Designs are printed on one side of thin, slightly rough non-perforated paper typical of CreateSpace.
Glue Binding
Easy to open to flat position for coloring
Designs do not merge into the binding and there is plenty of room to cut pages out if you choose to do so
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page to some degree. Water-based bleed through in spots while alcohol-based bleed through freely
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of page. India ink can bleed through if you use multiple layers or apply heavily.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. Both oil and wax based provide good color when I use multiple layers of the same color. I am easily able to blend (using a pencil style blender stick) and layer multiple colors as well. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the back of the page.
Because of the bleed through and dents, I suggest (and use) a blotter page below my working page no matter what medium I use. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

Color Me Enchanted: A Coloring Book of Fairy Tales from Around the World

By: Masha D’yans

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really beautiful coloring book of fairy tales/stories from around the world. The designs are quite detailed and have intricate and small areas to color. I really appreciated that the artists (Masha D-Yans and Gala Lazuli) included the name of the fairy tale and the country of its origin. That way, if I did not know the tale, I could easily look it up to become familiar with it. Each one also as a short excerpt from the story which is fun as well.

Each of the stories featured in this book has one or two designs representing it. The tales/stories in this book include: Thumbalina, The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter, The Boy who drew Cats, The Wizard of Oz, the Snow Queen, Firebird, Masha and the Bear, Alice in Wonderland, The Star Maiden, The Selkie Bride, The Little Mermaid, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Snake Prince, Gypsy Queen, The Fair Maid and the Snow White Unicorn, Vasilisa the Fair, Beauty and the Beast, The Dragon Princess, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Tsar Saltan, Rapunzel, The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child, Snow White, and the Princess and the Pea.
While at first I thought there were a number of wall-paper style repeating designs, when I looked closely as I started to color, I found that one only one design was a repeating page. That one (of various animals near the end of the book) is charming and should be fun to color. The other pages had similar elements but a close look revealed that there were differences through the page(s) which is not what I consider wall-paper designs.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
96 pages of designs inspired by fairy tales (includes title and intro pages)
Printed both sides of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.
Glue binding
Many designs spread across two pages
Designs cross over the perforations into the binding area
If you remove pages, especially on the two-page spreads, you will lose integral portions of the designs.
The book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens spotted through the paper and left shadows of color on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but required additional drying time.
Colored Pencils worked well with this paper except for blending with a pencil style blending stick. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color.
Where I had problems was with a pencil style blending stick. I found that the blender smeared the lines of the artwork to the point that my page looked bad. I tried various wet blenders and found that those worked well.

Star Trek: The Original Series Adult Coloring Book

By: CBS

Rating: 5 of 5

I have been a Star Trek fan since I was very young. The Original Series is the one that I first watched and one that I go watch many times over the years. This coloring book really takes me back into the series. The character illustrations (of scenes/episodes) are easily recognizable and are well done.

There are 45 designs in the coloring book and are done by a team of illustrators which is something that I have noticed is common in the new Dark Horse coloring books. In this case, the team is made up of Ivan Fernandez Silva, Juan Frigeri, Alejandro Giraldo, Gabriel Guzman, and Federica Manfredi. While there are subtle differences in style, I think that the illustrations work well together.
The designs are detailed and a few have intricate and small spots to color. The designs are printed on one side of the page with the episode/quote on the opposite facing page. I wish there were a few more scenes in space and that the designs stopped short of the binding. However, on the whole, I am really enjoying coloring these designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this coloring book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.
45 Designs based on episodes and scenes from Star Trek, the original series.
Designs printed on one side of page with quotes and Stardates printed on the back of the page
Paper is white, heavy weight, somewhat smooth, and non-perforated
Hybrid glue and sewn binding (lots of small stitches). These are near impossible to snip to remove pages. I suggest cutting pages out instead if you so choose.
Designs merge into the binding area. Cutting out pages will result in some loss of design.
I was able to get the book to open fairly flat with some effort by breaking/creasing the spine.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through but do leave shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked well with the paper. I could layer well for deeper pigment and blending easily using a blender stick. Hard lead pencils did not leave dents through the page.
I suggest the use of a blotter page with alcohol-based medium. I like card stock but a couple of pages of heavy weight paper will work as well.

Bluetooth Headphones – Safari Wireless Earbuds for Running Workout Gym or Other Sports with Built-in Mic for Hands Free Calling

By: SafariTech

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a book of beautifully drawn women of various Asian cultures. The designs are extremely detailed and intricate with many small areas to color.

The fabric of the clothing is covered in beautiful patterns and flowers. It makes for a more advanced coloring project requiring good lighting and a steady hand. I would not suggest this book for anyone who has vision or fine motor issues.
On the other hand, for those of us who like a project which requires a lot of thought and time, this is a wonderful book of designs. The women, their clothing, and the scenes they are set in are really lovely.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
35 Designs inspired by women of various Asian cultures.
Printed one side of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.
Glue binding
Designs do not cross over the perforations. If you remove pages, you will not lose any portion of the design.
The book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens spotted through the paper and left shadows of color on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but required additional drying time.
Colored Pencils worked well with this paper. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color. I was also able to layer multiple colors well and to easily blend colors using a pencil style blending stick.

