“Cats” is the latest release in the Pictura line of panel designs. This is my first of this nature and I can see that it will be a challenge and will take a lot of thought as to how to finish it in a somewhat timely manner and with cohesive coloring. The book is made up of a single panel which folds into eight pages. The front of the panel has the long design and the back of the panel provides tip and information about coloring.
The cats in the design are realistically drawn and the scene shifts from a garden with potted plant to a pond back to the garden with bench and birdbath. From there, it moves to the outside of a garden shed with potted plant and finally to the end of the garden with stepping stones. Each portion of the panel has beautifully cats integrated into the design.
I intend to do the panel in coloring pencils but I did test for several other mediums (see below for how they worked with the paper.) I quickly realized that I would have to have some planning. I finished my first pass at the front page by choosing and using a number of colors that I will repeat throughout the whole design.
I am keeping track of those colors (using the back of the panel) but I also am now going through the entire panel and coloring each type of leaf with the pencil I have dedicated to it. I will do a first pass on the whole blocking in those colors and then I will go back page by page and add my details. You can see my first page as it stands today if you click on the link to my Amazon review.
This is what I found out about this book:
1 page folded into 8 segments printed on lightweight fairly smooth white card stock
Single perforation so you can remove the whole panel
Cover is decent weight for using to back the page as you color
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page
Water-based markers, India ink and gel pens do not bleed through but gel pens require additional drying time.
Coloring pencils work well. Blending with oil-based pencils are not as good as with wax-based pencils. Hard lead does not dent the back of the page.
This is a new type of project for me and I think it is one that I will pick up and put down over the next couple of weeks. Now that I have a plan in place, I can see how to finish it. I’m sure once I have finished this one, I’ll be back for more of the Pictura line.
