Category Archives: Adult Color Books

Enchanted Forest Artist’s Edition: 20 Drawings to Color and Frame

By: Johanna Basford

Rating: 5 of 5

These are some of the beautiful designs that originally appeared in Joanna Basford’s besting selling Enchanted Forest coloring book. Of her three books thus far, I must admit this is my favorite though I like and enjoy all of them.

I recently purchased and reviewed the UK version of this book and promised to include a list of the differences between the UK and the US version. I’m pleased to say that apart from slight wording changes on the cover, there is no difference at all. They are published by the same company with the same materials. The exact same color, size, weight, and they work identically with various coloring mediums.

I’m really pleased that Ms. Basford has begun publishing artist’s editions (starting last year with Secret Garden.) The Artist’s Edition of Enchanted Forest (compared to the original book) is larger, the paper is considerably heavier and, of course, these are printed on only one side of the page which allows you to color the design with any medium you choose.

There are 20 designs in the larger format book which is a small subset of the designs in the original book. Some of my favorites are included but then again, there are some that did not make the cut. Perhaps they will show up in the calendar scheduled for later this year or who knows if there may someday be a volume 2 of the Artists Edition (hint, hint).

In some cases, the designs in this version are slightly enlarged compared to the original (for example, the hot hair balloon and the fox) but in most cases the designs are slightly to more than slightly smaller in size. It seems as if the width of the design caused some to be decreased. Anything that came close to the edge of the original book was made smaller as the width dimension of the artist’s edition is more narrow.

The few designs that were taken from two-page spreads in the original are treated two separate ways: 1) the entire two-page designs is put on a single page and is much smaller in size compared to the original, and 2) in a couple of instances, only a portion of the design is reproduced and in that case, the portion of the design is slightly larger than the original.

The cover of the book is hinged with a secondary cover beneath it. The actual pages are glue bound but with the type of binding that allows you to remove pages easily and in whole (think of a notepad type of binding.) The pages are a light cream tone. It is much quite different from my original US book which looks almost slightly green in tone when the two books are sitting side by side. The paper is such a nice quality, it will be easy to remove and frame these if you wish.

My various coloring medium all worked well with this edition. For my first design in the US version, I used a variety of Copic, Bic Mark-it and Sharpie alcohol-based markers. I will also include photos of the first designs I did in the UK version where I used a variety of alcohol and water-based markers without serious bleed-through. The paper works fantastic with these markers as the only colors that have yet to have the slightest hint of a stain on the back of the page are my deep red and blue tones.

When I tested the rest of my coloring mediums, India ink did not bleed through. Gel pens did not bleed through but required more drying time than usual. Soft lead coloring pencils worked with the card stock and blended and layered well. Hard lead pencils went on with a nice color and did not dent through the page.

The Present – Thai Version

By: Daria Song

Rating: 5 of 5

Color Laughter Coloring Book (Perfectly Portable Pages) (On-The-Go Coloring Book)

By: Suzy Toronto

Rating: 5 of 5

This is the third coloring book I have purchased by Sue Toronto in this size format. It is one of four that are being published in the smaller size (I believe that the large format will be made available soon, too.) The size of the book is 8.25 x 5.25 inches which is perfect for me to fit in my handbag or tote for use on the go. I generally keep a small set of coloring pencils and gel pens in my bag as well so I can while the time away with some cute coloring as I recently did while waiting forever at the doctor’s office.

I did notice that there are a few design duplication between all the three books that I have (Friendship, Inspiration and Laughter.) I have a number of duplicates but that just gives me a few to share around. If you are buying just one book, no problems. If you plan on buying more, just be aware of this so you aren’t surprised.

For my first project in this coloring book, I choose one about drama queens. It is dedicated to the drama queen in my life a wildly enthusiastic and dramatic young woman who lives her life to the fullest who has been a drama princess and now queen her whole life! I enjoyed using my Tombows for this project.

I will provide more detail about the physical book below but here is an overview of what I found:

28 Cute and Funny Designs with Humorous Sayings
Printed on one side of medium weight perforated paper
Designs stop before the perforations
Glue Bound
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page
India Ink pens bleed through the page
Gel pens do not bleed through
Coloring pencils work well with the paper

This is a coloring book published by Design Original books. As usual with their books, this book includes examples of colored artwork. It also includes tips from this artist about color wheels. She also discusses how she starts with yellow as a base coat on all of her artwork. I’ve included a photo of my colored design as well as a couple of their sample designs.

