Search
Reviews by Category
-
Recent Posts
Archives
- February 2022 (1)
- January 2022 (2)
- December 2021 (2)
- November 2021 (5)
- October 2021 (4)
- September 2021 (4)
- August 2021 (5)
- July 2021 (4)
- June 2021 (6)
- May 2021 (5)
- April 2021 (4)
- March 2021 (5)
- February 2021 (5)
- January 2021 (5)
- December 2020 (5)
- November 2020 (5)
- October 2020 (9)
- September 2020 (8)
- August 2020 (6)
- July 2020 (7)
- June 2020 (11)
- May 2020 (6)
- April 2020 (8)
- March 2020 (5)
- February 2020 (8)
- January 2020 (5)
- December 2019 (8)
- November 2019 (6)
- October 2019 (11)
- September 2019 (11)
- August 2019 (8)
- July 2019 (12)
- June 2019 (10)
- May 2019 (8)
- April 2019 (5)
- March 2019 (4)
- February 2019 (4)
- January 2019 (4)
- December 2018 (16)
- November 2018 (20)
- October 2018 (25)
- September 2018 (20)
- August 2018 (26)
- July 2018 (25)
- June 2018 (23)
- May 2018 (25)
- April 2018 (28)
- March 2018 (24)
- February 2018 (23)
- January 2018 (26)
- December 2017 (12)
- November 2017 (10)
- October 2017 (37)
- September 2017 (48)
- August 2017 (19)
- July 2017 (30)
- June 2017 (30)
- May 2017 (44)
- April 2017 (32)
- March 2017 (49)
- February 2017 (32)
- January 2017 (54)
- December 2016 (29)
- November 2016 (36)
- October 2016 (39)
- September 2016 (31)
- August 2016 (49)
- July 2016 (64)
- June 2016 (52)
- May 2016 (52)
- April 2016 (66)
- March 2016 (72)
- February 2016 (60)
- January 2016 (59)
- December 2015 (72)
- November 2015 (81)
- October 2015 (59)
- September 2015 (41)
- August 2015 (33)
- July 2015 (30)
- June 2015 (25)
- May 2015 (42)
- April 2015 (40)
- March 2015 (32)
- February 2015 (25)
-
Net Galley
Daily Archives: August 16, 2016
Disney Villain Designs printed on both sides of the page
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.
Posted in Adult Color Books
Leave a comment
30 Floral Bouquet Designs plus title page designs printed on one side of the page
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.
Posted in Adult Color Books
Leave a comment
24 x 2 Cat Mandala Designs in Two Unique sizes printed on one side of the page
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.
Posted in Adult Color Books
Leave a comment
Funny and Believable Mystery – seventh in series but easily read stand-alone
Funny and Believable Mystery – seventh in series but easily read stand-alone
By: Annelise Ryan
Rating: 5 of 5
I had no idea that this book was the seventh in a series when I chose to read it. I often read books out of order in series to see if the book stands alone as a story. This one certainly does; however, I so enjoyed it, I feel like I must now go back and read the first six books to catch up on the characters and to provide myself hours of enjoyment as well.
The sleuth in the story is Mattie (Matterhorn) Winston. She is a former nurse who now works for the Medical Examiners office. How she went from treating living patients to dealing with the ME’s office is another story (and one that I will be reading soon enough.)
Posted in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Leave a comment