Zendoodle Coloring: Love Notes: 20 Cards to Color and Give to the One You Love

By: Bonnie Lynn Demanche

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a cute set of postcards which deal mostly with romantic love. There are a few which may apply to other individuals but it is generally something you would color and give to your sweetheart. The back of each page is pre-set for use as a postcard. The card has a spot for a stamp and is equally divided for a written message and an address.

The designs are detailed and a few have smaller areas to color which might require the use of ultra-fine pens/markers or really sharp pencils. Crayons might be difficult to use unless you are able to sharpen them to a fairly fine point.
The binding is a notepad style where it is easy to remove pages by carefully pulling them away. They will remove in whole without any loss of designs. The paper is a lightweight card stock rather than a heavy weight postcard stock. It is white and fairly smooth to the touch.
Alcohol-based markers were the only coloring medium which bled through the page. Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through or leave shadows on the back of the page. I used a blotter page of card stock when using my Sharpies, Bic Mark-its and Copics to keep seeping ink from ruining the design below.
Colored Pencils worked okay with this paper. I got good pigment and layered colors easily. Blending was a little smeary with both oil and wax based pencils (probably due to the smooth paper.)

Pride & Prejudice: An Adult Coloring Book with Romantic Country Scenes, Historical English Women, and Vintage Floral Dresses (Inspired by the Best-Selling Novel by Jane Austen)

By: Jade Summer

Rating: 5 of 5

I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen’s novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. I remember the first time I read it (when I was in elementary school), I kept a flashlight by my bed so I could sneak and read after bedtime. It is a book that I have read many times over the years and I love to watch movies/series based on it and now am happy to find coloring books that are inspired by it.

The designs cover the book pretty much from beginning to end. There are many scenes that are iconic to me from the book from Mr. Darcy rebuffing Elizabeth Bennet as no being handsome enough to Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh having it out in the garden. It is fun to see another artists interpretation of the characters.
The designs are very detailed with but not what I consider intricate. There are many areas to color but I can use most coloring medium without any issues. I think crayons might be more difficult unless you can sharpen them to a fairly fine point.
While you can have access to .PDFs when you purchase this book, my review is based on the book as it is received from Amazon. That way you will know what the pages look like and how they accept color. I like that the publisher provides the digital version as well so you can choose the paper you wish to use and/or to color the pictures as many times as you choose.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
25 x 2 Designs based on Pride and Prejudice
Paper is typical of CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. The back of the page is printed black which is something I am find typical of Jade Summer coloring books.
The designs do not merge into the binding. There is a heavy framing line at the outer edges of the design to give the project a more finished look, especially for framing. There is a slight shadowing effect to the framing line which gives the image an almost 3D effect.
Glue Binding (there is room to cut the pages out if you choose to do so.)
Though you cannot see the bleed-through easily due to the back of the page being printed in black, I recommend the use of a blotter page when working in this 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.
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. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Adult Coloring Book

By: CBS

Rating: 5 of 5

What fun to have a well done Star Trek The Next Generation coloring book. I noticed that it seems to stop mid-series, so perhaps there will be another book in the future.

There are 45 designs in the coloring book and are done by a team of illustrators (Juann Cabal, Gabriel Guzman, Daniel Maine, Stefano Martino, and Bill Mudron.) I found that their styles meshed well together and the continuity of the designs was well done throughout the book.
The designs are mostly spot-on character scenes from various episodes and it was great fun to remember which one was which. I’ve started re-watching the series because of the coloring book as it reminded me how much I enjoy the series.
The designs are detailed but not what I would call intricate though there are parts of designs which have small areas to color. The designs are printed on one side of the page with the episode/quote on the opposite facing page. There are only a couple of things that would have made this book even better for me more scenes in space and designs that stopped short of the binding. On the whole, I am really liking these designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this coloring book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.
45 Designs based on episodes and scenes from earlier seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation
Designs printed on one side of page with quotes and Stardates printed on the back of the page
Paper is white, heavy weight, somewhat smooth (but with tooth), and non-perforated

The Selection Coloring Book

By: Kiera Cass

Rating: 5 of 5

I will attach a silent flip-through video of the entire coloring book, as well as some photos, so you can decide for yourself if this book suits your needs.