I recommend using a cut down piece of heavyweight paper as a blotter page to use under the project you are working on to keep the rest of the book from being damaged. You can also simply remove the page from the book before you color your project.

Sherri Baldy My-Besties Sweet Treats Adult coloring book

By: Sherri Ann Baldy

Rating: 5 of 5

Sweet Treats Besties is the fifth coloring book recently released by Sherri Baldy. I discovered her designs with the first one and have picked up each of the books as they have been released. The latest coloring book has adorable little girls with huge eyes either holding or lounging in their favorite sweet treat. Following a surgery a few years ago, my sweet treat days are behind me but I get the vicarious enjoyment of them by coloring these little ladies.

Just like with sweets, it is hard to stop with just one and I colored five of these little girls within the last two days. I used my Copic markers for most of the designs with some additions from other alcohol-based markers (Sharpies and Bic Mark-its) as well. I like to do eyes with oil-based coloring pencils rather than markers as I feel that I have a bit better control over the blending.

Here is what I found within this book:

25 x 2 (50) My Sweet Treat Besties Big-eyed Girl Designs
Printed on one side of the page
Page is white, slightly rough, and is non-perforated
Glue Bound
Designs do not merge into the binding
Room enough to cut pages out if you wish to do so
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page
Gel pens and India ink pens leave color shadows on back of the page
Coloring pencils work well: soft lead lay down color, layer, and blend well; hard lead dent the back of the page but lay down good color

Beauty in the Bible: An Adult Coloring Book, Premium Edition

By: Paige Tate

Rating: 5 of 5

This is the premium edition of Beauty in the Bible. I have the second volume in this series in the regular paper but had not purchased the first book. I was surprised (in a good way) to see that the publishing company had decided to step up the paper grade, add perforations and provide the designs in two sizes (both suitable for framing.) You get two of each design. The larger design will fit an 8 x 10 inch frame and the smaller design will fit a 5 x 7 inch frame.

The 24 designs are all Scripture-based with verse citations; however, I cannot provide the specific translation information as it is not included in the book. The images in the book are licensed from Shutterstock but for me, the importance of the book is in the words. As with my other book by this publisher, the Bible verse is the focus of the design though they are very nicely integrated with well-chosen licensed artwork. Most of the designs have many flowers which is fun for adding lots of color.

It appears that all of the designs from the first book are included in the premium edition (though they may be ordered slightly differently.) The big addition are the smaller versions of the designs, better paper quality and the perforated pages. I can compare these to the book I do own by this publisher and I am impressed by the changes. It appears that the publisher really listened to their customers and wanted to present the book in an upgraded format.

There were so many wonderful and inspiring designs to choose from and I have already completed four of them. For the first, I decided to use alcohol-based markers to complete the design and Verithin pencils to do the words. For the other three, I used three different types of coloring pencils and had great results from soft lead and hard lead alike. I noted that the paper absorbs markers quite well and you have to use a light hand to avoid feathering outside of the lines.

It was a real joy to color these designs. As I colored, I really thought about the verse and what it meant to me. It was a real comfort to me and exactly what I needed to meditate on.

This is the overview of what I found in this coloring book:

24 Scripture Based Designs in two sizes for 48 coloring opportunities
Printed on one side of perforated, white, slightly rough medium weight paper
Designs do not merge into the binding area
Glue Binding
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper
Water-based markers either bled through or left shadows of color on the back of the page
Gel pens and India ink pens left indistinct shadows on the back of the page
Coloring pencils work well with the paper with the soft lead going on well both with a light hand and a firm hand. I was able to blend and layer well with a wide variety of brands of coloring pencils. My hard lead pencils provided good color and did not dent the back of the page.

You should note that the smaller format designs are on a perforated page; however, you will need to cut the two apart for separate use (cutting line is included.) I was able to get the book to lay flat for coloring but I chose to remove my page from the book to use on a clipboard.

