Daily Archives: January 10, 2017

Star Trek: The Original Series Adult Coloring Book

By: CBS

Rating: 5 of 5

I have been a Star Trek fan since I was very young. The Original Series is the one that I first watched and one that I go watch many times over the years. This coloring book really takes me back into the series. The character illustrations (of scenes/episodes) are easily recognizable and are well done.

There are 45 designs in the coloring book and are done by a team of illustrators which is something that I have noticed is common in the new Dark Horse coloring books. In this case, the team is made up of Ivan Fernandez Silva, Juan Frigeri, Alejandro Giraldo, Gabriel Guzman, and Federica Manfredi. While there are subtle differences in style, I think that the illustrations work well together.
The designs are detailed and a few have intricate and small spots to color. The designs are printed on one side of the page with the episode/quote on the opposite facing page. I wish there were a few more scenes in space and that the designs stopped short of the binding. However, on the whole, I am really enjoying coloring these designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this coloring book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.
45 Designs based on episodes and scenes from Star Trek, the original series.
Designs printed on one side of page with quotes and Stardates printed on the back of the page
Paper is white, heavy weight, somewhat smooth, and non-perforated
Hybrid glue and sewn binding (lots of small stitches). These are near impossible to snip to remove pages. I suggest cutting pages out instead if you so choose.
Designs merge into the binding area. Cutting out pages will result in some loss of design.
I was able to get the book to open fairly flat with some effort by breaking/creasing the spine.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through but do leave shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked well with the paper. I could layer well for deeper pigment and blending easily using a blender stick. Hard lead pencils did not leave dents through the page.
I suggest the use of a blotter page with alcohol-based medium. I like card stock but a couple of pages of heavy weight paper will work as well.

Pride & Prejudice: An Adult Coloring Book with Romantic Country Scenes, Historical English Women, and Vintage Floral Dresses (Inspired by the Best-Selling Novel by Jane Austen)

By: Jade Summer

Rating: 5 of 5

I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen’s novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. I remember the first time I read it (when I was in elementary school), I kept a flashlight by my bed so I could sneak and read after bedtime. It is a book that I have read many times over the years and I love to watch movies/series based on it and now am happy to find coloring books that are inspired by it.

The designs cover the book pretty much from beginning to end. There are many scenes that are iconic to me from the book from Mr. Darcy rebuffing Elizabeth Bennet as no being handsome enough to Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh having it out in the garden. It is fun to see another artists interpretation of the characters.
The designs are very detailed with but not what I consider intricate. There are many areas to color but I can use most coloring medium without any issues. I think crayons might be more difficult unless you can sharpen them to a fairly fine point.
While you can have access to .PDFs when you purchase this book, my review is based on the book as it is received from Amazon. That way you will know what the pages look like and how they accept color. I like that the publisher provides the digital version as well so you can choose the paper you wish to use and/or to color the pictures as many times as you choose.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
25 x 2 Designs based on Pride and Prejudice
Paper is typical of CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. The back of the page is printed black which is something I am find typical of Jade Summer coloring books.
The designs do not merge into the binding. There is a heavy framing line at the outer edges of the design to give the project a more finished look, especially for framing. There is a slight shadowing effect to the framing line which gives the image an almost 3D effect.
Glue Binding (there is room to cut the pages out if you choose to do so.)
Though you cannot see the bleed-through easily due to the back of the page being printed in black, I recommend the use of a blotter page when working in this book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.

Color Me Enchanted: A Coloring Book of Fairy Tales from Around the World

By: Masha D’yans

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really beautiful coloring book of fairy tales/stories from around the world. The designs are quite detailed and have intricate and small areas to color. I really appreciated that the artists (Masha D-Yans and Gala Lazuli) included the name of the fairy tale and the country of its origin. That way, if I did not know the tale, I could easily look it up to become familiar with it. Each one also as a short excerpt from the story which is fun as well.