I really like the concept of coloring books which bring novels and series of novels to life for those who like to color. The Selection Coloring Book is a lovely example of beautiful illustrations which flesh out a series of books, in this case by Kiera Cass. It includes five of the six books in the series. The only one I could not find was Happily Ever After.
The books are included as chapters: The Selection, The Elite, The One, The Heir, and, finally, The Crown. I appreciate that only a few pictures from each book could be included but was really happy to see my favorite characters and scenes represented.
My only small nit with the book is the number of illustrated banner pages that are included. While I like to have a few in a coloring book of this nature, the split between character designs and banner pages is even at 20 each. My preference would have been to have at least five more character designs for a 25/15 split. I don’t consider this small nit to rise to the level of removing a star from the rating, it would just have been my preference.
In addition to these 40 pages which are black line drawings on white background, there are five chapter heading pages which are black background with white words and designs. I think that all of the illustrations: characters (by Sandra Suy) and lettering by Martina Flor are beautifully drawn. I will have a lot of fun coloring in this book and will re-read my books as I go along.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
45 Design pages including 20 character designs, 20 banner designs, and 5 chapter heading pages (plus title and intro page designs) from the series The Selection
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is white, medium weight, somewhat smooth (but still good tooth), and perforated
Glue Binding
Many designs spread past the micro-perforations; however, if you choose to remove pages, nothing integral to the design will be lost.
The book opens fairly flat for coloring though I had to heavily crease (break) the spine.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper rapidly. If I were to use this medium, I would put a blotter page below my working page to keep seeping ink from ruining the design below. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper works well, too. You can also remove pages from the book before coloring. I prefer not to do so to keep the continuity of the series intact.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens did not bleed through but they did leave shadows on the back of the page. As the book is printed on one side of the page, this didn’t trouble me.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color. I was also able to layer multiple colors well and to easily blend colors using a pencil style blending stick.

Colour My Sketchbook DARKER

By: Bennett Klein

Rating: 5 of 5

I have several of Bennett Klein’s beautiful coloring books. I missed getting the limited edition Dark coloring book which was released for a short period of time late last year so I was very happy to see a new book, Darker just released. The designs are wonderfully drawn and take fantasy to a slightly darker level than some of Mr. Klein’s earlier books.

While I don’t have the previous book, I’ve compared some of the designs in my book with those shown on the review of Dark. It seems that there are many duplicates. Without having the first book to do a side-by-side comparison, I can’t confirm that all of the designs are duplicated. What I can say is that there seems to be more pages in Darker which may equate to more designs. You can check my silent video to see what is included in the coloring book.
This is my first book of Mr. Klein’s designs with black background. I have colored in similar style books before but trust Mr. Klein to take the concept forward a step by including beautiful elements in a deep gray tone to accent the final project. It gives a perfect background to those designs on which it is included. I guess you could color those areas but I intend to leave them as deep gray.
The designs are somewhat in gray scale but with so much black in the background, the artist wisely choose to leave more white space in the coloring elements. I will be able to use both my markers and my colored pencils while coloring in this book. As that is my preferred coloring method (markers for background and pencils for details), I am very happy with the way the book has been published.
With this book, the artist provides a table of contents with the title of each of his pieces of art. I really appreciate that extra touch as many of the titles give context to his intent with the design.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
30 Hand-drawn illustrations with white on black background (some gray scale elements as well)
Designs are printed on one side of thin, slightly rough non-perforated paper typical of CreateSpace. While the paper is actually white, the background of the designs are printed in black.
Glue Binding
Easy to open to flat position for coloring
Designs do not merge into the binding and there is plenty of room to cut pages out if you choose to do so
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page to some degree. Water-based bleed through in spots while alcohol-based bleed through freely
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of page. India ink can bleed through if you use multiple layers or apply heavily.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. Both oil and wax based provide good color when I use multiple layers of the same color. I am easily able to blend (using a pencil style blender stick) and layer multiple colors as well. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the back of the page.
Because of the bleed through and dents, I suggest (and use) a blotter page below my working page no matter what medium I use. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

1: Lady Mechanika Steampunk Coloring Book

By: Joe Benitez

Rating: 5 of 5

I will attach a silent flip-through video of the entire coloring book, as well as some photos, so you can decide for yourself if this book suits your needs.

I really like the concept of coloring books which bring novels and series of novels to life for those who like to color. While I am not familiar with the graphic novels of Lady Mechanika by Joe Benitez, I will certainly be looking for them in the near future.
Because I don’t know the stories, I can’t say whether the artwork is lifted directly from the books or not. I think so because I have seen that the first novel in the series has a similar cover to this coloring book. In my first project in the book, I decided to give the beautiful lady red hair. That is what is great about coloring books you can color the characters the way you prefer.
In any case, the 40 designs in the coloring book are beautiful and elaborately drawn. They are nicely detailed and have a heavy use of black as a shading/color element in many of the pages. Some of the designs have intricate and small areas to color. The main focus of the design is, naturally, Lady Mechanika. However, there are a number of design pages which feature other characters as well.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
40 Wonderful Steampunk designs based on the graphic novel series of Lady Mechanika
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is white, medium/heavy weight, somewhat smooth (but still good tooth), and perforated
Glue Binding
Designs stop before the perforations and nothing will be lost if you remove pages from this book.
The book opens fairly flat for coloring though I had to heavily crease (break) the spine.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper rapidly. If I were to use this medium, I would put a blotter page below my working page to keep seeping ink from ruining the design below. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper works well, too. You can also remove pages from the book before coloring. I prefer not to do so to keep the continuity of the series intact.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens did not bleed through but they did leave shadows on the back of the page. As the book is printed on one side of the page, this didn’t trouble me.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color. I was also able to layer multiple colors well and to easily blend colors using a pencil style blending stick.