iiiiReader Book Reviews

Victorian Romance – The Memory’s Wake Coloring Book (Fantasy Colouring by Selina) (Volume 13)

By: Selina Fenech

Rating: 5 of 5

I really like Selina Fenech’s artwork and am absolutely thrilled with her take on Victorian Romance. It appears that the artwork is inspired by her series of novels called The Memory’s Wake. I just picked up the first volume of the series and will enjoy reading it as I color in this coloring book.

The designs, which are detailed and have some intricate and small areas to color, follow in a story format with the brief story excerpt or summary printed on the facing page. Thus, the designs are printed on the front of the page and there is a continuing story printed on the back of the page. If you use bleed-through media (see below), it will disfigure the story but it should remain readable.
The figures in the designs are beautiful and the settings are quite lush. It definitely evokes the look and feel of Victorian Romance novels that I have in my mind.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
25 x 2 each (total of 50 pages) beautiful line drawing designs based on Victorian Romance by Selina Fenech
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality used by CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not extend into the binding area. The designs have double framing lines at the outer edges
Glue Binding
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.
I like to use a blotter when working in the book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.

Colour My Sketchbook WILD

By: Bennett Klein

Rating: 5 of 5

I have a number of Bennett Klein’s coloring books and those have generally deal with fantasy. In Wild, the emphasis is on wild animals with a very realistic look.

The animals are set against beautiful lace-type backgrounds. For the most part, the animals are done in grayscale and the background are more like line drawings but are done in lighter tones of gray. All but one of the designs are printed primarily on white background with the lone exception done on a black background.
Because of the way the designs are presented, I will be able to use both my markers and my colored pencils while coloring in this book. I really like this as this is my preferred coloring method (markers for background and pencils for details.)
This coloring book is done as a collaborative effort with Mae Klein (his daughter, I think?) and I noticed that was also true of the recent Dragons coloring book, too.
The artists have once again provided a table of contents with the title of the designs. While they don’t list the animals by name, it is fun to see what they thought of each of their designs, such as Baying Babes for a set of three wolves.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper.
25 Hand-drawn wild animal grayscale designs with beautiful backgrounds
Designs are printed on one side of thin, slightly rough non-perforated paper typical of CreateSpace. All of the paper is white; even the one with black background, (it is black tone printed on white paper.)
Glue Binding
Easy to open to flat position for coloring
Designs do not merge into the binding and there is plenty of room to cut pages out if you choose to do so
Alcohol and water-based markers bleed through the page to some degree. Water-based bleed through in spots while alcohol-based bleed through freely
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of page. India ink can bleed through if you use multiple layers or apply heavily.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. Both oil and wax based provide good color when I use multiple layers of the same color. I am easily able to blend (using a pencil style blender stick) and layer multiple colors as well. Hard lead pencils leave dents through the back of the page.
Because of the bleed through and dents, I suggest (and use) a blotter page below my working page no matter what medium I use. I prefer card stock but several sheets of heavyweight paper work as well.

Memory’s Wake Victorian Romance – Grayscale Coloring Edition (Grayscale Coloring Books by Selina) (Volume 5)

By: Selina Fenech

Rating: 4 of 5

I think it is really interesting that Selina Fenech is releasing both the line drawing version and this grayscale version of Victorian Romance at the same time. I purchased both and found that the same designs are in each but, of course, have a completely different look and feel (line drawings versus grayscale.)

I’m pleased to have both but I found that, as with another of Ms. Fenech’s grayscale books, a number of the designs in this book are somewhat dark compared to others of her books. I can still work with designs but I will have to be careful which colors I use to avoid having the finished designs look a bit muddy. I will post a silent flip through video of the entire book so you can decide for yourself if it will work for you.
I believe that the artwork in these books are inspired by her series of novels called The Memory’s Wake. I just picked up the first volume of the series so I will understand more about the designs as I color them.
The designs, which are detailed and have some intricate and small areas to color, follow in a story format with the brief story excerpt or summary printed on the facing page (same storyline as the line drawing version of the book.) Thus, the designs are printed on the front of the page and there is a continuing story printed on the back of the page. If you use bleed-through media (see below), it will disfigure the story but it should remain readable.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
25 x 2 each (total of 50 pages) Victorian Romance inspired grayscale designs
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality used by CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not extend into the binding area. The designs have double framing lines at the outer edges
Glue Binding
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick; however, some of the darker designs had a tendency to smear using this type of blender. I found that liquid forms (gamsol or mineral spirits) did a better job. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils (like Verithins) leave dents through the paper.
I like to use a blotter when working in the book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.

