iiiiReader Book Reviews

Interior Designs: An Adult Coloring Book with Beautifully Decorated Houses, Inspirational Room Designs, and Relaxing Modern Architecture

By: Jade Summer

Rating: 5 of 5

The designs in this book are of interior designs of rooms. They are not a montage of design elements but instead show you the full look of the room. While they are interior designs, they are more than that. The designs are inside settings that appear to be a lived in and functional room within a house. I have other interior design books which focus on the elements of design. This book shows the function of the room. The designs show a good range of traditional, contemporary and modern rooms. The rooms are from all areas of the house: living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and many other specialized areas (playroom, study, etc.)

The designs are very detailed and some contained intricate and small areas to color. I suggest using color medium with a very small point for these elements. I don’t think that crayons can be sharpened to as fine a point as needed. I like ultra-fine points.
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 Designs x 2 each (total of 50 pages) based on full room interior designs
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. There is a slight shadowing effect to the framing line which gives the image an almost 3D effect.
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.

The Inklings Coloring Book

By: James A. Owen

Rating: 5 of 5

This coloring book contains 15 very detailed and intricate designs. The blurb on the back of the books says that the designs are based on the works of the group known as The Inklings. What I found was that the majority of the designs were of the actual members of the group.

There are some designs which are based on works and the Bandersnatch makes his way (in one way or another) into each of the designs of the members. It’s kind of fun to search for how Bandersnatch was incorporated.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium:
15 Designs inspired by The Inklings and their works
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is white, medium/heavy weight, slightly rough and non-perforated
Stapled binding (book can be taken completely apart by removing two staples.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens did not bleed but did leave slight shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked very well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils with good results. I was able to get good, deep pigment. I could layer easily (both same and different colors.) Blending was also excellent using a pencil style blending stick.

HBO’s Game of Thrones Coloring Book

By: HBO

Rating: 4 of 5

Attached to this review will be a silent flip-through of the entire coloring book and some photos so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it will work for you.

This is a beautiful coloring book based on the HBO series. There are a total of 35 designs (many of them are two page spread designs.) It is in a much larger format than most other coloring books at 11.5 x 11.75 inches. The designs are by artists Allan Jefferson and Adriana Melo and are based on photographs from the series. The styles of the two artists mesh well making it a very seamless looking book of elegant and well-drawn illustrations.
The subjects of the designs are noted on the far left and right margins, so if you don’t recall who/what, it is there to remind you. The designs themselves are quite detailed and have many intricate and small areas to color. Because of this detail and intricacy, it is not a book that I would recommend to anyone with fine motor or vision issues.
The book has the same lush elegance I have found in the cinematography of the series. Both my husband and I have our own copies so we can each enjoy coloring the wide variety of designs. I think it is an excellent coloring book for fans of the series while at the same time equally great for others who don’t watch the series but like the fantasy aspect and the elegant artwork.
What I didn’t like was how many of the designs spread across two pages. In my book, a number of those pages didn’t line up very well. I still really like the book but that issue keeps me from loving it.
This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium:
35 Game of Thrones inspired designs from the HBO series
22 of those designs spread across two pages and have elements which cross into the binding
Printed on both sides of the page
Paper is white, heavyweight, slightly rough and non-perforated
Sewn binding (several pages can be removed at a time by snipping the threads.)
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens did not bleed through nor did I have discernible shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils worked very well with this paper. I tested both oil and wax based pencils with good results. I was able to get good, deep pigment. I could layer easily (both same and different colors.) Blending was also excellent using a pencil style blending stick.

Art of Coloring: Tsum Tsum: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity

By: Disney Book Group

Rating: 4 of 5

Attached to this review will be a silent flip-through of the entire coloring book and some photos so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it will work for you.

