iiiiReader Book Reviews

A Garland of Grace: An Inspirational Adult Coloring Book Featuring the Proverbs

By: Christian Art Publishers

Rating: 5 of 5

This is another beautiful coloring book by Christian Art Publishers. The book is filled with 58 lovely designs (licensed by Shutterstock) with verses (and cites) from the Book of Proverbs. This is the book I look to for day to day lessons on what is expected from each of us. Sometimes the lesson is easy and sometimes it is hard to take. But it is always right.

The book is very well made and has many of the points that I look for in coloring books. While the images are licensed, they have been reworked to be used with the Bible quotes. Out of the 58 designs, only one is familiar to me as one that I have colored previously. There are 58 large designs plus 11 bookmark and card sizes, too. While the pages are perforated, you will have to cut the bookmark/cards out of the page in order to use for their intended purpose. There are no cutting lines.

The Bible translations used for the verses are: Holy Bible, New International Version NIV, Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version, and Holy Bible, English Standard Version.

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

58 Designs with Inspiring Life Lesson from the Book of Proverbs with bonus 11 bookmark/cards size designs

Printed one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, somewhat smooth and perforated

Sewn Binding

Some Designs merge past the perforations and into the binding area. If you remove designs at the perforations, you will not lose elements essential to the designs.

Book can be opened fairly flat for coloring but you must use a lot of pressure to break the spine.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. I suggest use of a blotter page if you use this type of marker. It will keep ink from seeping through to the design below. I use card stock as my blotter but a couple of pages of heavyweight paper work well, too. Of course, you can always remove your pages from the book prior to coloring.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India Ink pens do not bleed through the page. Some gel pens require additional drying time.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. Though it is somewhat smooth, it still has enough tooth for good pigment, layering, and blending. I tested both oil and wax based pencils with good results.

Sugar Skulls Coloring Book (Coloring Is Fun)

By: Thaneeya McArdle

Rating: 3.5 of 5

I enjoy Thaneeya McArdle’s designs and have bought almost all of her coloring books. I really appreciate the designs in this book; however, the new publishing format is something I really don’t like. There are 32 Sugar Skull designs in the book and they are very well drawn and the larger images are quite fun to color. The ten smaller designs are very difficult to color and require ultra-fine pens and markers or very sharp pencils and a steady hand to finish.

Until now, I have not dropped star ratings on Design Originals books due to the format; however, as more of the pictures in this book were needlessly sized down and because it made already detailed images very difficult to color, I am giving this book a 3.5. The designs are 5 star and impressive. The publishing format is 2 stars (as still 2/3 of the book is printed well I cannot rate it 1 star.) The average is 3.5 and I round up as I cannot leave that rating on Amazon, on their platform it shows as a 4.

In this particular book, a full ten of the designs have been sized down to allow for coloring tips, etc. on the coloring page. The end result is that the designs have extremely small and difficult to color spots. While the designs are detailed, it would not have been difficult to color this book if the designs had been printed full size. If you have any issues with fine motor skills or vision, I think this book may not be for you as almost one third of it is so difficult to color.

In the new coloring books from Design Originals (started about mid-2016), they altered their format and the designs which are shown as colored samples in the book are no longer provided in full page format. They are included as medium designs with a thumbnail of the color sample, a few samples of the colors used and a quick sentence or two about the how the colors work with the design. These sized down designs range from 8 to 10 pages depending on the book.

I really dislike the change. I want the pages in full size for both ease of coloring and for consistency with the other pages in the book. The shrinking of the designs has made some of the details small and intricate and difficult to color. I wish they would go back to the older style and perhaps include the color tips on a separate page or on the actual color sample page. I have just canceled two pre-orders I had for Design Original books as I am unwilling to order them sight unseen at this point.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my various coloring medium on the paper:

32 Sugar Skull Designs some with black backgrounds and some with white backgrounds with 22 large designs and 10 medium ones

The 10 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, white paper (black backgrounds are printed on) 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 seep through the page and can mar the page below.

Gel pens and India ink pens can spot through to the back of the page

Colored pencils work well with the paper. I was able to get good color, layer the same color and multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style blender stick. Hard lead pencils (like Verithins) can dent through the page to the page below.

