iiiiReader Book Reviews

Creative Haven Elegant Angels Coloring Book (Adult Coloring)

By: Marty Noble

Rating: 5 of 5

Marty Noble is one of my favorite designers. This is her second coloring book of Angels (though the first one released in the Creative Haven line.) The designs are elegant and beautiful, as one expects from this designer. They are delicate and detailed with lovely backgrounds as well. She always provides enough room for blending and shading so you can make these designs your own.

The angels in the designs range from children to lovely adult women. The scenes sometimes include animals. Many of the designs represent a certain subject, such as a stained glass window, music and several with angels in motion with birds. Simply beautiful and fun to color.
I noticed that the feel of the paper is slightly smoother than some of the Creative Haven books I have received recently. It also appears to be slightly thinner as I can vaguely see some of the from the design below. I’ve noticed that the paper seems to change quite frequently on these books. 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. Colored pencils still work well with the slightly smoother paper (see below.)
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
31 Elegant and Gorgeous New Angel designs by Marty Noble.
The designs are printed one side of the page
Paper is the usual Creative Haven quality: white, medium weight, slightly smooth and has perforated pages.
Glue Binding but with perforated pages so removing a page is fairly simple.
The designs stop well before the perforations. The designs have a variety of styles of framing lines at their outer edges.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper
Water-based markers bleed through in spots (somewhat heavier than with previous paper in the Creative Have line) and show colorful shadows on the back of the page
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through when I apply more than one layer of ink.
Coloring pencils work well with this paper. I was able to get good pigment (color) lay down, layer the same color and multiple colors and to blend easily using a pencil style blender. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils with similar results. Hard lead pencils, like Verithins, leave dents on the back of the page.
I suggest either removing pages from the book to color or using a blotter page under your working page. I like card stock as it keeps ink from seeping through and damaging the pages below.

Creative Haven Midnight Safari Coloring Book: Wild Animal Designs on a Dramatic Black Background (Adult Coloring)

By: Lindsey Boylan

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book of safari/jungle animals by Lindsey Boylan where the backgrounds are pre-filled in with flat mat black and the design stretches over the entire page from side to side. The paper is still white but is printed black (unlike some publishers who use black paper with white ink.)

There are 31 designs in the coloring book this book. The design have a varied level of detail some are fairly easy to color while others have intricate and small areas. Some of the animals have a bit of doodle style elements included which gives you the ability to use a broader range of colors. There are many animals in the book, including elephant, lion, leopard, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, zebra, flamingos and more.
I noticed that the feel of the paper is slightly smoother than some of the Creative Haven books I have received recently. It also appears to be slightly thinner as I can vaguely see some of the from the design below.
I’ve noticed that the paper seems to change quite frequently on these books. 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. Colored pencils still work well with the slightly smoother paper (see below.)
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
31 Safari/jungle style animals with doodle elements printed black backgrounds and detail lines. The coloring areas are left white.
The designs are printed one side of the page
Paper is the usual Creative Haven quality: black backgrounds printed on white paper, medium weight, slightly smooth and has perforated pages.
Glue Binding but with perforated pages so removing a page is fairly simple.
The designs generally cross over the perforations and some small amount of the image will be lost if you remove the page from the book. Elements are left unfinished at all four edges of the designs.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper
Water-based markers bleed through in spots (somewhat heavier than with previous paper in the Creative Have line) and show colorful shadows on the back of the page
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page. India ink pens can bleed through when I apply more than one layer of ink.
Coloring pencils work well with this paper. I was able to get good pigment (color) lay down, layer the same color and multiple colors and to blend easily using a pencil style blender. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils with similar results. Hard lead pencils, like Verithins, leave dents on the back of the page.
I suggest either removing pages from the book to color or using a blotter page under your working page. I like card stock as it keeps ink from seeping through and damaging the pages below.

Celtic Myth & Symbol: A Coloring Book of Celtic Art and Mandalas

By: Jen Delyth

Rating: 5 of 5

This coloring book has forty designs which are Celtic inspired. The designs include spirals, knotwork, mandalas, symbols and even patterns. The artist, Jen Delyth, grew up in Wales and was inspired by the artwork of her youth with its ties to the Celts. For my first project, I choose to color Cranes Knot Panel which incorporates birds into the knotwork design.

The designs in the book have a look of both balance and eternal movement with the unending knots and spirals. Some of the designs are open and easy to color with lots of room to blend while others are more detailed and yet others very detailed and have intricate and small areas to color. The book has a really nice mix of designs and challenge levels.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
40 Celtic inspired designs by Jen Delyth
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly rough, and perforated
Glue Binding
Designs do not merge past the perforations and most have a frame of sorts around the outer edge of the design.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page
Water-based markers and India ink pens bleed through the page in spots.
I use a blotter page below my working page when using these wet mediums. It keeps the ink from seeping through. You can also remove pages before coloring to keep the rest of the book from being damaged.
Gel pens leave a slight shadow on the back of the page but do not bleed through. Some pens require additional drying time.
Colored pencils work well with this slightly rough paper. I was able to layer and blend easily with both oil and wax based pencils.
I was provided an advance reader copy of this book by the publisher.