This is a beautiful set of postcard size designs. Each design is simply more delightful than the last one. I want to carry this book around with me constantly and color in it. It has birds, geometric patterns, sewing, fruit, flowers, and all sorts of other pretty and fun subjects.
I had never seen any of Beth Gunnell’s designs before, so I was taking a chance with this book and I am glad that I did. After testing this one, I immediately ordered her second book of floral postcards so that I can have one book in my purse and one at home. I really hope she continues with this style of book and maybe some larger format ones, too, that are for adults versus what seems to be her coloring books for young girls.
The designs are, in fact, pre-set up for use as postcards with areas for shipping address, writing area, and stamp on the reverse side of each card. There are even cute little designs on that side as well which you can color with a lick of ink/pencil. The size of the book (and pages) is 7.75 x 4.75 inches.
The designs are printed on one side of heavyweight, frame-able card stock that has a glued edge that makes removal from the book as simple as can be. All you have to do is carefully pull the design away from the edge and it is ready for mailing or framing as you choose. I could easily get this book to lay fairly flat but you can always remove pages for coloring if you wish to do so, too.
This is probably the best paper I have in any of my coloring books, etc. The only thing that bled through these pages were my Copic and Prismacolor alcohol-based markers and those bleed through everything. My Sharpies, both fine and ultra-fine did NOT bleed through and I checked neon, dark, and bright colors as well. None of my water-based marker did either. My gel pens worked great but needed a little more drying time as the ink apparently sat on the surface of this great paper and did not sink into it. My coloring pencils worked fantastic.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year, so I love to pick up coloring books devoted to the theme. This coloring book has 30 designs most of which appear to have been computer drawn. A few of the designs almost twins within the book where the same images have been utilized more than once but to form a different finished designs. I like both hand-drawn and computer drawn and even generated art, so this works fine for me. It certainly gives nice clean edges and a more precise look to the design.
There are all sorts of Christmas motifs but you will not find a Santa or a snowman in the book. Most of the designs have very intricate and small elements, so I suggest a good eye and a really steady hand would be important for coloring in this book.
The designs are printed on one side of thin white non-perforated paper that is typical for books published by CreateSpace. The binding is glued but there is plenty of room for you to cut a page out if you choose to do so. Most of the designs stop before the bound edge. Of the ones that merge into the binding, you will not lose any of the essential parts of the design.
All of my markers bleed through and my gel pens either bleed through or leave a distinct shadow on the back of the page. My coloring pencils work well with the paper. I will use a piece of chipboard or heavy paper behind the page I am working on so I don’t ruin the following page with leaking ink.
While I could wish for thicker, perforated paper, it appears that this is the quality that comes from CreateSpace (which is an Amazon company.) What I really like about the CreateSpace is it is a way that independent artists can get their work self-published. That way, I get a huge choice of design styles albeit with not the best paper.
Doodle Artist – Rabbits & Hares: A colouring book for grown ups
By: Annette Rand
Rating: 5 of 5
This is a beautiful coloring book filled with designs of rabbits and hares. What is great is that the artist has provided two each of every design. That way you can test your colors on one copy, color the image twice, or simply share the second copy with a friend. The designs have plenty of doodles drawn into the images to make coloring these rabbits and hares a fun and colorful experience. I love this style of drawing as it allows my imagination to take over and create fun and colorful animals instead of simply realistic ones.
All of the design stop well before the binding. The designs are printed on one side of thin white non-perforated paper that is typical for books published by CreateSpace. The binding is glued but there is plenty of room for you to cut a page out if you choose to do so.
All of my markers bleed through and my gel pens either bleed through or leave a distinct shadow on the back of the page. My coloring pencils work well with the paper. I will use a piece of chipboard or heavy paper behind the page I am working on so I don’t ruin the following page with leaking ink.
While I could wish for thicker, perforated paper, it appears that this is the quality that comes from CreateSpace (which is an Amazon company.) What I really like about the CreateSpace is it is a way that independent artists can get their work self-published. That way, I get a huge choice of design styles albeit with not the best paper.
This is a coloring book filled with a variety of different cats in various poses. They are realistically drawn cats (though a couple of lovely flowers drawn on their fur to make coloring more fun!) The artist has given us a lot of detail on the fur, so it is easy to get two tones in without too much effort. The backgrounds reflect some wonderful patterns that will make color choices a fun experience. While the cats are drawn realistically, I may have some fun with a few of them and give them wild colors of fur – why can’t I have a pink, purple, or turquoise cat? I would never do it to my real cats but these are the pets of my imagination and the sky is the limit.