The designs in this coloring book are very cute and represent a number of the Disney Tsum Tsum designs. I would have liked more characters as after 124 of the same twelve or so, it became somewhat repetitive.
The designs span from detailed to very simple. There are many wall-paper (repeating pattern) designs and there are really nice character studies. The designs range from simple line drawings to those where there are heavy lines and heavy use of black. Most of the designs have a bit of a wild background.
The book is part of the Art of Coloring series and has changed format in a number of ways from the earlier books in this series. This book has a soft cover, is smaller, has thinner paper, has glue binding and has perforated pages. A nice change is that the designs are limited to one page (no two-page spreads.)
The book is sized smaller at 10 7.8 x 7 inches (compared to approximately 11 1 /2 x 8 inches. For those who like to scan and print their pages on better paper, this will make it easier as it should work with most standard scanner/printers.
The soft cover is okay but I would have hoped for a better value on the book if the quality of the publishing was being diminished. That is also true of the paper. This books has medium weight paper (compared to the heavy weight of the earlier books.)
This is what I found while coloring in the book and testing my color medium on the paper.
124 Disney Tsum Tsum inspired Design pages
Printed on both sides of page
Paper is medium weight, white, very slightly rough, and perforated
Glue binding
Many designs extend across the perforations, some into the binding. The book can be opened fairly flat by breaking the spine.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper
Water-based markers leave colorful shadows on the back of the page and can bleed through in spots.
Gel pens and India ink pens left anywhere from colorful shadows to indistinct shadows on the back of the page but even at best, where still noticeable.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. I was able to get good, deep pigment. I could layer easily using both the same color and multiple colors. Blending was okay though the tooth of the paper was not optimal (a little smeary). I was able to blend with a pencil style blending stick.

Big Kids Coloring Book: Fairy Houses and Fairy Doors, Vol. 4: 50+ Illustrations on Single-Sided Pages Plus Bonus Coloring Pages (Big Kids Coloring Books)

By: Dawn D. Boyer Ph.D.

Rating: 5 of 5

This coloring book is the fourth one in a series of fairy houses and doors. It is my first coloring book in the series and I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the hand-drawn designs. It is hard to imagine that there are three other books all filled with original artwork in the same subject matter but I will certainly be looking for more in the series in the future.

There are 52 new fairy house/door designs ranging from houses built into trees to toadstool houses and more. In a few of the designs, there is even a fairy who pops in. The designs are detailed and some include intricate areas to color.
In addition to the 52 designs (plus title page), there are 23 designs/activities from other books in the Big Kids Coloring Book line.) These pages are printed on both sides of the page where the actual fairy house/door designs are printed single side.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
52 Hand-drawn fairy house and door designs; fourth book in series
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality such as that used by CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
The designs do not extend into the binding area. There is plenty of room to cut out pages if you choose to do so.
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.

Art of Coloring: Beauty and the Beast: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity

By: Disney Book Group

Rating: 3 of 5

Attached to this review will be a silent flip-through of the entire coloring book and some photos so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not it will work for you.

The designs in this book are based on the Live Action movie Beauty and the Beast and not the cartoon version that was re-released in 2016. The designs are nicely drawn with a manageable level of detail. The issue for me is the actual content of the designs. I think the book ends up being simply okay when it could have been much nicer.
There are 124 pages with designs on them but most are not character studies. In fact, the most prominent subject is books. There are fully 23 designs devoted to book studies most of which are more in the nature of wall-paper style designs. There are not that many designs of Belle or Beast in the book.
The book does not include any designs of Belle’s father nor of Gaston. It does include Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere and Cogsworth but they are very few. A good number of the few character studies included have the character in solid black silhouette. That means you can’t color the character but simply the space and swirls and twirls around them.
There are 68 repeating wall-paper style designs in the coloring book. Some of these patterns are duplicated. A few have a banner of words added (at the end of the book) but are really a repeat of an earlier page of wall-paper. That means more than half of the book is repeating patterns and, for me, that is way too many.
Given the number of wall-paper designs, it is very disappointing to me that they were not placed on the backside of character designs. It could easily have been done if the publisher had given it proper attention. I would be happy to waste a wall-paper design in order to use markers but the choice becomes difficult when one of the few character designs backs onto another character designs (such as Belle on one side and the Beast on the back.)
The book is part of the Art of Coloring series and has changed format in a number of ways from the earlier books in this series. Beauty and the Beast has a soft cover, is smaller, has thinner paper, has glue binding and has perforated pages. One of the nice improvements in Beauty and the Beast is that the designs are limited to one page they do not spread across two pages as have other books in this series.
The soft cover is okay but I would have hoped for a better value on the book if the quality of the publishing was being diminished. That is also true of the paper which is thinner than that of the earliest books in the series.
This is what I found while coloring in the book and testing my color medium on the paper.
124 Live Action Beauty and the Beast inspired Design pages
Includes 68 pages of wall-paper style repeating designs
Printed on both sides of page; however designs are limited to one page only (no two-page spreads).
Paper is medium weight, white, very slightly rough, and perforated
Glue binding
Many designs extend across the perforations, some into the binding. I was able to break the spine to get into the binding area a bit easier. If you remove pages, you will not lose anything integral to the design.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the paper
Water-based markers either bled through or left colorful shadows on the back of the paper.
Gel pens and India ink pens left anywhere from colorful shadows to indistinct shadows on the back of the page but even at best, where still noticeable.
Colored pencils worked well with this paper. I was able to get good, deep pigment. I could layer easily (both same and different colors.) Blending was okay though the tooth of the paper was not optimal. I was able to blend with a pencil style blending stick.

