iiiiReader Book Reviews

Charles Santore: Aesop’s Fables Coloring Book

By: ?

Rating: 5 of 5

When I first received this copy of Aesop’s Fables, I was a little concerned by all of the heavy shading in dark gray and black. I finally determined that the best way to deal with this was by using some of my recently learned grayscale techniques. In essence, I let the shadows in the book become my shading in my colored projects. What I found worked best for me was to use alcohol-based markers to put in the majority of my color as a foundation color and then to use colored pencils sparingly to add slight tonal changes. By utilizing this technique, I was really happy with the finished result.

The designs are all so beautiful and are well done representations of the original artwork. Thumbnails of the original watercolors of each design are printed in glossy prints on the inside of the front and back covers. I found this valuable in looking for clues as to what was what in the design. As I did with my first project, I am sure to create my own colored version as I color my way through the book.

Both my husband and I enjoyed Aesop’s Fables as children and we are both looking forward to telling these tales to our grandchildren. The pictures are representations of the stories, so we will need to have a written version of the tales at hand as well.

This is what I experienced in coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I use to test with and which I use most of the time to color my projects.

21 Aesop’s Fables designs based on the original artwork by Charles Santore

Designs are printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, slightly off-white, slightly rough to the touch and non-perforated

The Designs are bound by two heavyweight staples which can be removed to release all of the page from the book without any loss of design.

Designs do not merge into the binding area

Pages can be cut out if you wish without losing any design elements.

Book easily opens to a flat position for coloring.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper easily.

Water-based markers leave shadows and slight spots of color bleed through on the back of the page

Gel pens and India ink pens do not bleed through the page.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. It has a slight roughness to it that allows good pigment coverage from both oil and wax based pencils. I was able to layer and blend easily with both as well.

Blooms, Birds, & Butterflies Coloring Postcards (gold foil on every card!)

By: Peter Pauper Press

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a lovely set of 16 postcards for coloring. The designs feature the artwork of Andie Hanna. I so enjoyed Ms Hanna’s coloring book (which this set is based on), that when I saw the postcards were available, I purchased them on a pre-order. There are birds, flowers, and butterflies as well as paisleys and other pattern designs as well.

The set is 2 each of eight designs. The postcards are loose leaf and come in a folding book-style holder that has a gorgeous cover. It as well as each of the postcards, are accented with shiny gold foil. It makes for a much more elegant postcard than those I usually color. The designs are detailed and they have small and intricate details. I suggest only the smallest of marker or pen nibs or very sharp pencils.

I started my first project thinking that I would use a number of colors but, in the end, I ended up finishing the design in one color only. I just loved the elegant look of purple, gold and white.

This is what I discovered when I colored and tested my coloring medium on these postcards:

8 x 2 each gold accented postcards for coloring based on artwork by Andie Hanna

Printed on heavyweight card stock

Cardstock is white, smooth, and is pre-printed for use as postcard on the back

Alcohol and water based markers, gel pens, and India Ink pens did not bleed through this card stock

Colored pencils work well with good color with both oil and wax based pencils. The design elements are so small, I could not do a good check of layering and blending, so I can’t verify if they work well or not.

Natural Patterns: A Coloring Book by Janelle Dimmett

By: Janelle Dimmett

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my first coloring book by Janelle Dimmett. It’s a wonderful hardback book (part of a new series by Pomegranate) which is filled with 50 designs. The designs are detailed and often intricate requiring smaller nib pens, markers or sharp pencils in order to color. The designs are focused on the natural world with animals and plant life. The designs contains tiny doodle style elements which allows you to color the natural world in your own (and potentially quite unnatural) fashion.

What was different for me in this particular book versus the others from Pomegranate is that there were no color thumbnails at the front and back of the book. In this case, it seems that the artist works in ink on paper so it makes sense that the thumbnails were missing. I will admit I was a tad disappointed, though.

There is a table of contents which provides the names for each of the designs. The pages are also numbered to the table of contents but in some cases, the page numbers ended up incorporated into the design. It might have been better to have put the page numbers on the back of each page with this particular artist’s work.

This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and using my coloring medium to test the pages:

50 Natural Designs with a high level of detail

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly smooth, and non-perforated

Sewn binding with a thin glossy hard back cover

Some designs merge into the binding area

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper quite readily

Water-based markers can spot through. The exception was my Tombow brush ends did not spot through even with dark and bright colors.