All of the design stop well before the binding. The designs are printed on one side of thin white non-perforated paper that is typical for books published by CreateSpace. The binding is glued but there is plenty of room for you to cut a page out if you choose to do so. All of the designs have a framing line around the outside. I really like this as it gives me a natural stopping point, saves ink/pencil, and also gives me a more finished looking project when I color.
Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom: Deluxe Edition: Color Me, Draw Me
By: Millie Marotta
Rating: 5 of 5
This review is for the US version of this book.
Animal Kingdom: Color Me Draw Me is the stunning US hardbound deluxe version of the Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom that has been a favorite of mine for some time. So much so, I purchased a second copy of the paperback version so I could color on both sides of the page. With this newly released deluxe version that is no longer an issue it is printed on one side only of a much nicer grade paper. Almost all of the two-page spread designs have been turned into two page fold-out designs, so the back of the page is still blank. There are also five separate designs that are printed on loose pages and are in an insert at the back of the book. One of the images is new and is a compilation of other designs in the book.
Before I get into the review, I want to talk about the differences between the US and the UK version of this book. Usually, there is a noticeable difference between publishing houses but, thankfully, in this situation, that is not the case at all. I weighed both books and they both weigh exactly the same 3.05 pounds. I went through the books, page by page, same images, same binding, same fold-outs, etc. My videos will show only the images of the US book on the US review and only the UK book on the UK review. The only differences I found were cosmetic, i.e., wording regarding publishing and the subtitles were slightly different. It turns out to be just as well for our house because my husband wanted a copy, too, and had agreed to take the lesser quality and happily, we both get a great coloring book.
All of the designs from the original book are contained in this book but there are three differences (I will have images of those below): 1) a bird image has been reversed (probably because it was on the backside of a page and when switched to the front side it looked better in reverse), 2) a two-page spread of grasshoppers has been changed to only one page, and 3) a two-page spread of birds changed to a only one page. For items 2 and 3, they did not make the images smaller they eliminated one page of the design. Also of note, all of the words that were originally inserted into the designs have been removed. I really like that change as the words sometimes interfered with how I wanted to color the design.
The book is very well made. It is weighty at approximately three pounds. The book has a really nice blue linen-style hardbound cover with gold foil print on the title. The designs are all printed on one side of non-perforated heavyweight paper. The binding is sewn and, should you wish, you can remove the pages from the book by cutting the threads of the binding. Note that you will remove more than one page at a time should you cut those threads. I could have wished the pages would have been perforated but removing threads works, too. The book has a sewn-in gold ribbon bookmark as well as gold ribbon tie-strings to keep it closed. You will notice that the single page designs have a slight bend on the outer edge of the paper. That is due to the fold-out pages being slightly narrower and thus causing the other pages to slightly bend. It is well out of the area of the design, so it doesn’t bother me too much.
All of my markers had issues: Sharpies, Prismacolor, and Copics bled through immediately. My water-based markers (Stabilo 88, Staedler triplus fineliners, Pentel, and Tombows) all left a shadow of color on the backside of the page. I could see a slight shadow with gel pens and with my darker coloring pencils. My gel pens did not need a longer drying period. If I had a slight quibble about this book, it would be that I wish the paper was a slightly better grade for the price. This isn’t a huge issue for me as the backside of the page is blank and I can use a piece of card stock or chipboard under the page I am working on to keep ink from leaking further into the book.
This is the way that a deluxe version of a book should be published. At more than twice the price of the paperback version, I truly feel I more than got my money’s worth. I sincerely hope that there will be a deluxe version of Tropical World coming out soon, too, and I will definitely purchase that one, too. Other publishers and artists should take note of how well this book was done and learn from it.
This review is for the British version of this book.
Animal Kingdom: A Colouring Book Adventure is the stunning British hardbound deluxe version of the Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom that has been a favorite of mine for some time. So much so, I purchased a second copy of the paperback version so I could color on both sides of the page. With this newly released deluxe version that is no longer an issue it is printed on one side only of a much nicer grade paper. Almost all of the two-page spread designs have been turned into two page fold-out designs, so the back of the page is still blank. There are also five separate designs that are printed on loose pages and are in an insert at the back of the book. One of the images is new and is a compilation of other designs in the book.