The World of Debbie Macomber: Come Home to Color: An Adult Coloring Book

By: Debbie Macomber

Rating: 5 of 5

Harry Potter Postcard Coloring Book

By: Scholastic

Rating: 5 of 5

The Wonderful World of Horses – Horse Adult Coloring / Colouring Book: Beautiful Horses to Color

By: Simone Phillips

Rating: 5 of 5

I really enjoy coloring horse designs, especially those with extra doodles included for coloring fun. The Wonderful World of Horses is one of the best of this style horse coloring books I have. There are thumbnails of 30 of the designs at the front of the book. According to the product description, there are supposed to be 30 designs in the book but I count 31, so that adds a bonus page over what I expected in this book.

The 31 designs are originals drawings by artist Simone Phillips. Her designs have a flowing look to them even though the horse(s) may be at a standstill. A few of the designs also feature a young woman along with her horse. The designs are detailed with some small areas but not to the point of tiny spaces to color.

I enjoyed coloring both of my first two projects and did both of them with a variety of alcohol-based markers. In one, I decided to utilize the white space to be the color of the horse to make the floral designs in its coat stand out. In the other, I colored the horse with brown but had a lot of fun giving it a mane full of color.

This is what I found in coloring and testing this coloring book:

31 Horse Designs with Floral Embellishments
30 Thumbnail designs
Printed on one side of thin, white, slightly rough non-perforated paper
Glue Bound
Designs do not merge into the binding area
Most designs have a framing line around the outside and those that don’t have the line have all elements finished within the design
I can get the book to open fairly flat by breaking the spine
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the paper
Gel Pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page
Coloring pencils work well with this paper. I can put color down with a light touch for a softer, grainy look or by pressing harder or applying several coats, I can get a good solid pigment look. Soft lead pencils blend and layer well. Hard lead pencils leave dents on the back of the page.
I recommend using a blotter of card stock or heavyweight paper beneath your working page to keep the rest of the book in good condition. You can also cut pages out without any loss of design.

I was provided a free copy of this coloring book for test and review purposes.

Squidoodle’s Adventures in Coloring and Doodling

By: Steve Turner

Rating: 5 of 5

There are 16 hand-drawn designs in this coloring book. The product description mentions 19 but I count 16 so perhaps there has been a revision to the book. The designs are eclectic and imaginative. They range the gamut from hot air balloons to owls. There is a nice level of detail but the elements are not too small and don’t require special ultra fine nibs in order to color.

I chose a dragon for my first project. I colored it in a variety of alcohol-based markers. I find that alcohol-based work better for me with this paper and designs, so that is how I will probably continue with the book.

This is an overview of what I found in this coloring book:

16 Hand-drawn designs
Printed on one side of CreateSpace white, thin, slightly rough, non-perforated paper
Glue Binding
Designs do not merge into the binding area and you will not lose portions of the designs if you cut pages out of the book
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through this paper
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page.
Coloring pencils work well with this paper. Soft lead goes on well though I find that to get heavier pigment, I have to layer color on in thin coats. Hard lead pencils dent the back of the page.
I recommend a blotter page of card stock or heavy weight paper be used beneath your working page to keep ink and dents from marring the pages below.

I received a free sample of this coloring book for test and review purposes.

I Climbed Aboard a London Bus: A Poetry and Colouring Adventure by Squidoodle

By: Ben Riley

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book aimed at children. It includes some silly poems which should strike the funny bone of a child just right. The poems are original as is the artwork. I found that some of the words and concepts were definitely more geared towards the British rather than the US but was able to explain a bit to the child I read them to. Once he understood what was going on, he thought it was hugely funny.

I usually test coloring books with my coloring medium but this time I also added in some of the types my grandson uses (namely crayons and crayon brand washable markers.) Those worked as expected with the crayons giving a decent coverage and the markers bleeding through.

This is an overview of what I found in this coloring book:

23 Pages of Hand-drawn designs with cute poems
Printed on one side of CreateSpace white, thin, slightly rough, non-perforated paper
Glue Binding
Designs do not merge into the binding area and you will not lose portions of the designs if you cut pages out of the book
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through this paper
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page.
Coloring pencils work well with this paper. Soft lead goes on well though I find that to get heavier pigment, I have to layer color on in thin coats. Hard lead pencils dent the back of the page.
Crayons covered as expected (kind of grainy) but definitely acceptable for a child’s coloring project.
I recommend a blotter page of card stock or heavy weight paper be used beneath your working page to keep ink and dents from marring the pages below.

I received a free sample of this coloring book for test and review purposes.