Gel pens and India ink pens did not bleed through but some gel pens took much longer to dry than usual.

Colored pencils worked well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based in several brands. I was able to get light pigment as well as heavy (with multiple layers) and to layer colors and blend well using a pencil style blending stick. My hard lead pencils were good color as well with crisp lines and did not dent through the page.

Color the Proverbs: An Adult Coloring Book for Your Soul (Color the Bible)

By: Michal Sparks

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book of 37 Scripture-based designs from the Proverbs. I’ve found that the Proverbs is the chapter I go to when I need reminding of what is important and true in life. The lessons that are included cover all of my questions and needs as to what is the right and good thing to do.

The designs are very nice but the words are what are most important for me in this book. The designs serve to bring the words into the forefront. They are definitely more elegant than cute and I will enjoy coloring in this book as I have Coloring the Psalms also by Michael Sparks.

The translations used in this coloring book are: New American Standard Bible, New King James Version, Holy Bible New International Version (NIV), and the Holy Bible New Living Translation.

This is what I found when coloring in this book and testing the paper with my various coloring medium:

37 Designs with Scripture from the Proverbs

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is medium weight, white, smooth and perforated

Glue Binding

Designs either have a framing line around the outside or have finished elements.

Book opens fairly flat for coloring if you crease or break the spine.

Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the paper to some degree (water-based is mostly in spots while alcohol flows through rapidly.)

Gel pens and India ink do not bleed through but can leave shadows on the back of the page.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. I get good pigment lay down, layer, and blend easily with a pencil style blending stick with both oil and wax based pencils. Hard lead pencils can leave dents on the back of the page.

I use and recommend the use of a blotter page to keep ink and dents from marring the pages below. I use a piece of card stock or several sheets of heavy weight paper.

Color Super Cute Animals

By: Jane Maday

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really fun and cute coloring book filled with 56 different original designs by Jane Maday. There are so many animals in this book, including: dogs, cats, frog, fox, birds, horse, butterfly, fish, rabbits, and so much more. The animals are generally set in a background which can be as simple as a few flowers or more elaborate. Some of the animals include doodle elements while others are line drawings.

The designs are generally detailed but are not overly intricate or difficult to color. The book is well published with one small nit. In some cases, the designs cross over the perforations near the binding and you will lose some portion of the design if you remove it from the book. In some cases it causes the symmetry of the design to be lost. You can remove pages in whole by snipping the sewn binding, so I didn’t detract stars from this remove for this issue.

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

37 Cute Original Animals Designs by Jane Maday

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is heavyweight, white, smooth and perforated

Sewn Binding

Some designs merge over the perforations and some designs merge into the binding area

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper

Water-based markers can leave shadows on the back of the page. I had this issue with both Stabilo 88, and Staedler triplus fineliners ultra-fine nib markers. My Tombows brush end did not leave shadows.

Gel pens and India ink pens did not leak through the page.

Colored pencils work well with the paper. Though it was smooth to the touch, it still had enough tooth to get good pigment with multiple layers of same color, layered well with multiple colors and blended well using a pencil style blender stick. I found that oil based and water-based pencils did equally well.

I use a blotter page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper below my working page. That keeps seeping ink from damaging the pages below.

Fantasia An Adult Coloring Book Of Fantasy & Mythology: Spiral Bound, 100lb Coverstock Paper, Perforated Pages, Story Edition

By: Casey L Gilmore

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a beautiful and very different type of fantasy coloring book. Along with the extremely well-drawn artwork, the artist has included an interesting story about each of the design characters in the book. The story pages are printed on the left side and the designs are on the right. It helps put the character into context and gives me a back story to think about as I am coloring. The designs are detailed and some include a considerable amount of shading. It stops short of grayscale but some of the techniques I use in grayscale, I use with portions these designs.

It seems to me that some of the characters come from mythology and legend, some from fantasy games, and others possibly from the imagination of the artist. It proved to be a really nice mix of design concepts.

The book is published in a fantastic manner. The pages are heavyweight card stock and the binding is spiral. This makes it easy to get the book to lay flat for coloring. Add to that, the pages are all perforated and you simply can’t get a better published coloring book format than this one.