Before I get into the review, I want to talk about the differences between the US and the UK version of this book. Usually, there is a noticeable difference between publishing houses but, thankfully, in this situation, that is not the case at all. I weighed both books and they both weigh exactly the same 3.05 pounds. I went through the books, page by page, same images, same binding, same fold-outs, etc. My videos/photos will show only the images of the US book on the US review and only the UK book on the UK review. The only differences I found were cosmetic, i.e., wording regarding publishing and the subtitles were slightly different. It turns out to be just as well for our house because my husband wanted a copy, too, and had agreed to take the lesser quality and happily, we both get a great coloring book.
All of the designs from the original book are contained in this book but there are three differences (I will have images of those below): 1) a bird image has been reversed (probably because it was on the backside of a page and when switched to the front side it looked better in reverse), 2) a two-page spread of grasshoppers has been changed to only one page, and 3) a two-page spread of birds changed to a only one page. For items 2 and 3, they did not make the images smaller they eliminated one page of the design. Also of note, all of the words that were originally inserted into the designs have been removed. I really like that change as the words sometimes interfered with how I wanted to color the design.
The book is very well made. It is weighty at approximately three pounds. The book has a really nice blue linen-style hardbound cover with gold foil print on the title. The designs are all printed on one side of non-perforated heavyweight paper. The binding is sewn and, should you wish, you can remove the pages from the book by cutting the threads of the binding. Note that you will remove more than one page at a time should you cut those threads. I could have wished the pages would have been perforated but removing threads works, too. The book has a sewn-in gold ribbon bookmark as well as gold ribbon tie-strings to keep it closed. You will notice that the single page designs have a slight bend on the outer edge of the paper. That is due to the fold-out pages being slightly narrower and thus causing the other pages to slightly bend. It is well out of the area of the design, so it doesn’t bother me too much.
All of my markers had issues: Sharpies, Prismacolor, and Copics bled through immediately. My water-based markers (Stabilo 88, Staedler triplus fineliners, Pentel, and Tombows) all left a shadow of color on the backside of the page. I could see a slight shadow with gel pens and with my darker coloring pencils. My gel pens did not need a longer drying period. If I had a slight quibble about this book, it would be that I wish the paper was a slightly better grade for the price. This isn’t a huge issue for me as the backside of the page is blank and I can use a piece of card stock or chipboard under the page I am working on to keep ink from leaking further into the book.
This is the way that a deluxe version of a book should be published. At more than twice the price of the paperback version, I truly feel I more than got my money’s worth. I sincerely hope that there will be a deluxe version of Tropical World coming out soon, too, and I will definitely purchase that one, too. Other publishers and artists should take note of how well this book was done and learn from it.
Woodland Christmas: A Christmas Adult Coloring Book
By: Blue Star Coloring
Rating: 5 of 5
This is a really cute Christmas stocking stuffer size coloring book from artist Suzy Joyner. There are 27 pages of designs in the book with more than half having a bit of a woodland theme. These designs include woodland animals, leaves, and pine cones, etc. The animals mostly have human characteristics versus real animal poses. They are dressed in stocking caps, etc. They also have rather large, more human looking eyes.
I have Ms. Joyner’s two previous coloring books and have enjoyed them considerably. As soon as I saw she had a Christmas book, I bought it immediately. It is the perfect size to stick in a stocking and to carry in a purse.
The book is printed on one side of non-perforated white paper. The binding is glued rather than sewn and a good number of the designs merge into the binding. If you cut the pages out of the book, you will probably lose some non-essential parts of the design. I was not able to get the book to lay flat but I was able to press down and get the pages to open fairly well.
Both alcohol and water-based markers bleed through this paper. My gel pens leave a shadow of color on the reverse side of the page. My coloring pencils work well with the paper. I am planning on carrying this around with me with a small set of coloring pencils but if I decide to color a design with markers or pens, I will cut down a piece of chipboard to fit the book and keep it with it. I’ll use it under the page I am working on to keep ink from leaking onto the next page.
Dogs: Breeds & Bits of History (Coloring Book), Coloring for the Curious
By: Samantha Cole
Rating: 5 of 5
This is a coloring books that has many different breeds of dogs represented (look to the bottom of this review for a full listing.) The dogs are beautiful line drawings that will give me a great opportunity to use my blending skills to give them my preferred color of fur. Each design show the dog(s) in a great setting that makes coloring each page more fun for me. The back of each design has information about the breed of dog represented and their history as well as a bit about their temperament. I like that the artist took advantage of the blank space on the back to give information I don’t mind if my inks leak through into this area as I will still be able to read it if I choose to do so.
