Monthly Archives: September 2016

Fairy Tale Coloring Book

By: Tomoko Tashiro

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really elegant and pretty fairy tale coloring book. There are 78 pages of designs (79 if you count the title page) with most of the designs spreading across two pages. The designs are detailed and intricate with many have very tiny spots to color. This may not be the best choice of coloring books for someone who has fine motor skill or vision issues.

The fairy tales included are: Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Swan Lake, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Cinderella, The Magic Horse, The Mermaid, the Snow Queen, and The Nutcracker. The titles are incorporated into many of the pages within elegant banners.

I own this coloring book in the Japanese version and will provide a comparison to that edition at the end of this review. The video and photos, with the exception of the ones showing both books, are of the US version only. I reviewed the Japanese version of this book in February 2016. In the photos that show both version, the US version is at the top and the Japanese version is at the bottom.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium.

78 pages of designs based on fairy tales

Designs are printed on both sides of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, smooth and non-perforated

Sewn Binding

Attached cover with gold foil accents

Many designs spread across two pages

Most designs merge into the binding area

Book can lay fairly flat by breaking the spine.

Alcohol-based markers, water-based markers, and Indian ink pens all bleed through this paper to some degree. The only exception was Tombow brush end markers which left a slight shadow when I used dark colors.

Gel pens leave faint shadows on the back of the page.

Colored pencils work well for the most part. I had problems blending hard lead pencils which ended up rather smeary as opposed to well blended. Otherwise, softer lead oil and wax-based pencils provided good pigment, layered well and blended well using a blending stick.

All forms of wet medium from markers to pens may show through to the back of the page and mar the design on the back.

Comparison to Japanese version:

The US version cover is fixed while the Japanese version has a removable dustcover. The paper in the US version is white and smooth while the Japanese version is slightly off white and has a bit more tooth to the feel of the paper. Coloring medium worked similarly although all colored pencils blended well on the Japanese version.

For me, one of the biggest difference was with the binding. The US version is sewn and lays fairly flat so that I can, with some effort, get into the binding area to color. The Japanese version was glued and I could not get it to open to a flat position. It was simply impossible for me to color into the binding. That may have just been my copy but I have had this issue with some types of glue binding before.

Additionally, the Japanese version had several pages at front and back explaining coloring medium and the stories but as I don’t read Japanese, it was not of use to me. It also had thumbnails at the end of the book which I wish the US version had included but it did not.

While I like the paper in the Japanese version, my preference is for the US one as, even though my pencils didn’t behave as well, I could color the full picture.

America’s Favorite Birds: 40 Beautiful Birds to Color

By: Myoko Chu

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a beautiful coloring book which focuses on 40 American birds. The designs have a nice level of detail and the details look more like feathers to me than simply doodle designs which is unusual compared to most the other bird coloring books I own. The book is separated into seasons so you will know what time of year to be looking for each birds. There is also information about how to learn more about birds in general at the front of the book. I’ll list the birds included in the comments section at the end of this review for anyone interested.

The designs are printed well with nice dark lines and some background as well. The information about each bird is on the back of the page opposite the coloring design. While I really appreciate having the information, I wish it had been printed on the back of the design page so if I chose to remove it from the book, the design and information would stay together.

I, personally, do not plan to remove pages as it will disrupt the continuity of the information about the bird and then the picture. This book is quite beautiful and well published and can and will be a coffee table book for my guests to enjoy. Quite often, I will only put out books once I have finished coloring them; however, the wealth of information and pictures in this book is great as-is and I will leave it out even in the midst of my coloring in it.

The cover is quite pretty with green foil accents. It is attached and both front and back covers fold out to great information. On the inside of the front cover, there are small thumbnails of the actual designs with the page number at which you can find it (a visual table of contents.) The back page folds out to color photographs of each bird (though not the one on which the design is based) so you can see the colors of the bird to inspire you.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the pages.

40 American Bird Designs with backgrounds

Designs Printed on one side of page with information summary and thumbnails printed on the back of the page.

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly smooth and perforated

Sewn binding

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper.

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

Colored pencils worked well with the paper. It has a slight amount of tooth and was able to grab pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and was able to get good color by layering multiple coats of the same color, also layered different colors, and blended easily using a blender stick.

Jasmine Becket-Griffith Halloween Coloring Book: A Spine-Tingling Fantasy Art Adventure

By: Jasmine Becket-Griffith

Rating: 5 of 5

Zendoodle Coloring Presents Fairies in Dreamland: An Artist’s Coloring Book

By: Denyse Klette

Rating: 5 of 5

I first came across Denyse Klette’s artwork in her funny and quirky quilt fabrics and panels. I was immediately drawn to her unusual artistic style and have enjoyed it for several years now. When I found Fairies in Dreamland, it was a much buy on my list even though I could not even see a Look Inside at the time I pre-ordered the book. I absolutely have not been disappointed as the same cute style of illustration I enjoy in quilting is now available to me in an extra thick coloring book.

