Daily Archives: October 9, 2017

Adult Coloring Book: The Manga Invasion Coloring Book: Meditate and find inspiration on a magical journey (Anime, Drawing)

By: Storytroll

Rating: 5 of 5

I am a fan of coloring books which are Manga or doodle creatures designs. This is the first one I have which is both in one. The central figure (male or female) is generally Manga inspired with an interesting background with lots of little doodle creatures. There is a great sketch-like quality to the designs which gives the finished artwork a very original look. The designs are detailed and some have intricate and small areas to color. Really a fun coloring book by artist Boonhau for fans of these two genres.

It appears that Okami Coloring and Storytroll publishing companies are somehow connected as they list both publishers books at the end of this book. I really appreciate the quality of their artists though the CreateSpace paper always leaves something to be desired. I also appreciate that they have included the actual artist’s name though they seem to be developing a specific name (Julia Rivers) to cover the coloring books they deliver. This is similar to what another publisher has done with the name Jade Summer.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
40 designs which are a mash-up of Manga characters with doodle creatures
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality by CreateSpace printing: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not merge into the binding. While the designs do not have a framing line at the outer edges of the designs, they do have finished elements at the edges for ease of coloring.
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 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.