The designs are printed on one side of a medium weight perforated paper. The back is printed with the breed/information mentioned above. The binding is glued rather than sewn, but not a problem as you can remove the page at the perforation. Only one of the designs (Brady-bunch style design of Pugs) merges into the binding and none of the essential design is lost to the binding. The rest stop well clear of it and can be removed without loss of the design.
All of my markers bleed through this paper to some degree. My gel pens leave a shadow of color on the backside of the page but don’t need any extra drying time. My coloring pencils do well on this and, of course, there isn’t any issue about leak-through with those. As back of the page is blank, I will simply use chipboard (my favorite as I can reuse it many times) or heavyweight paper under the page I am working on to keep ink from seeping through and ruining the rest of the book.
Here are the breeds represented in the book:
Akita Inu and Shiba Inu, Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky, American Pitbull Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Chihuahua, Chow Chow, Dachshund, Dalmatian, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Labrador Retriever, Papillon, Pomeranian, Pug, Rottweiler, Rough Collie, Samoyed, Scottish Terrier, Standard Poodle, Welsh Corgi, and Yorkshire Terrier.
I received a free copy of this coloring book for test and review purposes.
Inky Mandalas Mix is artist Helen Elliston’s fourth coloring book and is her second one devoted to the mandala form. Her first mandala book Inky Mandalas was wonderfully surprising with unusual takes on the style. With this second volume, she has gone even further with fun and imaginative offerings. The themes include: coloring pencils (a really great opportunity to use lots of colors!), Russian dolls, clocks and gears (very steampunk), a compass, dragons, baby chicks, and lots of others including a few more standard mandalas in abstract and geometric patterns. As always with Ms. Elliston’s coloring books, the designs are simply beautiful. Many of the designs are quite intricate and have small details as well.
All of the design stop well before the binding. The designs are printed on one side of thin white non-perforated paper that is typical for books published by CreateSpace. The binding is glued but there is plenty of room for you to cut a page out if you choose to do so. I like that this book is in a smaller format than her other books. It saves wasted paper (top and bottom of design) and gives me a finished project that is easier to frame if I wish to do so.
All of my markers bleed through and my gel pens either bleed through or leave a distinct shadow on the back of the page. My coloring pencils work well with the paper. I will use a piece of chipboard or heavy paper behind the page I am working on so I don’t ruin the following page with leaking ink.
While I could wish for thicker, perforated paper, it appears that this is the quality that comes from CreateSpace (which is an Amazon company.) What I really like about the CreateSpace is it is a way that independent artists can get their work self-published. That way, I get a huge choice of design styles albeit with not the best paper. The trade-off works well for me.
Inky Mandalas is artist Helen Elliston’s third coloring book and is her first one devoted to mandalas. The 52 different designs are unusual, beautiful and intricate. Where most mandalas are abstracts, Ms. Elliston has created mandalas that are based on actual items and subjects. Some of the subjects/themes include: owls, pirate ships, butterflies, cats, birds, and rabbits as well as beautiful abstract and geometric designs. I really enjoy this artist’s work. Many of the designs are quite intricate and have small details.
All of the design stop well before the binding. The designs are printed on one side of thin white non-perforated paper that is typical for books published by CreateSpace. The binding is glued but there is plenty of room for you to cut a page out if you choose to do so. I like that this book is in a smaller format than her other books. It saves wasted paper (top and bottom of design) and gives me a finished project that is easier to frame if I wish to do so.
All of my markers bleed through and my gel pens either bleed through or leave a distinct shadow on the back of the page. My coloring pencils work well with the paper. I will use a piece of chipboard or heavy paper behind the page I am working on so I don’t ruin the following page with leaking ink.
While I could wish for thicker, perforated paper, it appears that this is the quality that comes from CreateSpace (which is an Amazon company.) What I really like about the CreateSpace is it is a way that independent artists can get their work self-published. That way, I get a huge choice of design styles albeit with not the best paper. The trade-off works well for me. I especially appreciate Ms. Elliston’s work. I found her first book Inky Ocean by mere chance and really enjoyed it. I now look for her work and have enjoyed each of the books as she has released them.
