iiiiReader Book Reviews

With each coloring book Hannah Lynn releases, I enjoy her work more and more. One would think she might run out of ideas but each, it seems to me, that her designs get better and more interesting all the time. That’s not to say her earlier books aren’t great but the new themes really appeal to me.

This coloring book is focused on Victorian young ladies. We see Ms. Lynn’s signature big eyed girls (with great lashes and diminutive noses) garbed in gorgeous Victorian styles. I must admit I admire the fashion but would not want to wear them. I have enough troubles with breathing and the thought of being laced into a corset would send me running (okay, walking really slow with oxygen in tow) for the hills.

Still, the young women look lovely and seem to have adapted quite well (though I notice the young lady in her nightgown is curved naturally to the side instead of standing bolt upright!)

The designs are detailed with either a two line frame or finished motifs throughout. I don’t consider the designs to be intricate or hard to color but will take some time and attention. That will make the book even more fun to color

Continue reading →

This is the third Nice Little Town to focus on the cute abodes of mice. As with the second book, the houses in this book are more modern (compared to those in the first book.)

The mouses are long and lean rather than round and cute. Some of them look like they are adolescents who are going through a growth spurt and their clothes are getting a little too short.

Once again, these mice are having fun. They are going about their day and living life well. There is a design of one mouse taking a shower via a watering can spout (how inventive!) There is another with a class learning the importance of recognizing a C A T.

Both my husband and I are enjoying these books and would be happy to see more of them. I have many coloring books by this artist and am always impressed by her range and by her skill.

Just a note, this time the author did not include bonus pages from her other books. She did, however, include thumbnail images from those books, so you can still see the types of designs that are available.

Continue reading →

This is an older coloring book by Pomgranate (and may currently be out of print though still available through some bookstores.) The artwork is based on that of famed artist, Maxfield Parrish. The “story” is based on a nursery rhyme made famous by being included in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and was written by Louise Saunders.

Maxfield Parrish illustrated the story which was first published in 1925. The coloring book contains 22 beautifully rendered designs converted to line drawings.

In addition to the the designs, there is a listing of the artwork included. Also included (on the inside of the front a back covers) and full color thumbnails of all of the original artwork.

The designs are open and easy to color. There is a good level of detail but they have left a lot of open area to allow you to color and add your own shading and details.

Continue reading →

Coloring Book Review

I own a variety of coloring books by Majorie Sarnat but it is only in recent books that the artist has begun including figures in her designs. While I love the animals (including owls, cats and dogs) which are in the older books, it is these newer coloring books that I am reaching for again and again. My earlier book is of angels and this book is of beautiful fairies.

There are 31 designs with a variety of fairy subjects. The artist has included drawings which give a nod to the earlier books (with a fairy with a cat or dog, etc.) She has also included fairies in storybook tales and a wide variety of other scenarios. One of my favorites is of a peacock fairy.

As always with Ms. Sarnat, the designs are detailed. Some include smaller and more intricate areas to color but are not, for the most part, what I consider to be difficult to color. The designs have framing lines at the outer edges but some motifs do cross over the line but remain as finished objects when they do.

I’ve noticed that the paper quality seems to change quite frequently on the Creative Haven line. Because of that, if you buy one of these books, it may be slightly smooth or slightly rough depending on when and where it was printed. I’ve found that coloring medium, including pencils, work similarly with both slightly rough and slightly smooth paper from Creative Haven. In this case, my coloring book pages are slightly rough.

Continue reading →

In this third of a series of coloring books by artist Forest Diver, the keepers are a group of creatures who are tasked with maintaining the safety of the enchanted forest.

In the first book in the series, we discovered the hidden fantasy creatures who live there. The keepers seem to be consistent with the guardians (are were introduced in the second book.) These keepers/guardians are stronger and bigger than the innocent creatures who live and thrive in the enchanted forest.

The book has 32 designs and lives up to the excellent quality of the first two books. The designs are detailed and, in some cases, have more intricate areas to color.

Continue reading →

This is a coloring book about cats. They are quite cute. What I like most is that most of the designs are of cats are simply being cats. They are not being given human qualities though a few are a bit dressed up.

Personally, the most I could ever get my cats to wear was their collar and tag. Having said that, my youngest daughter, as a child, would take our cats and dress them in her doll clothes and put them in her doll stroller. And they loved it! If I had tried it, they would have tried to remove my spleen through a nostril or something. That this book brings back those memories is a special add-on for me while I am coloring.

The designs in this book are nicely detailed with a fun use of background as a integral part of the design. While I don’t consider these designs to be intricate or hard to color, there is enough going on that a project will take a bit of time to complete.

You can receive a digital download of the book as part of the purchase of the print copy (instructions in the book). While printing those copies is a great plus, I will be reviewing (and videoing and photo images) from the print copy.

Continue reading →

I’ve said this before about coloring books from Jane F. Hankins but it bears repeating: quality comes at a premium and this is one of the nicest quality coloring books that I own. Not only are the pages larger than most at 11 x 14 inches, the paper used is #80 professional grade paper.

While this is only speaking about the way the book is put together what is even more striking is the artwork in the book. I appreciate Ms. Hankins artistic signature style. She has a lovely sense of whimsy that comes through on each and every page in this book.

The book starts with the cover page and then moves on to a fun “map” of the imaginary garden. It serves almost as a table of contents for what will come after but it is a lovely and fun page to color as well.

The designs include flowers and insects and even a spirit of the garden and a fairy or two (or three or more.)

The book is a premium one and, if you enjoy the artwork, it makes all the difference. The pages are set up to be framed easily with the pages being perforated for easy removal.

The designs are detailed and some have some and intricate areas to color. There is a tad more shading using crosshatch on some designs. I think there is less than I found in the Underwater coloring book but I still want to note that it exists.

Continue reading →

This is a coloring book about country farm. There are some scenes (such as camping and forest) which may not fit into that category quite as well but let’s just say the book is a good one for a more simple life with outdoor scenes taking prominence. All four seasons are represented (though the winter scenes are focused on Christmas more than just winter.)

I personally really appreciate the change of seasons with spring and baby animals, summer with picnics and long days, fall with harvest and Christmas with snow!

The designs in this book are detailed with lots of heavy background designs. There are some areas in the designs which might be considered small and perhaps even intricate but overall, the designs are not difficult to color. However, because of the detail, you can spend a good amount of time coloring each page.

You can receive a digital download of the book as part of the purchase of the print copy (instructions in the book). While printing those copies is a great plus, I will be reviewing (and videoing and photo images) from the print copy.

Continue reading →