Each of the stories featured in this book has one or two designs representing it. The tales/stories in this book include: Thumbalina, The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter, The Boy who drew Cats, The Wizard of Oz, the Snow Queen, Firebird, Masha and the Bear, Alice in Wonderland, The Star Maiden, The Selkie Bride, The Little Mermaid, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Snake Prince, Gypsy Queen, The Fair Maid and the Snow White Unicorn, Vasilisa the Fair, Beauty and the Beast, The Dragon Princess, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Tsar Saltan, Rapunzel, The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child, Snow White, and the Princess and the Pea.
While at first I thought there were a number of wall-paper style repeating designs, when I looked closely as I started to color, I found that one only one design was a repeating page. That one (of various animals near the end of the book) is charming and should be fun to color. The other pages had similar elements but a close look revealed that there were differences through the page(s) which is not what I consider wall-paper designs.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
96 pages of designs inspired by fairy tales (includes title and intro pages)
Printed both sides of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.
Glue binding
Many designs spread across two pages
Designs cross over the perforations into the binding area
If you remove pages, especially on the two-page spreads, you will lose integral portions of the designs.
The book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens spotted through the paper and left shadows of color on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but required additional drying time.
Colored Pencils worked well with this paper except for blending with a pencil style blending stick. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color.
Where I had problems was with a pencil style blending stick. I found that the blender smeared the lines of the artwork to the point that my page looked bad. I tried various wet blenders and found that those worked well.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Adult Coloring Book

By: CBS

Rating: 5 of 5

What fun to have a well done Star Trek The Next Generation coloring book. I noticed that it seems to stop mid-series, so perhaps there will be another book in the future.

There are 45 designs in the coloring book and are done by a team of illustrators (Juann Cabal, Gabriel Guzman, Daniel Maine, Stefano Martino, and Bill Mudron.) I found that their styles meshed well together and the continuity of the designs was well done throughout the book.
The designs are mostly spot-on character scenes from various episodes and it was great fun to remember which one was which. I’ve started re-watching the series because of the coloring book as it reminded me how much I enjoy the series.
The designs are detailed but not what I would call intricate though there are parts of designs which have small areas to color. The designs are printed on one side of the page with the episode/quote on the opposite facing page. There are only a couple of things that would have made this book even better for me more scenes in space and designs that stopped short of the binding. On the whole, I am really liking these designs.
This is what I found while coloring in this coloring book and testing the paper with my coloring mediums.
45 Designs based on episodes and scenes from earlier seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation
Designs printed on one side of page with quotes and Stardates printed on the back of the page
Paper is white, heavy weight, somewhat smooth (but with tooth), and non-perforated

Bluetooth Headphones – Safari Wireless Earbuds for Running Workout Gym or Other Sports with Built-in Mic for Hands Free Calling

By: SafariTech

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a book of beautifully drawn women of various Asian cultures. The designs are extremely detailed and intricate with many small areas to color.

The fabric of the clothing is covered in beautiful patterns and flowers. It makes for a more advanced coloring project requiring good lighting and a steady hand. I would not suggest this book for anyone who has vision or fine motor issues.
On the other hand, for those of us who like a project which requires a lot of thought and time, this is a wonderful book of designs. The women, their clothing, and the scenes they are set in are really lovely.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
35 Designs inspired by women of various Asian cultures.
Printed one side of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and perforated.
Glue binding
Designs do not cross over the perforations. If you remove pages, you will not lose any portion of the design.
The book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper rapidly.
Water-based markers and India ink pens spotted through the paper and left shadows of color on the back of the page.
Gel pens did not bleed through but required additional drying time.
Colored Pencils worked well with this paper. While it is somewhat smooth, it still has sufficient tooth (roughness) to grip pigment well. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and liked both with this paper. I was able to get deep pigment with multiple layers of the same color. I was also able to layer multiple colors well and to easily blend colors using a pencil style blending stick.

Zendoodle Coloring: Love Notes: 20 Cards to Color and Give to the One You Love

By: Bonnie Lynn Demanche

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a cute set of postcards which deal mostly with romantic love. There are a few which may apply to other individuals but it is generally something you would color and give to your sweetheart. The back of each page is pre-set for use as a postcard. The card has a spot for a stamp and is equally divided for a written message and an address.

The designs are detailed and a few have smaller areas to color which might require the use of ultra-fine pens/markers or really sharp pencils. Crayons might be difficult to use unless you are able to sharpen them to a fairly fine point.
The binding is a notepad style where it is easy to remove pages by carefully pulling them away. They will remove in whole without any loss of designs. The paper is a lightweight card stock rather than a heavy weight postcard stock. It is white and fairly smooth to the touch.
Alcohol-based markers were the only coloring medium which bled through the page. Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens did not bleed through or leave shadows on the back of the page. I used a blotter page of card stock when using my Sharpies, Bic Mark-its and Copics to keep seeping ink from ruining the design below.
Colored Pencils worked okay with this paper. I got good pigment and layered colors easily. Blending was a little smeary with both oil and wax based pencils (probably due to the smooth paper.)