Angela Porter’s Designer Doodles Hidden Pictures
By: Angela Porter
Rating: 5 of 5
This is a coloring book filled with 35 designs in Angela Porter’s imaginative style. It reminds me a great deal of her “Entangled Landscapes” but with much less intricate designs. The designs range from landscapes and seascapes to flowers to simply fun patterns.
This series of books is being marketed to tweens but I think Ms. Porter’s books in this line are equally good for adults. I like them not only for myself but also for anyone who might have been unable (or unwilling) to attempt her much more intricate designs. The designs are still fairly detailed but are larger and easier to color. Notwithstanding that, they are instantly recognizable as Ms. Porter’s style.
An extra fun part of coloring the designs in this book are the hidden pictures (really more elements) that you can look for on the various pages. There are eight different style of elements in this book, which are: ladybugs, hearts, cat heads, stars, candies, buttons, music notes and raindrops.) Some are larger and some are smaller. What especially like is that they are not as obtrusive as I have found with a few other hidden picture designs.
At the time I am writing this review, the product description is for that of the Tropical Rainforest rather than for this book. It also mentions 44 designs. There are only 35 so hopefully the publisher will get these errors fixed in the future.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
35 Detailed and imaginative designs with hidden elements to find while coloring – all in Ms. Porter’s unique and fun to color style. The book also includes answer keys to all of the hidden elements.
Includes a page for color palette testing.
Printed one side of page
Paper is on the thin side (definitely thinner than her Creative Haven books), white, slightly rough and perforated
Glue binding
Designs stop well before the perforation with a framing line at the outer edge. Gives a natural stopping point for coloring and a more finished looking project for framing if you so desire.
The coloring book opens fairly flat for coloring but you must crease or break the spine to do so. You can always simple remove pages before coloring as well.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper.
India ink pens spot through in tiny areas and leave colorful shadows on the back of the page
Water-based markers and gel pens leave definite colorful shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils work very well with this slightly rough paper. I was able to get good color (pigment) especially when layering the same color for rich tone. I was also able to layer multiple colors and to blend very easily using a pencil style blender pencils. Hard lead pencils left dents through the page.
If I do not remove a page prior to coloring, I use a blotter page of card stock or heavy weight paper to keep ink and dents from damaging the designs below my working page.
Here are some sample designs from the book:
This is a coloring book filled with 35 designs in Angela Porter’s imaginative style. It reminds me a great deal of her “Entangled Landscapes” but with much less intricate designs. The designs range from landscapes and seascapes to flowers to simply fun patterns.