Adult Coloring Books: Floral Garden Coloring Books for Adults Relaxation (Flowers, Animals, and Gardens)

By: Adult Coloring Books

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a coloring book which has a variety of subjects in it. The title does not specify which; however, on the title page it does mention gardens and floral animals. I would say the majority of the designs have flowers in them.

It is fairly obvious that many of the elements of a design are reused over and over within the design (e.g., the same flower in different sizes and flipped and angled differently throughout the design.) Some elements are repeated within more than one design. Having said that, the designs are still pleasing to color. These are not wall-paper style designs (though there are a few of those in the book) where a design is filled with repeats over and over again. I just wish there was a little more variation on the repeated elements.
The designs are detailed and fun to color. Some of the designs have intricate and small areas to color. These may require small nib pens/markers and thin, sharp pencil points for coloring. Because of this, I don’t recommend this coloring book to any one who has fine motor or vision issues.
This is what I discovered while coloring in this book and testing my coloring medium on the paper:
40 Detailed and Swirling Designs with emphasis on flowers and animals
Printed one side of the page
Paper is typical inexpensive quality such as that used by CreateSpace: white, thin, slightly rough and non-perforated.
Some designs merge into the binding; however, most do not. Most have unfinished elements at all four edges of the edges with blank space beyond.
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.

Color America: A God Bless the USA Coloring Book for Adults

By: Donna Moses

Rating: 5 of 5

This is my second coloring book by Donna Moses and I have found both books to be very charming. The characters in the designs in this book are in a folk style manner with patriotic subjects. The scenes represent individuals and concepts that have gone into making the United States the wonderful country that it is. There are scenes which harken back to the Revolutionary era, to Abraham Lincoln, to the settling of the land and to historic and social events.

This line of coloring books generally deal with the Bible and Christianity. While Color America is not inherently religious in its makeup, there is certainly elements of religion in some of the designs. One of my favorites is Beside the Still Waters which is evocative of Psalms 23 and shows a father and child fishing in a still water pond.
The designs are detailed but not overly so. I don’t consider the artwork to be intricate and small or feel the need to use special small nib pens and markers.
This is what I experienced when coloring in this book and testing the paper with my various coloring medium.
37 Patriotic Folk Style Designs by Donna Moses
Printed on one side of the page
Paper is medium weight, white, slightly rough and perforated
Glue Binding
Designs do not extend past the perforations
Designs all have a framing line around the outside for a more finished look.
Book opens fairly flat for coloring if you heavily crease the spine.
Alcohol based markers bleed through the page
Water-based markers bleed through the paper in spots with colorful shadows on the back of the page
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. Both oil and wax based pencils provide good color, layer, and blend well using a pencil style blending stick. Hard lead pencils can leave dents on the back of the page.
I either remove a page before coloring or use a piece of card stock or several sheets of heavy weight paper as a blotter sheet below my working page to keep ink or dents from ruining the pages below.

Adorable Animals Grayscale Coloring Book

By: Jane Maday

Rating: 5 of 5

This grayscale coloring book is wonderful both for design content and for the quality of publishing. I have two other grayscale books which I consider excellent as well. The designs in this book are based on original artwork by Jane Maday.

The 54 designs in this book are really adorable, just as the title states. The animals are realistically drawn and include details such as fur and feathers which is a wonderful time saver in coloring. The animals have complete background artwork so when you have finished, you have a beautiful project that should be fairly easy to frame.
In addition to the great designs, the artist has included a good tutorial on how to color grayscale, along with step by step views of each stage of layering various coloring medium. This is one of the more comprehensive discussions I have seen on the technique actually included in a book. It is a wonderful resource both for this book and for other grayscale coloring books as well.
At the end of the book, there are colored photos of the original artwork which was included in the book. They are printed four to a page.
54 Animal Grayscale Designs based on artwork with full backgrounds
Printed one side of the page
Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly smooth and perforated
Sewn Binding
Designs do not extend past the perforations and fit well within the page for framing
Book opens fairly flat for ease of coloring (may need to crease or break spine)
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page
Water-based markers, India Ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through but leave the very slightest of shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. While slightly smooth, there is still enough tooth to the page to get good pigment coverage. I got deep color by layering multiple coats. I could also easily layer multiple colors and blend well using a blender stick. Both oil and wax based pencils worked equally well.