Color Me Happy

Intricate fun!

2011-10-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

My latest purchase arrived a few weeks ago, ORNAMENTAL ARTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, and I just finished the first page. I like this book a lot, because the patterns are intricate and the paper is thick, so very little bleed-through with the markers that I use, and the back of each page is blank as well.

Garden Party

2011-09-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

This new book, GARDEN PARTY: Flower Designs To Color by Robin J. Baker and Kelly A. McElwain is quickly becoming a favorite. Lots of designs with minute details to color in this one. Some have silly bugs and birds in them, but most are geometric designs featuring flowers and leaves and gardens. I recommend this one!

Alphonse Mucha Coloring Book

2011-08-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite artist, so finding a coloring book with all his pictures in it made my day. I highly recommend the Alphonse Mucha Coloring Book published by Pomegranate Press. Dover also has a book of Mucha paintings to color, and that one is equally as nice, and a must-have for your coloring book library. The paper in this book is thick, and markers do not bleed through. And the back of the page is blank. There are small pics on the front and back covers of the original paintings if you want to match the colors, as well.

2011-06-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Major cool site where you can print up patterned pictures to color. Hours of fun! Carlton Hibbert's Pattern Blog

Complicated Hearts

2011-02-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

I forgot to put this one up for Valentine's Day, so here it is now, INTRICATE VALENTINES. I love these books by Chuck Abraham. As the title says, they are very intricate, and if you've got good, sharp eyesight, these are a cinch. I have a little trouble after staring at them for a while. I think it's time for bifocals. Oy. Lots of variety in this book, though it is all the same shape, the inside designs are different, and the scallops on the edges of the hearts are different as well. I recommend this one!

2011-01-30T17:24:00.001-08:00

I've updated the Coloring Addict's List! Most categories, including, Mandalas, Medical, Stained Glass, Geometrics, Animals, and more.

Seascapes

2011-01-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

If you like sea life, then this is the coloring book for you! SEASCAPES by Patricia Wynne is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Incredible Insects

2010-12-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Incredible Insects coloring book, with designs by Christopher Marley is a very nice book. Thick, high quality paper, with designs on only one side of the paper, so markers can bleed through but they won't run the next page. A variety of insects featured in groups and pairs and singles. Lots of fun to color!

The Indie Rock Coloring Book

2010-11-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

I list this one on the Coloring Addict's Page, and someone just blogged about it, so I'm going to link there for more information. Cool-looking book!

Vampires by Marty Noble

2010-10-26T11:45:00.001-07:00

Just in time for Halloween, the Vampires Coloring Book by Marty Noble is excellent. Any book by Noble I highly recommend. This one has great pics, and lots of detail for hours of coloring.

Coloring Book search engine

2010-09-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks to friend, Patti O'Shea, for turning me on to this site. It's a search engine for downloadable coloring pages. Lots of kiddie stuff there, but if you search 'adult coloring' it brings up more complicated images.

Fashions of the First Ladies

2010-08-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

I have two First Ladies Fashions coloring books, but I've only colored in this one. The Dover Fashions of the First Ladies covers 36 First Ladies and ten official hostesses (through Laura Bush). The drawings are detailed, as I would expect from Dover, but the lines are a little finer, so not quite as appealing as other books. Probably why I've only colored one pic so far.

Mosaics!

2010-08-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Just got the Magnificent Mosaics coloring book from Dover, and find I like it. The lines in this one are extra thick to give the mosaic appearance. Lots of basic designs, and pretty quick to color, unless you get real elaborate with the colors. I kept it simple.

Orange!

2010-07-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

Here's another picture from the Paisley Designs
coloring book by Marty Noble. I'm sure I've mentioned I'm a fan of all of Noble's coloring books. For some reason, I must be in an orange mood lately, to judge from the previously colored pic just below this post. ;-)

Paisley Designs

2010-07-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love this book muchly. Paisley Designs

Fae Nouveau

2010-07-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is a neat coloring book that features various faeries done in a Mucha style, FAE NOUVEAU by Herb Leonhard. I have to admit when I first paged through it, I was worried that the paper was too thin, and wouldn't be good for coloring with markers. I put a sheet of white paper behind the piece I was working on, expecting it to bleed through. It didn't bleed through too much, and didn't even stain the white paper. So very cool! Lots of great pics to color in this one. I highly recommend it!

Stars!

2010-07-03T11:33:00.001-07:00

Another colored picture from the OUT OF THIS WORLD coloring book by Dover. Used the silver gel pen for the tiny sparkle dots in this one, but difficult to see that from this scan. Love this book!

Updates!

2010-06-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Did a HUGE update at the Coloring Addicts page. Added 71 titles in the following categories to the right: Art, Animals, Geometrics, People, Places, Plants, Medical, Misc, Stained Glass, Stories, Mandalas.

