Mermaid Life: Mermaids – Mermen – Merkids!
By: Nathaniel Wake
Rating: 5 of 5
This is a revised version of the Nathaniel Wake Mermaid Life coloring book. From what I understand, the first version of this coloring book may have included illustrations which, (unknowing to the publishers of Nathaniel Wake) were copyright infringing.
A really fun set of Mermaid and Merman designs. There are definitely a lot of men in these designs. There are also pirates and ships and fish, oh my! I noticed that a good number of the designs went horizontal instead of vertical to give lots of room for free-flowing mermaids to swim through. The designs are very detailed with most having intricate and smaller areas to color. Some designs have heavier black use than others.
A word about companies like Nathaniel Wake. This is a publishing company and not an artist. They contract artists from outside sources but present it under an umbrella name that infers a single artist. As such, the real artist or artists of any book with content and style may differ wildly from any others under the same Nathaniel Wake name.
This is what I found in this coloring book:
35 Mermaid/Merman designs along with some fun samples from other Nathaniel Wake coloring books.
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality by CreateSpace printing: white front with black back, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. With the newly revised books, the publishers have chosen to use black on the back of the page “to prevent bleed-though”. It does not prevent it but it does mask it – see more about this under tested media below.
The designs do not merge into the binding. None of the designs have frame so all edges are left open with unfinished elements
Glue Binding
CreateSpace Print Paper with tested Media.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly to blotter page though not noticeable on the back backing.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots to the blotter page.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows shadows cannot be seen on the back of the page as it is black. India ink can bleed through to the blotter page if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
As I mentioned earlier, the black on the page merely masks the bleed through. If you do not use a blotter with media that bleeds through, you run the risk of ruining the design pages below. 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. Also, remember to change the card stock from design to design so you don’t accidentally start pulling up an old color through the page of the new design.
Coloring Pencils work fairly well with this publisher’s paper provided you don’t press extremely hard while coloring. I find that I can layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. This is true of both oil and wax based pencils. I have also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.
Here are some sample photos from the book:
This is a revised version of the Nathaniel Wake Mermaid Life coloring book. From what I understand, the first version of this coloring book may have included illustrations which, (unknowing to the publishers of Nathaniel Wake) were copyright infringing.
