Chalk-Style Nature Coloring Book: Color with All Types of Markers, Gel Pens & Colored Pencils
By: Deb Strain
Rating: 5 of 5
I now have three chalk-style coloring books by artist Deb Strain. While they are definitely white designs on a black background, they seem less chalk-like than others I own by other artists. That is perfect for me as I appreciate them as beautiful and detailed designs that have black backgrounds. While I am not a big proponent of colored backgrounds, I find that the black style is one that I do like. It doesn’t dictate what colors I have to use (as a colorful background would do) and it gives my projects a more finished appearance once I am done.
The designs in this book have words and sayings but focus a little more on the design than do my other coloring books by this artist. There are loads of flowers and cute animals as well as trees and other plant life. The designs are detailed but not overly intricate.
I own a number of books by this publishing company and this book contains the things that I have come to expect from them. There are a few pages of artist recommendations and hints, some beautiful colored sample pages and the back of each design page has a quote, journal lines and a cute design (which in the chalk-style books is in color.) What is new and different about the most recent books, including this one, is that 8 of the design pages are medium rather than full page designs. The bottom of the page has a thumbnail of the colored sample and has a few of the colors used in it and some hints on coloring. That portion of the page is perforated so you can remove it if you wish to do so.
I’m torn about this new format. I really like the information included but I miss having the designs in full page format. As these are the same designs we get to see in full page colored samples, I wish that they had reduced the size of the colored sample page and put that information on that page. That way I get the information but still retain the full size designs for coloring. While the smaller size is still good, in some cases, the elements have become a little small and a little more difficult to color.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my various coloring medium on the paper:
32 Nature (Flower, Animals, Plants) in Chalk-board style (white images on black background) with 24 large designs and 8 medium ones
8 Medium Designs include colored thumbnails and coloring advice on the page (info can be removed at provided perforations)
Printed on one side of the page.
Paper is medium weight, slightly rough, black printed on white paper and is perforated for easy removal. The paper is noted as archival-grade and acid free for 200 years.
Designs stop well before the perforations
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page
Gel pens and India ink pens can spot through to the back of the page
Colored pencils work well with the paper. Both oil and wax based pencils provide good color, layer, and blend well. Hard lead pencils can dent through the page.
As I use markers and pencils, I use a blotter page to keep seeping ink and dents from marring the pages below. I recommend this in general or that you remove pages before coloring. I use card stock or several sheets of paper as my blotter page.