You Are Here: An Owner’s Manual for Dangerous Minds

By: Jenny Lawson

Rating: 5 of 5

Wow this book really made a big impression on me. It is not simply a coloring book, it is a collection of thoughts on life and how to cope. I had not read Jenny Lawson’s blog but I see that it is something I must do in the future. Her writing is funny, tells a great story and shows her struggle with finding her place in the world in other words, pretty much what all of us are doing as well.
There is some profanity, which doesn’t bother me, but I mention it in case it is an issue with some.

The designs are outstanding. It’s wonderful that such a talented writer can express herself so beautifully in drawings as well. The subjects of the designs are all over the place and are quite detailed with some having a heavy use of black ink.
This is definitely the coloring book that I will keep at my side for a while to come. There is just so much to color and to read that it demands attention. I’m very happy to own it and plan on buying a copy for each of my daughters.
This is what I saw while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
160 pages with stories, life lessons, and fantastic coloring pages
The designs are printed on mostly one side of page (some are back to back)
Paper is mostly white (some color pages), heavy weight, slightly rough and has perforated pages.
Glue Binding but with perforated pages so removing a page is fairly simple.
The designs stop well before the perforations
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper. If you use these with back to back page designs, the ink will ruin the design on the back of the page. For designs printed on one side 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.
Water-based markers, gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows of color on the back of the page but do not bleed through the paper.
Coloring pencils work well with this paper. I was able to get good color, layer the same color and multiple colors and blend easily using a pencil style blender. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils with similar results.

Art Masterpieces to Color: 60 Great Paintings from Botticelli to Picasso (Dover Art Coloring Book)

By: Marty Noble

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a wonderful coloring book large with 60 designs which are based on a wide variety of art masterpieces. There is a wide range of artists with each design listing the artist, the name of the painting, and the date it was painted (bottom of the page.)

The designs are listed in alphabetical order according to the name of the artist with Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s A Coign of Vantage 1895 first and Grant Wood’s American Gothic 1930 being last.
At the back of the book, there is an alphabetical listing of the artists and interesting information about each of them.
The rendering of the designs by Marty Noble is beautifully done. Most of the designs are detailed while only a few of them have intricate and small areas to color. What I really appreciate about Ms. Noble is that she generally leaves plenty of room for shading and highlighting if you choose to try those.
This is what I saw while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium.
60 designs derived from Masterpiece artworks line drawings by Marty Noble
The designs are printed one side of the page
Paper is the usual Creative Haven quality: white, medium weight, slightly rough and has perforated pages.
Glue Binding but with perforated pages so removing a page is fairly simple.
The designs stop well before the perforations
Thumbnail prints of the original 60 art works are on the inside flap of the covers and the back of the book.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper
Water-based markers bleed through in spots 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 color, layer the same color and multiple colors and 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.

The Glory of the Messiah: An Adult Coloring Book

By: Susan Perlman

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a wonderful coloring book for Christians or those who are curious about Jesus and his role as the Messiah. There are 21 detailed designs which are the coloring depiction of the verses which are opposite them in the book. The verses show the Old Testament prophesy and then the verse in the New Testament which shows how Jesus fulfilled the prophesy. These are just 21 of many other such prophesies.