This is what I discovered as I colored in this book and tested the paper with my coloring medium:

20 Fantasy Detailed Fantasy designs with story included

Printed on one side of the page

Pages are heavyweight, warm white, lightly smooth, and perforated

Spiral binding

Designs stop before the perforations for ease of removal without loss of design elements

Book opens to flat position effortlessly

Alcohol-based markers can lightly spot through the page with heavy application. If you use a free flowing marker, such as Copics, you might want to use a blotter page below for peace of mind though I doubt it will bleed through to the page below.

Water-based markers, gel pens, and India ink pens do not bleed through the page

Coloring pencils work well with this card stock. I was able to blend, layer and get good pigment lay down with both oil and wax based pencils.

I received a free sample of this coloring book for test and review purposes.

Mini-INKLINGS colouring book by Tanya Bond: Coloring book for adults, teens and children, featuring 30 single sided fantasy art illustrations by Tanya … and other charming creatures. (Volume 3)

By: Tanya Bond

Rating: 5 of 5

I really enjoy Tanya Bond’s coloring book series, Inklings, so when I found out that she had released a mini format book, I immediately purchased it. I was very happy to see many new designs and a few that are familiar. The ones that are similar to her other books have been re-done to fit the new format and feel like a new coloring experience as well. The lines are nice and dark and well-connected unlike other books where the lines fade away because the images were reduced too far. These designs feel as if they were drawn for this size format.

The coloring book is approximately 9 x 6 inches and it fits perfectly in my handbag to carry around with me. The designs are detailed but not at all intricate which, again, makes them a perfect project for on-the-go. Each of the designs are titled at the bottom of the page, along with a copyright. I like the title but wish the copyright had been less intrusive.

The designs feature the ethereal maidens with large expressive eyes that I have found in all of Ms. Bond’s designs. I love all of the girls with their fun hats in this book. They remind me of my younger daughter who loves to crochet/knit wild hats for herself.

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

30 Designs of Large, Expressive Eyed Girls in 9 x 6 inch format book

2 Pages set aside for Color Tests

Printed on one side of the page

Paper is thin, white, slightly rough and non-perforated. It is typical of anything published through CreateSpace.

Glue Bound

Designs do not merge into the binding area

Book can be opened flat with a little effort for coloring

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper readily

Water-based markers bleed through in spots

Gel pens and India Ink artist pens create colorful shadows on the back of the page. India ink pens can spot through if multiple layers are applied.

Colored pencils work well with this paper. I can use either wax or oil based pencils and get good pigment (with multiple layers of the same color), layer multiple colors well and blend well using a pencils style blender stick. My hard lead pencils, such as Verithins, can cause dents through to the back of the page.

I use a piece of card stock or a couple of pieces of heavy weight paper as a blotter when coloring in this book. It keeps ink from seeping through or dents from marring the pages below my project page.

Wholehearted: A Coloring Book Devotional

By: Paige Tate & Co.

Rating: 5 of 5

My review is of the standard paperback version of this book. As I have purchased and reviewed the Premium version of other of this publishers books, I’m certain that the paper in the spiral-bound version of the book is an improvement over what the paperback.

This is an excellent devotional guide which can be accomplished in 30 days (as the writer suggests) or at your own speed if you prefer to save out the time you spend in devotional study.

The format of the book alternates between one day of suggested tasks and prayers to the next day of coloring. That amounts to fifteen days each of both formats. Each day is prefaced with cited verse of Scripture and the task/coloring relates back to that verse.

Each day has a page of verse and then the author shares her personal thoughts and experiences which relate to the verse. Then, you either follow the tasks or color the design depending on which day it is.

I found the course of study to be of immense personal use for me. It seemed as if the entire book had been geared towards the issues I have been facing. The stories that the author tells are heartfelt and the suggested tasks are ones that, while I found a bit emotionally challenging, were ultimate rewarding for me.

The coloring was just a small part of this book and the designs are geared to and highlight the Bible verse. Each of the drawings can be accomplished in a day.

For coloring purposes, the paper in this book is white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through. Gel pens and India ink leave shadows of color on the back of the back. Colored pencils work well (both oil and wax based) but hard lead pencils can leave dents. I use a blotter page under the page I am working on (both coloring and using a pen for writing) to keep ink and dents from marring the pages below.