Daily Archives: March 28, 2017

The Art of Jane Starr Weils Coloring Book: The Art of Jane Starr Weils Coloring Book (Volume 1)

By: Jane Starr Weils

Rating: 5 of 5

Jane Starr Weils is a new artist for me. I picked up this book based on the beautiful images on the cover and was completely won over by Ms. Weils style and graceful images. The designs include fantasy images but also show people and animals in realistic though romanticized designs.

The designs are detailed and some include intricate areas to color. On a few of the designs, the print is slightly uneven (light to dark) but I’ve found that to be true of coloring book designs which are drawn by hand. The designs stop before the edges of the page (and the binding.) While there are no framing lines at the outer edges, most of the designs have finished elements on most sides of the design.
I’m looking forward to seeing more coloring books released by this talented artist.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
35 x 2 each (total of 70 pages) original designs based on artwork by Jane Starr Weils
Designs are printed one side of the page
Paper is typical of CreateSpace publishing: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not extend into the binding area
Glue Binding
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 (like Verithins) leave dents through the paper.
I like to use a blotter when working in the 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.

Color Me Grateful: Nearly 100 Coloring Templates for Appreciating the Little Things in Life

By: Lacy Mucklow

Rating: 5 of 5

Color Me Grateful is my third full-size coloring book in this series. Of 77 designs I counted in the book, 13 are what I would categorize as mandalas. The designs in this book are detailed and intricate. Some have small areas to color which may require sharp pencils or pens/markers with ultra-fine points.

The book has seven chapters, which include: Friends and Family, The Natural World, Good Health, Creature Comforts, Support, Enrichment, The Little Things. Each chapter has a lead-in which describes the intent of the designs within.
For instance, Friends and Families, designs has friends shopping, a tree house, manicures and perfumes and fun things to eat while out and about. In Creature Comforts, designs include a great looking bubble bath, donuts and other pastries, a stack of books with pets surrounding it and a design with electronics that make life a tad easier.
The designs in the book certainly represent many of the things I have been grateful for throughout my life. I think coloring the book will be fun and will remind me to look at the positive in life rather than focusing on the negative.
This is what I found while looking through and coloring in this book:
77 Designs depicting things that we should be grateful for – Designs by Angela Porter
Designs are printed on one side of the page
Paper is medium weight, white (with color print on the back of the page), slightly rough and non-perforated
Sewn Binding
Designs do not merge into the binding. All designs either have a framing line at the outer edges or have finished edges (such as a mandala.)
The book is thick but could be opened to a fairly flat position without breaking the spine
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens leave shadows on the back of the page
Coloring pencils, both oil and wax-based, worked well with this paper. I was able to layer the same color for deep pigment. I could layer multiple colors and blend easily using a pencil style blending stick.