The book has 64 design pages (including the title and presentation pages which have designs on them as well.) The designs are of long thin fairies draped over toadstools, vines, branches and what have you in a garden setting. There are tons of quilts in the pictures as well. I especially like the cute little pigs that pop up from time to time. The designs are detailed and some are quite intricate with lots of tiny details to color. To color some of the tiny detail, I will need to use extra fine nib pens or extremely sharp pointed pencils. For most of the designs, my regular coloring medium will work well.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use for testing and coloring.

64 Quirky Fairy Designs by Denyse Klette (includes title and presentation page.)

Printed one side of the page

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

Glue Bound

Some designs merge into the binding area

I can get the book to lay fairly flat with some effort (it is a thick book); however, coloring into the binding area will take some maneuvering

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly

Water-based markers and India ink pens leave shadows (some showing the color) on the back of the page

Gel pens do not bleed through but some larger nib pens required additional drying time. Be sure to check your specific gel pens so you don’t smear your work or close the book before it finishes drying.

Colored pencils did well with this paper. It has just enough tooth to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils and they all performed well with multiple layers of the same color for deeper pigment, multiple layers of different colors, and blended easily with a blender stick.

I am using and suggest the use of a blotter page under your working page. I use card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper. This will keep seeping ink from getting to the pages below.

Off the Beaten Path Coloring Postcard Book: 20 Adventurous Designs

By: Samarra Khaja

Rating: 4 of 5

I have enjoyed my first coloring book by Samarra Khaja (Off the Bookshelf) and have been looking forward to her releasing more in the same vein. I just discovered her new set of post cards in Off the Beaten Path and was happy to pick them up. The illustrations are rather quirky and show the interesting view that artist has of the world. Some of the designs are easy to color and some have very tiny and intricate parts that will require the use of tiny nib pens or very sharp pointed pencils.

While I really like the illustrations in this set, what I don’t like is how the set of post cards were put together. Usually, post cards are glue bound in a manner similar to notepads where you can remove a page easily and in whole. This set of post cards is set up with perforated pages. I’ve only experienced this with one other set and that was by the same publisher.

The perforations leave a rough edge when you remove them from the book but more problematic, in this book unlike the other one from the same publisher, the designs cross over the perforations and into the binding. I’ve found that in some instances (such as the one that I have colored and will upload with this review) that important parts of the design will be lost if I remove the post card from the book. Coloring over the perforations was also difficult.

I rate the illustrations a five and the publishing a 2, and as I cannot leave a 3.5 on Amazon, I always round up – hence an overall of a 4. I like the set but it could have been much improved with a little forethought. I wish that the pictures had been sized to fit on the page without crossing over the perforations or that the publisher had used the standard glue-bound post card binding. Either would have worked and made the set easier to color.

I found that only alcohol-based markers bled through the paper which is a medium weight card stock. Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through. Colored pencils (both oil and wax-based) did well with layering and blending and did not dent through the page.

Because of Bethlehem Christmas Coloring Book: Love is born. Hope is here. (Coloring Faith)

By: Max Lucado

Rating: 5 of 5

I have read Max Lucado’s books over the years and have found that his words have always been a straight arrow into my heart and soul in pointing me back to the direction I know I should be following. This coloring book is based on one of his books with his writings and with Scripture quotes/cites as well. The book is illustrated by Lizzie Preston and Claire McElfatrick.

The designs are quite detailed and are Christmas oriented. There are lots of doodle style elements for adding lots of different colors. While the designs are detailed, they are not intricate with tiny spots to color. Approximately half of the designs incorporate wording as well. Some of those designs are more detailed than others. In the designs, there are many Christmas and seasonal subjects, including among them: Christmas trees, stockings, sleighs, snow globes, various animals, the Three Wise Men, the Manger Scene, nutcrackers and even a partridge in a pear tree.

While I really appreciate the designs, for me, the words are what I am looking for first. They speak to the need for a Savior and other life lessons that are important, not only to a believer, but to all. The Scriptures are taken from a variety of sources, including: New King James Version, the Holy Bible New International Version (NIV), The Living Bible, and the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.

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

124 pages of Inspirational Christmas Designs and words (not including title pages)

Designs are printed on both sides of the page; however the designs are limited to a single page

Paper is heavyweight, smooth, white and perforated

Some designs cross over the perforations and into the binding. Some portion of these designs will be lost if you remove a page from the book

Glue Binding

The book is somewhat difficult to lay flat for coloring. It took an effort to break the spine enough to get it fairly flat.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page rapidly.

Water-based markers (except for the brush end of Tombows markers) and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page. Tombows did not leave shadows even when I tried dark brown

Gel pens do not bleed through or leave shadows but some require a considerably longer drying time than usual.

