Monthly Archives: August 2016

Art of Coloring: Disney Villains: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation

By: Disney Book Group

Rating: 4 of 5

Of all of the Disney coloring books released over the past 12 months, this one has been the one that I have most be looking forward to. While there is heavy patterning on a lot of the villains, it is not as extensive as that used in the Disney Animals coloring book.

For the most part, I am ignoring the patterns and looking at the outlines and coloring in big swathes of color in both of these books. I find that it will be easier to do so with this book as the patterning is not doodle style. I am considering the patterning in this book as a form of texture in the villains clothes. For those who like to color lots of tiny detail, it can be worked as tiny areas to color.

The book is divided into three chapters: Villains from the Animal World, Monsters and Sorcerers, and Villainous Humans. While I might have chosen different villains, there was a nice assortment from the following movies: Peter Pan, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Princess and the Frog, the Aristocrats, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Cinderella, The Rescuers, The Sword in the Stone, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Great Mouse Detective, The Lion King, Mulan, Lady and the Tramp, Ratatouille, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor’s New Groove.

There are only 9 designs which span across 2 pages. All of them are what I call wallpaper repeating pattern designs. I really appreciate that no unique designs were spread across two pages as it is so difficult to try to color into the binding area. There are an additional 23 single page wallpaper designs in the book as well. The majority of the designs in the book are single page unique designs.

Floral Bouquets Coloring Book for Adults

By: Happy Coloring

Rating: 5 of 5

I own several of Julie Emerson’s animal coloring books so I was intrigued to see that she had come out with a floral book. The designs in this book are a bit of a departure from what I am used to from Ms. Emerson but they are quite lovely as well. The designs depict realistic but not overly detailed floral bouquets. There are no backgrounds, almost all of the designs are just the flowers either in vases or tied together with ribbons. There are roses, lilies, poppies, orchids, daisies and much more.

I like the level of detail as it makes for an interesting project to color but one that can be finished fairly quickly. As a gardener, I really appreciate that the flowers are depicted naturally and not with a lot of doodles in them. I like doodle designs as well but I especially like to color flowers in a more realistic way.

This is what I discovered when coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. In the comments section below, I will list the various coloring mediums I use for testing and coloring.

30 Designs of Floral Bouquets plus a color-able title page

Printed one side of the page

Paper is typical CreateSpace paper: thin, white, slightly rough and non-perforated

Glue Bound

Designs do not merge into the binding there is plenty of room to cut the pages out if you choose to do so.

Book opens fairly flat for coloring by breaking or creasing the spine.

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through this paper. Water-based are more spotty rather than how the alcohol-based flow through rapidly.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink can seep through in spots if you apply multiple layers of ink.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. It has a nice amount of tooth and both oil an wax-based pencils work equally well. I was able to lay down a good amount of pigment, layer the same or multiple colors and blend easily using a pencil style blender. Hard lead pencils, like Verithins, dent through to the back of the page.

Between seeping ink and dents from pencils, I use a blotter page to keep the rest of my book from being damaged. I like card stock for my blotter but a couple of pages of heavyweight paper work as well.

Cat-a-Doodles Adult Coloring Book: Mandala Series 1: Flowers, Hearts and Really Cute Cats (Volume 2)

By: Jo Toye

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my second coloring book of Cat designs by Jo Toye. In this book, Ms. Toye has created 24 mandala designs which feature cats. The designs are provided not only in the standard circular format but also sized to fit a 5 x 7 inch card as well. The latter designs are elongated and sized down giving them a unique look and also a unique feel as I am coloring them.

The designs are detailed but not intricate. I am using my standard coloring medium to finish the designs and I have found that in addition to my colored pencils, my alcohol-markers in the ultra-fine point or markers with brush nibs work well for the elements of the designs.

Ms. Toye has included some hints about color placement at the front of the book. There are also thumbnails of each of the 24 designs as well.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring mediums. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I use for both testing and coloring most of my projects.

24 x 2 Cat Mandala Designs each design is provided in full page format as well as sized for 5 x 7 inch use.

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough and non-perforated. It is the paper which is typical for CreateSpace publications

Glue bound

Designs do not merge into the binding area and there is plenty of room to cut designs out if you choose to do so.

Book opens fairly flat for coloring by creasing the spine.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper rapidly.

Water-based markers bleed through in spots.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page; however, India ink can bleed through if you use multiple layers of ink.

Both oil and wax-based colored pencils work well with this paper. I was able to layer the same color to get a deep pigment, layer multiple colors and blend easily using a pencil style blender. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the back of the page.

I use a blotter page under my working page to keep ink and dents from damaging the pages below. I prefer card stock but using a couple of sheets of heavyweight paper works well, too.

I was provided my first copy of this coloring book free for test and review purposes. I have since purchased additional copies for family and friends.

