31 Highly Detailed Designs which include hearts – printed one side of the page

Creative Haven Hearts Coloring Book: Romantic Designs on a Dramatic Black Background

By: Lindsey Boylan

Rating: 4 of 5

I own a number of coloring books by Lindsey Boylan and all of them are white line drawings on black backgrounds. “Hearts” is the same format as the rest. There are 31 designs which include hearts as their theme but I found that the detail in the designs sometimes obscured the hearts to the point of not being noticed. I can hopefully rectify that in coloring by using colors which will bring the hearts to prominence.

The designs are extremely detailed and have intricate elements to color. There are lots of flowers, vines, and tiny little lines within small elements. The hearts themselves are filled with lots of elements as well. It might have been nice to get a more simple heart or two to color with shading, etc. Some areas are so detailed that I will put a swathe of color over the tiny elements as if they were not separate and call it good.

On the whole, I still like the coloring book. It is a book of projects for those who like detail and want projects that will take longer rather than shorter periods of time to finish. It is not a book that I would recommend at all to anyone with fine motor or vision issues. It is simply too intricate and detailed and will require the use of smaller nib pens/markers and very sharp pencils.

I noticed that the feel of the paper is slightly rougher than other Creative Haven books I have ordered in this last six months or so. I like the new texture as it is even better for use with colored pencils.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.

31 Very detailed and intricate heart designs on black background

The designs are printed one side of the page

Paper is the usual Creative Haven quality: white (with black background printed on), medium weight, slightly rough and has perforated pages.

Glue Binding but with perforated pages so removing a page is fairly simple.

The designs stop before the perforations; however, most leave dangling and unfinished elements at all four sides of the designs (three edges and perforated edge.) Seven of the designs have framing lines with finished edges.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper

Water-based markers bleed through in spots and show colorful shadows on the back of the page

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through when I apply more than one layer of ink.

Coloring pencils work well with this paper and even better than many of the more recent Creative Haven coloring books I have bought. I was able to get good pigment (color) lay down, layer the same color and multiple colors and to blend easily using a pencil style blender. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils with similar results. Hard lead pencils, like Verithins, leave dents on the back of the page.

I suggest either removing pages from the book to color or using a blotter page under your working page. I like card stock as it keeps ink from seeping through and damaging the pages below.

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