Colored pencils, both oil and wax-based, worked fairly well with this paper. With the exception of hard lead pencils in blending, I was able to get good results in pigment with multiple layers of the same color, different colors and blending with ease with a blending stick. The exceptions for blending were my Prismacolor Verithins and Tombow Irojiten. Those pencils had more of a smeary look to their blends than did my other pencils.

The Throne of Glass Coloring Book

By: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 5 of 5

Attached to this review will be a silent flip-through of the entire coloring book and some sample photos so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it will work for you.

The coloring book is based on various books and novellas in the series of books by Sarah J. Maas. I won’t discuss whether or not this coloring book what is I expected from the books but rather how I feel about it as an adult coloring book in its own right.

The coloring book has 46 different designs from different stories. The designs are by three artists Yvonne Gilbert, John Howe, and Craig Phillips. One of the three artists did not quite match in look and feel with the other two and it gave a slight discordant vibe to the book as I look through it. While I won’t detract in my overall review for that, it was certainly noticeable. Most of the designs are quite beautiful and elegant.

The designs are quite detailed and many of them have intricate and tiny elements to color. What is nice about this book is that the designs are printed on one side of the page with excerpts from the book on the opposing page. That allows me to use any form of coloring medium I choose without worrying about whether or not it will ruin a design on the back of the page.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use for testing and coloring.

46 Throne of Glass Designs by three artists

Printed one side of page (with book excerpts on the back of the page)

Paper is heavy weight, white, ever so slightly rough, and perforated

Sewn binding

Designs are printed beyond the perforations and merge into the binding. Nothing essential will be lost if you remove pages at the perforations; however, you can remove several pages in whole by clipping a few threads of the binding.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through the paper. Some gel pens require additional drying time.

Colored pencils worked really well with the paper. The tiny bit of roughness to the paper allowed pigment to easily adhere to the page. I test both oil and wax based pencils and both worked well. I could layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors and blend easily using a blender stick.

I like to use alcohol-based markers with this style of book (printed one side of page) but I use a blotter page of card stock under my working page to keep ink from seeping through. I would suggest either using a blotter page or removing the coloring page from the book beforehand if you use alcohol-based markers.

Halloween Faeries Coloring Book

By: Amy Brown

Rating: 5 of 5

I am having a lot of fun with Amy Brown’s light-hearted book of Halloween faeries. The designs are extremely cute and are easy to color. The artist’s sense of humor is evident from the cauldron on legs to what looks like her take on Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.

The 20 designs are of cute fairies dressed in Halloween clothes and in Halloween settings. There is a nice level of detail to the line drawings without anything too intricate. I’m always looking for cute Halloween coloring books and this one is certainly cute. I own another Amy Brown coloring book so I knew the great quality of artwork to expect.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use for testing and coloring.

20 Halloween Designs featuring Faeries by Amy Brown

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough, and non-perforated. It is standard for any books published by CreateSpace.

Glue Bound

Designs do not merge into the binding and there is space to cut pages out if you want to do so.

Book opens fairly flat for coloring if you break or crease the spine.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.

Water-based markers bleed through in spots.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page which show colors easily. India ink pens can seep through in spots if used heavily or in multiple coats.

Colored pencils worked nicely with this thin but slightly rough paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and got good color with multiple layers of the same color, good results from layers of different colors and nice blending results using a blending stick. Hard lead pencils easily dent through the page and can damage the page below.

I suggest using a blotter page of card stock or a couple of sheets of heavier weight paper under your working page. It can keep seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.

By: Hanna Karlzon

Rating: 5 of 5

I recently purchased a set of postcards by Hanna Karlzon that I enjoyed so well that I purchased two more of her books immediately. This is the second of the two books that I bought with Summer Nights being the first one. Both books are somewhat similar but have different designs. I am really enjoying coloring Ms. Karlzon’s designs and find them very unique among the books that I have collected. I like them so well that I have also purchased additional books to give as gifts this holiday season.

Because the book is printed two-sided, I’m being very careful with what I use to color in it. I’m currently using Faber-Castell Polychromos because I like the color mix available for these designs. I like the look of the oil-based pencils on the cream colored paper. There are some wet medium that works okay with the paper but, for my taste, I still prefer the look of colored pencils.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium. I will list the coloring medium I use for tests and coloring in the comments section below.

90+ pages of imaginative and beautiful designs by Hanna Karlzon

Printed on both sides of the page

Paper is heavyweight, cream color, somewhat smooth, and non-perforated

Sewn binding with some glue as well. You can still snips the threads to remove the pages from the book but may have to contend with a tiny bit of glue on a few pages. I personally will not be cutting the book.

Some designs merge into the binding area. It is difficult to color into those bits due to the hardcover. It makes it more of a challenge to tilt the book to get the right angle for coloring

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. If you use these, you will have ink seep through and mar 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 work well with the paper. I was able to blend, layer the same and multiple colors using both oil and wax-based pencils with ease.