Coloring books are all the rage at the moment. A trend rolling down hill spurring on illustrators and publishers across the country and the world to make high quality products for
color-happy customers.
You'll see in the video that I've tried out colored pencils, markers, colored pens and alcohol markers. I like the colored pencils best for all-round coloring especially on detailed images.
Try whatever you have on hand. I look forward to using gel pens and making patterns with colored pens too. No reason why you can't paint and use collage on these pages. You may want to remove them from the book first.
My friend, Susan, used colored pencils, pens and gel pens for the images (above and following). She found postcard sized illustrations at a big box craft store. These books are everywhere: art and craft stores, books stores and online. You can find links to print out images too.
Google "images for coloring for adults" and you'll find plenty to keep you busy. I hope you take up this craze and pass it on to friends and family. Coloring is fun and it's so happy-making to get folks making art in any way at all. Enjoy the video.
Thanks for this post and video, Diana, I'm very inspired!
Posted by: Cynthia | 10/22/2015 at 09:21 PM
Looks like a fun thing to do to keep your hands busy while binge-watching your favorite shows!
Posted by: Traci Bunkers | 10/23/2015 at 09:57 AM
The designs are very inspiring. Isn't it funny how we never outgrow our desire to color? My great aunt Harriett still sends a coloring book and fresh Crayola crayons each Christmas. I look forward to it as much at 44 years of age as I did when I was a little girl.
Will you collage any of the images into your art journal?
Posted by: Stacy | 10/23/2015 at 11:09 AM
Ah coloring. Right after finger painting for all those people who say they can't make art. A crayon is a powerful tool. But, yes, colored pencils do all sorts of things! As I sat in my LazyBoy for three long months recovering from ligament damage in my knee, I learned how to use colored pencils. The biggest and most significant thing I learned was why colored pencils won't sharpen or keep breaking… DROPPING, SMACKING, even sharp TAPPING any any any wood covered pencil WILL BREAK THE LEAD on the inside and you can't see it. Yep, off the table to the floor. Yep, in your purse or backpack if tossed around. Yep during shipping. Sadness is there is no fix. I learned to have my sister buy the pencils at the art store from the bottom of the display cubby, not the top. So guard your pencils well and happy coloring!
Posted by: SusanJane | 10/25/2015 at 09:16 AM
Forgot to mention, colorless blenders. They're a bit tricky since the effect is subtle and takes some practice. Prisma Color has a great blender pencil. You can blend the gradients between two different colors for a more seamless transition. They are actually the pencil without the colors so colors do get a bit darker. Stumps work but no where near as well.
I mostly do rubber stamp images since coloring big pages is a huge task for me but I might go for a Just Add Color book. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: SusanJane | 10/25/2015 at 09:26 AM
Oh great! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Let me know if you find any coloring books of interest, Cynthia.
Posted by: Diana Trout | 10/27/2015 at 09:05 PM
Oh yeah. And probably very good for those telephone calls with the long wait times.
Posted by: Diana Trout | 10/27/2015 at 09:05 PM
Oh that is a lovely connection with your aunt! I’m sure things will wind up as collage fodder.
Posted by: Diana Trout | 10/27/2015 at 09:09 PM