The Official Trolls Coloring Book (DreamWorks Trolls) (Adult Coloring Book)

By: Random House

Rating: 3.5 of 5

My youngest daughter loved trolls when she was a little girl and had the scattered all over her room. When I saw this new coloring book based on the DreamWorks movie, it made me think of our searches for trolls to add to her collection. I picked the book up so I could think of her and our fun together while coloring.

The designs in this book are based on the characters in the new movie, so they aren’t exactly the traditional trolls that I think of. I’m find with that as the characters are so cute. The designs are by artist Jan Gerardi and are nicely detailed and have lots of open area for easy of coloring, shading and blending. While they are detailed, they are not intricate or have tiny areas to color.

The cover is nicely printed with deep fuchsia foil accents. You can also color the rest of cover front and back if you choose to do so. The inside of both the front and back cover are cute floral line drawings which can be colored as well.

The one real issue I have with the book is that the pages are already coming apart from the binding. All it took to start the process was literally turning the pages. I don’t know if my book is indicative of all or if mine is a fluke but it is bothersome because a good number of the designs spread across two pages. When I have a book with that type of design, I don’t remove the pages from the book to color. I keep them together and, unfortunately, that is not going to happen with this book.

While I love the designs and would give them a 5 star review, I don’t love the way the book is put together. I actually rate that a 2. The average is 3.5 and I round up as I cannot leave that rating on Amazon, on their platform it shows as a 4.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I use for tests and which I generally use for all of my projects.

96 pages of Trolls Designs (including title and preface pages). Designs are based on the new DreamWorks movie rather than traditional trolls.

Printed on both sides of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, and non-perforated

Glue bound but pages are already detaching from the binding (issue due to printing on both sides.)

Many Designs are printed across two pages

Designs merge into the binding area

Opening this book to a fairly flat position for coloring hastens the detachment of pages. I am coloring in it with care.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. If you use these, you will ruin the design on the back of the page.

Water-based markers, gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through the page.

Colored pencils do very well with this paper. It has a nice amount of tooth and both oil and wax-based pencils perform well. I was able to get nice pigment and to layer the same color, multiple colors, and blending easily using a pencil style blending stick.

In summary, I wish the binding were better. I sincerely hope that it is just an issue with my book and not a general issue with the publication. I am coloring with care and putting a tie around the book when not in use to keep the pages intact. I’ve never had this issue with a coloring book before and was really surprised when it started to fall apart.

Centered – For Crayons And Wide Tipped Markers: Angie’s Gentle Mood Menders – Volume 2

By: Angie Grace

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my second coloring book in the Gentle Mood Menders series by Angie Grace. I also own one of her more intricate design series books, Breathe which is part of the Extreme Stress Menders series. As with Balance, the first volume in the Gentle series, Centered is a re-working of one of her popular Centered book in the Extreme Stress Menders series.

The big difference between the two Centered books is that this book has been made easier to color. The original book was very intricate and large where this one focuses on the central portion of the design. It still fits on the same size page as the original book but with less detail. Because it is less intricate, it means the designs are more open and that you can use larger coloring mediums to work with. I still find the mandalas nicely detailed and that I am having a lot of fun with the easier to color style.

In addition to larger tipped medium, I think it is also a book that can be used by individuals who could not color in the original book due to fine motor or visual issues. While I can’t compare it to the original book as I don’t own it, I did compare it to Breathe. I find that coloring in this book is a lot of fun and that the projects went by quickly for me without having to work in small detailed areas with tiny nib pens. I will admit that I used both fine and ultra-fine markers to do these designs but that was only for convenience sake and because I own both size markers in the same colors.

This is what I experienced while coloring in and testing my coloring mediums with this book. In the comments section below I will list the coloring mediums I used to test the paper in this book and which I usually use for my coloring projects.

50 Circular style Mandalas with wider lines and more open space than most mandalas

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough, and non-perforated

Glue Binding with plenty of space to cut out design if you choose to do so.

Designs stop well before the binding area

Alcohol and water-based markers seep through this paper to varying degrees. Alcohol-based seep through quickly while water-based are actually more spotty.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can seep through in spots if multiple layers are applied.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. Using both oil and wax-based pencils, I got good pigment coverage, could layer the same and multiple colors, and could blend easily using a pencil style blending stick. Hard lead pencils leave dents through to the back of the page.

I recommend the use of a blotter page for under your working page. That way you can keep seeping inks and marring dents from damaging the design below. I use either card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper.

Kawaii Halloween: A Super Cute Holiday Coloring Book (Kawaii, Manga and Anime Coloring Books for Adults, Teens and Tweens) (Volume 5)

By: Mindful Coloring Books

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really cute Halloween coloring book with lots of kittens, pumpkins, witches, vampires and cute little trick or treaters. Each of the design pages are filled with adorable little ones that are so much fun to color. I have another Kawaii style coloring book and have enjoyed coloring it, so when I found this book in a similar style with a Halloween vibe, I knew I would enjoy it as well.