In addition to the verses, there is a Hebrew word regarding the prophesy as well as the English translation. The verses are from the Tree of Life Bible translation. The author, Susan Perlman, and artist, Shelley Skoropinski, were both raised in Jewish homes and found the Messiah later in life. Ms. Perlman was one of the original members of Jews for Jesus which is a group that I have heard of and appreciated for most of my Christian life.
The designs are detailed without being overly intricate. I really like the format of the book which allows me to dwell on the prophesies as I color the design which shows a visual representation of that prophesy.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
21 Hand-drawn pages representing prophesies and fulfillment of The Messiah. Book is presented in horizontal format.
Designs are printed on one side of the page with prophesy verses, etc. printed on the back of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly smooth and non-perforated
Glue binding.
Design stop well before the binding. Each design has a framing line at the outer edge for a natural and more finished looking stopping point.
Alcohol-based markers bled through this paper. I use a blotter of card stock to protect the designs below my working page when using these style of markers.
Water-based markers, gel pens and India ink pens did not bleed through. Some do leave the slightest of shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. While slightly smooth to the touch, it still has enough tooth to get a good color pigment and allowed for applying layers of the same color to get rich pigment. I could also layer multiple colors well and I could blend both oil and wax based pencils easily with a pencil style blending stick.

Chibi Animals: A Cute Coloring Book with Fun, Simple, and Adorable Animal Drawings (Perfect for Beginners and Animal Lovers)

By: Jade Summer

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a cute coloring book of 25 cute animals designs. There are 50 pages to color as you are provided with two copies of each design. The designs are detailed but not overly intricate. While a few spots have areas that might be difficult for crayons to color, all other nib sizes should be used with ease. I especially like the zebra and the panda but all 25 designs are adorable.

While you can have access to .PDFs when you purchase this book, my review is based on the book as it is received from Amazon. That way you will know what the pages look like and how they accept color. I like that the publisher provides the digital version as well so you can choose the paper you wish to use and/or to color the pictures as many times as you choose.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium:
25 x 2 each Chibi Animal Designs for a total of 50 coloring pages
Designs are printed on one side of the page
Paper is typical of CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated. The back of the page is printed black.
The designs do not merge into the binding. There is a heavy framing line at the outer edges of the design to give the project a more finished look, especially for framing.
Glue Binding (there is room to cut the pages out if you choose to do so.)
Though you cannot see the bleed-through easily due to the back of the page being printed in black, I recommend the use of a blotter page when working in this book. I use a page of card stock or several sheets of heavyweight paper under my working page. It keeps seeping ink and marring dents from ruining the pages below.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens leave shadows on back of the page. India ink can bleed through if you apply heavily or multiple coats.
Coloring Pencils work well with this paper. I found that I could layers the same color for deeper pigment or multiple colors and I could blend easily using a blending stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. I also found that hard lead pencils leave dents through the paper.

Magical Delights Colouring Book : Published in Czech as Carovne Lahodnosti Hardcover

By: Klara Markova

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a lovely coloring book by artist Klara Markova. When I used a translator to find out what the title meant in English, it came back as Charming Deliciousness. That is a very apropos title as the designs are quite charming and fun to color. It has a great hard cover and a lay-flat style binding. Along with the book, I received a cute matching bookmark which I can color as well.

The designs are detailed and, in some cases, have intricate and small areas to color. While it is not a grayscale coloring book, there is a prominent use of shading in many of the designs. The designs include flowers, fruit, imaginative machines and houses, fairies, and forest type creatures.
While most of the designs are printed on one side of the page (with the same cute sketch printed on the back of each page), there is one design which spans across two pages. The artist made sure to have the backside of each of these pages contain the standard sketch, so using a bleed through medium will not ruin another design. The items which cross over the binding are minimal and, in my copy, the pages line up excellently.
This is what I found while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
48 design pages of original hand-drawn artwork (includes title page and extra page of cut out elements)
Printed on one side of the page with a small, repeated design on the back of the page
Paper is heavy weight, ivory, smooth, and non-perforated
Sewn, lay-flat binding with a hard cover
Some designs do merge into the binding
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. If you use this medium, I suggest using a blotter page to keep ink from seeping through. I use card stock but a couple of pages of paper should work as well.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through the page. Some do leave light, colorful shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils. While the paper is smooth to the touch, it still had enough tooth to get good pigment. I could layer the same color for deeper color, layer multiple colors and blend using a blending stick.