I like to use a blotter page of cardstock (or two pieces of heavyweight paper) below my working page to keep ink and pencil dents from marring the pages below. You can also remove the page before coloring to keep the rest of the book in good condition.

Chalk-Style Holiday Coloring Book: Color with All Types of Markers, Gel Pens & Colored Pencils

By: Valerie McKeehan

Rating: 5 of 5

I really enjoy the designs in this coloring book but there are some issues with the formatting that I really do not like. I love the designs but some of them have needlessly been made difficult to color.

The designs are primarily Christmas in nature but some are a little more generic. I finished one of cups of hot cocoa to be generic while the sample showed it in Christmas colors.

The designs are in chalk-style and the backgrounds of these designs are not a pure black as others have been. They have a kind of used chalky look to them which makes them a little more gray in tone than black. It gives it a very realistic look.

In my recent coloring books from this publisher, they have altered their format and the designs which are shown as colored samples in the book are no longer provided in full page format. They are included as medium designs with a thumbnail of the color sample, a few samples of the colors used and a quick sentence or two about the how the colors work with the design.

At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this change but now that I have worked with a couple of these books, I must say I really do not like the change. I want the pages in full size for both ease of coloring and for consistency with the other pages in the book. The shrinking of the designs has made some of the details small and intricate and difficult to color.

Simply put, I wish they would go back to the old format and perhaps include the information on the sample color pages. While I didn’t detract stars in my rating because of the format as I do color in books that have intricate details, the new format makes me less inclined to want to purchase their coloring books in the future.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my various coloring medium on the paper:

32 Holiday (primarily Christmas)Designs in Chalk-board style (white images on dark gray to black backgrounds) with 24 large designs and 8 medium ones

The 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, dark gray/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.

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.

Kawaii Girl Fashion Coloring Book: Clothes, dresses, costumes and lots of cute kawaii fashions (Kawaii, Manga and Anime Coloring Books for Adults, Teens and Tweens) (Volume 3)

By: Mindful Coloring Books

Rating: 4 of 5

Kawaii is the Japanese word for cute. The movement in their art is to have simplified artwork that is very cute and feminine. While I found some of this coloring book to be almost manga in its detail, there is still a cute factor and simplistic facial features that moves it into the kawaii category. There are 20 designs that feature young women dressed in a variety of fashions. The girls are set in a background setting as well which adds a lot of detail to the coloring experience.

Along with the 20 full size pages, there are 6 sample pages from several other Mindful Coloring books as well.

This is what I experienced when coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. In the comments section below, I will include a list the coloring medium I used for testing and which I also use for coloring.

20 Kawaii Girl Designs with emphasis on fashions plus 6 bonus pages

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, slight rough, white and non-perforated

Glue bound

Designs do not merge into the binding area. There is plenty of room to cut out pages if you choose to do so.

Designs all have framing lines around the outer edge to give the colorist a natural stopping point.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper rapidly.

Water-based markers bleed through in spots.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you apply the ink heavily or in multiple layers.

Colored pencils work well. I tested both oil and wax-based and had good results with both. I was able to lay down good color, layer the same and multiple colors, and blend easily using a pencil style blender. Hard lead pencils can leave dents through the paper.

I use a blotter page of card stock to keep seeping ink and dents from damaging the pages below my working page. A couple of pages of heavyweight paper works well, too.

Carousel Dreams: A Coloring Book by YamPuff

By: Yasmeen H Eldahan

Rating: 5 of 5

Carousel Dreams is a Manga style coloring book with 24 cute designs. The designs are either of carousel animals or of the Rose Princess that YamPuff (the artist) has dreamed of having inhabit her world. In addition to the designs, the title page can be colored as well.

The designs are especially cute and fun to color. The designs have a bit of detail but are not intricate and don’t have tiny spaces which required unusually small nib pens. A few of the pages have a couple of intricate spots (such as on the carousel mandala or some of the smaller detailed designs on the Rose Princess dress.

Each of the design pages has a short blurb on the back which explains the thoughts behind each particular design. It was interesting reading what the artist had in mind been creating the design.

This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my various coloring medium. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I use for testing and for coloring.