Along with the 20 full size pages, there are two pages at the end of the book which include four bookmark size designs each for more coloring fun. In addition to these 22 pages of designs, there are sample pages from several other Mindful Coloring books as well.

This is what I experienced when coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. In the comments section below, I will include a list the coloring medium I used for testing and which I also use for coloring.

20 Full Page Halloween designs in Kawaii style plus bonus pages

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, slight rough, white and non-perforated

Glue bound

Designs do not merge into the binding area and have a framing line around the outer edge

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through. Water-based is more spotty while alcohol-based flow through rapidly.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you apply multiple layers.

Colored pencils work well. I tested both oil and wax-based and had good results with both. I was able to lay down good color, layer the same and multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style blender. Hard lead pencils can leave dents through the paper.

I use a blotter page of card stock to keep seeping ink and dents from damaging the pages below my working page. A couple of pages of heavyweight paper works well, too.

SpongeBob’s Very Grown-Up Coloring Book (SpongeBob SquarePants) (Adult Coloring Book)

By: Random House

Rating: 4 of 5

I have been a fan of SpongeBob over the years and was excited to see a coloring book being released for adult colorists. The reality was a little disappointing in that of the 47 design pages, at least 24 pages were in a repeating wallpaper style of design. Of those, a number were done in a very small and intricate style which will make it more difficult to color. I would have preferred a mix of more designs and less repeating designs or at least bringing up the size of some of those tiny ones to a size that makes it easier to see and to color. Because of this, I find I like the book but don’t really love it.

I really like the regular design pages and those will probably be the ones that I will color. Not sure if I will ever make my way to the wallpaper designs but time will tell.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used for testing this book and which are also the ones I usually use for coloring my projects.

47 SpongeBob Squarepants Designs (plus title page)

Printed on one side of the page with a quote or saying on the back of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, non-perforated

Glue Bound

Designs merge into the binding area

Book opens fairly flat for coloring by breaking or creasing the spine heavily.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper. If you use this style of marker, I suggest using a blotter page under your working page. I use card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper as my blotter.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens do not bleed through the paper.

Colored pencils work very well with this paper. Both oil and wax-based pencils worked equally well. I was able to layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style stick blender.

Fairies & Friends: Enchanting Fairies and Friends to Color

By: Barbara Lanza

Rating: 5 of 5

I have several coloring books by Barbara Lanza and really enjoy the beautiful and elegant fairies who inhabit the world of her imagination. Fairies and Friends in the second book in her new fairy series. The first book, which I also own, is called Fairy Lane. In the new book, Ms. Lanza continues to populate this world with her beautiful creatures.

There are 25 new designs in this book. The designs have a really nice level of detail but are not overly intricate. Some of the designs are focused on a foreground imagine while others are fully illustrated with a background as well. In most of the designs, there is a fairy and its animal friend, such as a cat, a bird, a dragonfly, a squirrel, or even another fairy.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and while testing my coloring medium on the paper. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used to test this book and which I use for most of my coloring.

25 Fairy and Friend Designs

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough and non-perforated

Glue Bound

Most designs merge into the binding area

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper readily

Water-based markers bleed through in spots

Gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through. India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you use multiple coats.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. It is slightly rough and has enough tooth to get good pigment from both oil or wax based pencils. I was also able to use both to layer colors and to blend easily using a pencil style blending stick. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the page.

I use a blotter of card stock or heavy weight paper with this type of coloring book to keep seeping ink or dents from damaging the pages below my working page.

Fantastic Cities: 20 Postcards to Color

By: Steve McDonald

Rating: 5 of 5

I own all three coloring books by Steve McDonald and was happy to find that he had come out with a set of postcards based on his first coloring book Fantastic Cities. In this set of postcards, there are 20 designs from the book but the designs have been sized and cropped to fit the postcards. The designs are very detailed and have many intricate and small spots to color. This set of postcards are a fun challenge but I am using my smallest nib pens and markers as well as my very sharp point pencils to color in it. Because of the small areas to color, this may not be the best choice for anyone who has visual or fine motor issues.

I really appreciate that Mr. McDonald kept to the square format of his books in sizing the artwork for the postcards. It also makes the set of cards very different from others. I’m not sure if regular postal rates will apply because of the change in size ( 6 x 6 inches) but for coloring purposes, I really enjoy it.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this set and testing my coloring medium on the card stock.

20 Fantastic Cities designs sized and cropped to fit postcards

Designs printed on one side of card stock with address/stamp areas on the back of the card

Paper is slightly rough white card stock

Glue bound but in the style of easy to remove pages such as a notepad

Alcohol-based markers had slight bleed-through but did not get to the paper I had below. I would still use a sheet of paper as a blotter below my working page or remove the cards before coloring when using this medium.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through. Gel pens required a little extra drying time.

Colored pencils worked really well with these cards. Most postcards are smooth but this card stock had enough tooth to get good pigment, layering, and blending with ease. Both oil and wax-based pencils worked equally well.