Rune Valentine Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 My regular bookstore guy pointed out to me lately that there has been a huge spike in interest on Adult Colouring Books, as I myself was in search of one as I'd recently finished off my copy of Johanna Basford's Secret Garden. As I used to live alone with no TV or internet, I mostly spent my days reading or doodling! It's a great way to unwind and fall asleep. I headed off to the bookstore to grab a copy of her next book, Enchanted Forest, when my bookstore guy informed me of this new wave of people inquiring about adult colouring books. Apparently, I'm not the only one! :P They were all out of the book I wanted, though he did hand me a copy of another colouring book, Just Add Color: Intricate Patterns. It's fun but I enjoyed Secret Garden a lot more. So, do you colour? What are you currently working on? kandygrrl and tk421beth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deboratibi Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 When I first heard about these, I was interested because I absolutely loved colouring when I was a kid, and even as a grown up I've bought a few colouring books (but of course, those were too simple, since they were for kids). So the idea of books with more intricate designs seemed perfect for me and I went out and bought Enchanted Forest. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. The designs are too similar. I've only coloured two pages so far and I'm already tired of leaves and swirls and flowers. And I don't like how some pages are cluttered with designs, and others are almost empty. I'd like some kind of balance. And the maze-activity things? Come oooon... So right now I'm a little annoyed by this fad. All the books I've seen so far kind of imitate Basford's books, but I want something different. Books that stick to one style or theme get boring very quickly. I guess that if this fad lives long enough, we might get better books. I'll have to wait for now... PS: By the way, how did this fad start? When I was at the book store the other day, the first thing I saw were stacks of colouring books everywhere, and everyone in the check-out line had a colouring book in their hands. And all stores have pretty much run out of colouring pencils. The few that are left are insanely expensive and people keep buying them. I'm shocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquamentis12 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Wow! That's cool Rune! I haven't colored in a book in ages. XD But yeah, I can totally see that being relaxing! I mean, you don't have to worry about drawing/making the lines, you just get to color them in. XD I wonder if that's why classic, coloring books, I guess they call them "vintage", the asking prices on eBay can be utterly INSANE for some. ;) There was one I had when I was little, the only one I saw on eBay and it hasn't sold, obviously, IMHO Because the seller's asking price is $75. Talk about insane. LOL It's a Super Mario Bros. coloring/activity book. Out of curiosity for this post, I checked for it on eBay, and it STILL hasn't sold. lol I'm NOT surprised. ;) But the first time I saw that auction was well over a YEAR ago. LOL That book was only a couple of dollars back when it was produced. Such 4-digit mark-ups are just crazy imho. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rune Valentine Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Derp. $75 is pretty ridiculous! I used to draw a lot when I was younger, but after I started cooking I never really had the time to get proper doodles up to colour in, so I am guilty of buying children's colouring books :P alternatively, I have also used these on occasion: http://www.coloring-pages-adults.com/coloring-zen/ if anyone is interested and not willing to pay, haha. I agree that from an art perspective they aren't all they're cracked up to be. But as someone with pretty bad insomnia it's the best way I've found to lull myself to sleep! I'm not sure when this fad started but I have been using those colouring pages for years. tk421beth, kandygrrl and Aquamentis12 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranga_muffin Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I love colouring! It's really cathartic and fun. I got back into it all probably a few months before it became super popular (how did that happen?!), and I found a nice art nouveau design book on ebay. there's a wide range of books and drawings, so i don't get very easily bored. I have to say the one that's really popular (I don't have it, have just seen pics) really suits my drawing style, so I'm quite keen to get a hold of it at some point. I also don't really use colouring pencils. I use textas/markers, that are fairly fine tipped and makes it really nice to just do some outline colouring in. kandygrrl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn* Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I saw this on 9gag the other day, and thought it was hilarious xD But I had never heard that adult colouring books are a thing. Huh! tk421beth and aleu1986 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandygrrl Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I print up pictures of Neopets as well as LoZ characters, Care Bears and other stuff because I like those things, I know those things are kiddish, but it's fun to colour it in. I hope there's some brony colouring books coming out soon. Then I can actually use the knowledge from watching episodes. (since they might put in questions like the names of places and ponies and stuff) But I'm glad I'm not the only one who wants to colour in stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bijyuarukei Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I don't think I ever really got out of coloring. Even when I was in high school, I would take scans of manga and color them in in Photoshop. I hadn't heard of adult coloring books before. It's definitely something I'll look into Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Brianna. Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I love coloring! xD When we still lived near our nieces I'd just pick up whatever I could find so that I could color with them (my current one is all kittens ^_^), but I feel like I'm going to search for one of these - I never knew adult coloring books existed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dicegrrl Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I work in a rubber stamp store and heard about these recently. I think it's very cool that coloring has drawn more interest than those in the crafting community. Zentangle is also another form of drawing and coloring that is very popular too. Also, water coloring is having a resurgence of interest. As a card maker, I've been coloring my stamped images for years but found a new love of coloring when I discovered Inktense pencils. Dry ink that is activated with water so you get the best of painting and coloring. I'm addicted to coloring now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEE. Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I discovered these late last year, and I was gifted one for my birthday :-D You're never too old to colour in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencerkatty Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I've never been much in to coloring myself, but I know my (30+ year-old) sister has always enjoyed different coloring activities. Often when there's a kids coloring contest at some store or restaurant, she'll come up with some creative idea for coloring the picture. The latest one I remember was a coloring contest at a you-bake-it pizza store near our house. Instead of actually "coloring" the picture, she glued different colored spices to the different sections. It came out amazingly well, but I'm not sure if she ever turned it in. Anyway, They're probably not something Ipersonally would enjoy, but I know the demand and interest are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseykins Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I still love to color! Right now I just color whatever picture my daughter is working on or what one she wants me to color. I made her a coloring book for Christmas and I think we've given every page a splash of color already. I'm also working on a digital piece where I drew on paper and am putting the color on it in photoshop. I might have to get my own crayons if I come across a book like this. :) Rune Valentine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faerie1811 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I hadn't heard of them before but they sound like fun. Even kid coloring books still entertain me! (almost 25 here lol) Still as an artist, it makes me really happy to know that people who aren't necessarily into creative stuff like arts and crafts have an interest in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extrasuperfantastic Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 I love coloring! It's so relaxing. I like to use watercolor pencils and a water brush instead of crayons. I usually look for mandalas on Google Image Search, but I've been contemplating buying this coloring book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0486491269/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1AUJW8T0ELBM9&coliid=ISAY7LEF25TGE I've also seen tons of good coloring pages on Pinterest. Also, when I use watercolor pencils, I use these brushes: http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Aquash-Water-Assorted-FRHBFMBP3/dp/B00AX31TZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430780580&sr=8-1&keywords=water+brush It's easier to control how much water you use than it is with a regular paintbrush, so you don't have to worry so much about soaking or warping the paper. ... a coloring contest at a you-bake-it pizza store near our house... Aww man, is it Papa Murphy's? I lived in Utah as a kid and have happy memories of that place. Like how they used to hand out little tubs of cookie dough at Halloween... :laughingsmiley: Rune Valentine and spencerkatty 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquamentis12 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Derp. $75 is pretty ridiculous! I used to draw a lot when I was younger, but after I started cooking I never really had the time to get proper doodles up to colour in, so I am guilty of buying children's colouring books :P alternatively, I have also used these on occasion: http://www.coloring-pages-adults.com/coloring-zen/ if anyone is interested and not willing to pay, haha. I agree that from an art perspective they aren't all they're cracked up to be. But as someone with pretty bad insomnia it's the best way I've found to lull myself to sleep! I'm not sure when this fad started but I have been using those colouring pages for years. That site is pretty neat. I'd wanna just save the image and mouse-color everything with my fill-tool. lol That'd be simple and repetitive though. LOL But yeah, when I can't sleep I do usually wander onto the computer and work on something, provided I'm working on a project at the time, which I presently am. lol If you want to look for a specific say, coloring page from younger days, I've tried searching for "cartoon name" coloring pages, and look through the results, either websites or images if the search engine has an images tab. Sometimes you can find fansites that include coloring pages like that. :) Here are some results I got for Thundercats through Bing. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=thundercats+coloring+pages&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rune Valentine Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ah, so many kindred spirits! I knew I wasn't the only one :D I also try to mix it up using coloured pencils, watercolour pencils and markers. So far my favourite is watercolour pencils - it doesn't take much moisture to get the desired effect so the paper in the book doesn't get too soaked. Come to think about it, I'd just have to search for colouring book images - thanks Brian! Brianna - http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Haven-Cats-Coloring-Books/dp/0486789640/ref=pd_sim_b_22?might interest, you lol ^_^ I actually started colouring when my goddaughter was born and I started looking at children's books again. As a frustrated artist, these are the best I can do :P leverhelven, tk421beth and Aquamentis12 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leverhelven Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 You're definitely not alone, Kai! I've been into colouring before this crazy trend started - it has always helped me relax. I have the Secret Garden book, but it indeed gets tiring, especially because there are so many plants you just get tired of using green shades! And I'm not the kind that is able to paint with """"unreal"""" colors, lol :P Most of the books I see here are also plant-related, so... Meh. You know what's also cool? Crafting your own colouring booklets. Sometimes I print a whole bunch of nice colouring pages from the internet, each one the size of half an A4 sheet, then cut them, out them together with string and make a nice cover with construction paper, and customize the cover. I don't know about you, but dealing and crafting with paper is also very relaxing to me. :) deboratibi and tk421beth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk421beth Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I saw this on 9gag the other day, and thought it was hilarious xD But I had never heard that adult colouring books are a thing. Huh! Oh my goodness, that is soooo hilarious! :laughingsmiley: My hubby colors one in a while. I have not in a l-o-n-g time. I'm usually cross-stitching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rune Valentine Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 You're definitely not alone, Kai! I've been into colouring before this crazy trend started - it has always helped me relax. I have the Secret Garden book, but it indeed gets tiring, especially because there are so many plants you just get tired of using green shades! And I'm not the kind that is able to paint with """"unreal"""" colors, lol :P Most of the books I see here are also plant-related, so... Meh. You know what's also cool? Crafting your own colouring booklets. Sometimes I print a whole bunch of nice colouring pages from the internet, each one the size of half an A4 sheet, then cut them, out them together with string and make a nice cover with construction paper, and customize the cover. I don't know about you, but dealing and crafting with paper is also very relaxing to me. :) You know what? That's never occurred to me for some reason! I do print out pages quite a bit...making a book would have been such a logical next step xD I'll probably get on that soon! Being able to print those pages on sketchpad paper instead of just regular paper would probably be a good idea too... I have way too much time to kill now that all I do is fatten up my baby :shiftyeyes_anim: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leverhelven Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I have way too much time to kill now that all I do is fatten up my baby :shiftyeyes_anim: Is that a figure of speech or... do you have a bun in the oven?! <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rune Valentine Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 Is that a figure of speech or... do you have a bun in the oven?! <3 Well, my little bun is actually fully baked bread now xD She's 5 months old! Which is why I spend way too much time in the Children's section of the bookstore, not to mention buying activity books for my 3-year old goddaughter. Also, lots of coloured markers! (for me and her lol) My mom is going to the US so I ordered some more books on Amazon :D http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486793273/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486779351/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (they look cool, I think I'll be set for the whole year) leverhelven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twilight790 Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I love coloring. I do it sometimes because it is kind of mindless and therapeutic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoolishFancy Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 After reading this and hearing so many friends and colleagues rave about adult colouring books, I got one today and a nice set of pencils. It's called "The Gorgeous Colouring Book for Grown Ups" and has a nice balance between sparse pictures and intricate designs. It's helping with my mindfulness to tune out the noise :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barba Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 Hi guys, in my opinion price $75 is much to high. If you have a printer at home then I would recommend to find some websites offering free coloring pages for adults. I personally use Topcoloringpages but there is a lot more of such services online. Just type "free coloring pages" or something similar in Google and you'll find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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