24 Carousel inspired Designs done in Manga style plus title page that can be colored as well-acted

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is typical for CreateSpace publications. It is thin, white, slightly rough and is non-perforated

Glue Binding

Three designs merge into the the binding area but nothing essential to the design would be lost if you cut those pages out.

Coloring book can be opened fairly flat for easy of coloring

Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper readily. Water-based markers bleed through in spots but can still damage the page below.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave discernible shadows of color on the back of the page. India ink can bleed through in spots if you apply heavily or with multiple layers.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils and found that they both work well with providing good color pigment, can layer same or multiple colors well and blend easily using a blending stick. Hard lead pencils dent through the page.

I use card stock as a blotter under y working page with all CreateSpace publications. It keeps ink and dents from damaging the pages below. A couple of sheets of heavyweight paper work as well, too.

Enchanted Halloween: A Whimsy Girls Fantasy Coloring Book

By: Hannah Lynn

Rating: 5 of 5

I own two other coloring books by Hannah Lynn and have found her designs to be both fun and easy to color. She creates beautiful girls with lovely big eyes. In this book, the emphasis is on Halloween and other fall related themes.

Over the last weekend, I found myself coloring in this book so much, I decided I had to pace myself a bit or I would finish the whole book in a week! I really enjoy Ms. Lynn’s designs!

There are two each of each of the designs. I like that, too, as I can try different colorways or perhaps give one to a friend. Who am I kidding? I’m not giving one of these away but I may buy a second book to share with other… or maybe I want to color each design four different ways.

The designs are easy to color. I like to use markers and colored pencils when coloring these designs. I lay down a foundation color with markers and then had details and shading with my pencils. I find that process is the easiest for me and results in designs that look the way I see them in my mind.

Here is what I found while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring mediums I use for testing and for coloring as well.

30 x 2 each Big Eye Girls in Halloween Fun Designs

Printed one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough and non-perforated

Glue bound

Designs stop well before the binding area so it is easy to cut pages out if you choose to do so.

Designs have a double framing line around the outer edges for a natural stopping point while coloring.

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through this paper.

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can leak through if you apply heavily or use multiple coats.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. I was able to layer the same color for deeper tones, multiple colors, and blend easily using a blending stick with both oil and wax-based pencils. Hard lead pencils dent through the paper.

I suggest and use a blotter page of card stock when coloring in this book. It keeps ink and dents from from damaging the pages below my working page.

Harry Potter Magical Creatures Coloring Kit

By: Running Press

Rating: 4 of 5

This is my second set of Harry Potter coloring card kits. The first was based on the first Harry Potter Coloring book and this new kit is based on the second book and is of Magical Creatures.

The first thing I will note is that this kit is very small. I knew what to expect having purchased the first kit. The dimensions listed seem to be that of the box holder when it is closed. The set of cards takes up very little space within the box, as it also holds the pencils and the magnetic frames.

I’ll provide details on the components below. The designs are very small with detailed coloring elements. I suggest only small nib coloring medium with this kit. I used both the pencils that came with the kit and my own pencils as well.

I consider it a fun kit for any Harry Potter fan. They remind me of exchangeable cards that have been popular over the years. The pencils that came with the kit are very inexpensive and do not provide much by way of color. The other problem with the pencils had to do with the colors. The colors are standard but are not the ones that I would necessarily want to use for Magical Creatures. There wasn’t even a black pencil in the set at all. I detracted a star from my review because of this issue.

Here are the colors which are provided: dark green, medium green, yellow, orange, red, purple, brown, pink, light blue and dark blue. Even the dark colors still go on fairly light. These are the exact same colors I had in my previous kit from this company. I used the included colors to finish Fang (dog) and I used my own oil-based colored pencils color Fawkes (phoenix). You can see the huge difference in how the pencils colored.

There are two folding magnet frames. Cute but inexpensive. They do nicely for holding a picture on the front of the refrigerator or on a locker anything that a magnet will stick to.

This is what I found while coloring the cards in this kit and testing them with my various coloring medium.

30 Harry Potter designs in playing card size

Printed on one side with high glossy back

Cardboard box holds entire set folds open and closes with magnet

Two folding magnetic frames for holding finished artwork

Alcohol and water based markers and India ink pen did not bleed through

Gel pens did not bleed through but some required extra drying time

Coloring pencils did well but no room for blending in minute details