Daily Archives: August 16, 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.