Here are just a few of the new titles I added that I've already added to my wishlist. I haven't tried any yet, but if anyone has, let me know what you think of it!

2010-06-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic from OUT OF THIS WORLD, mentioned in the below post. I love this coloring book! So many fun images to play with. There are a few that are more geared toward kids, with puppies and bugs in them, but it would be a great book to share with your children.

2010-06-02T12:43:00.001-07:00

Just got the Out Of This World coloring book from Dover, and must say I'm very pleased with it. Lots of fun, intricate pages to color! I'll post a pic within the week!

Horses of the World

2010-04-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

Horses of The World by John Green is a great book for horse enthusiasts or anyone. You'll notice I go for a more flashy horse, but hey, it could be possible. ;-)

3-D Designs by Wil Stegenga

2010-03-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Another 'design' book, but these are the kind I enjoy the most. 3-D Designs will keep you busy with detailed designs, some small, some larger, but all will provide hours of concentration.

Fairies Around the World

2010-03-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

Got this cute book for Christmas and just got time to settle down and color in it. Great pictures, though some are simply women in the costume of their nation with wings added on. If you like faeries, you should like this one from Dover, Faeries Around the World.

Don't forget the king!

2010-02-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Queen Elizabeth I

2010-02-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

paper doll fun

2010-02-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

The gray is actually silver gel pen. Slow work, but satisfying to finish.

Queen Elizabeth paper dolls

2010-02-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

See recommendation a few posts down.

More Queen Elizabeth

2010-02-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

Page to next post for ordering info from Amazon.

Queen Elizabeth I: Paper Dolls To Color

2010-02-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Queen Elizabeth I is one of my favorite coloring books for the detailed costumes. Bellerophon always has exquisite details to their pages. This is a paper doll book, but on the same kind of paper as a regular coloring book. I suspect if you were going to actually use it for paper dolls, you might have to reinforce the paper. Some pages have faces, some don't. There is no designated 'doll' to cut out for the costumes. Each page has a little poem, or quote from Shakespeare or other somesuch about the queen.

It fun to use silver and gold gel pens to highlight the gowns and for jewelry. It didn't come through on the scans well. I'll put up five pictures from the book, one every other day.

Highly Recommended.

2009-12-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a neat site where you can download a variety of coloring pages for free!

Carousel Animals cont'd

2009-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Carousel Animals cont'd

2009-12-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Carousel Animals cont'd

2009-12-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Carousel Animals cont'd

2009-12-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Carousel Animals

2009-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite of all the Dover coloring books, CAROUSEL ANIMALS. Such fantasy and whimsy within the pages. I use gold and silver markers for highlights a lot. It doesn't show in the scans very well, but the poles are gold and the sparkles on the animals. I'll put up one a day for a few days, so keep checking back!

Intricate Ornaments

2009-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

Finally I have a new scanner, so you know what that means? I'm going to start putting updates here more often. Thought I'd begin with an Xmas book that I love. INTRICATE DESIGNS: 45 CHRISTMAS DESIGNS TO COLOR by Chuck Abraham. Lots of tiny little spaces to color and keep you busy during snowstorms or just listening to Aunt Edna wax over her fruitcake. All designs are different. The paper is not too thin, but still if you use markers, put a sheet behind it because it does bleed through.

Hey!

2009-10-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted here. Sorry. My scanner is on the fritz and I either have to fix it or get a new one. As soon as I do I will be back posting colored pics. In the mean time I wanted to alert you all to this awesome coloring book.

Intricate Jack O' Lanterns: 45 Halloween Designs to Color by Chuck Abraham. I don't have this one, but I do have his eggs, butterflies and Christmas ornaments books. He's also got a valentines one, and I see an 'under the sea' one coming out next year. Very intricate detail as the title promises. Lots of fun!

Updates

2009-08-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

I just updated the Coloring Addict's list with about thirty more titles. Check these pages: Animals, Stained Glass, Miscellaneous, People and Geometrics. New titles have a red NEW behind them!

Kaleidoscopic Designs Finale

2009-07-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Page down to see all the designs I've colored from this book!

Kaleidoscopic Designs #10

2009-07-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Page down for info on the coloring book.

Kaleidoscopic Designs #9

2009-07-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Kaleidoscopic Designs #8

2009-07-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Kaleidoscopic Designs

2009-07-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, eh? All hand drawn, the lines.

Kaleidoscopic Designs from Dover

2009-07-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

For info on the coloring book, page down.

Kaleidoscopic Designs more

2009-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Kaleidoscopic Designs again...

2009-07-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Page down for info on the actual Coloring Book.

Kaleidoscopic Designs Part Troi

2009-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

More Kaleidoscopic Designs

2009-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Kaleidoscopic Designs

2009-07-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Love this book. Too much. All the line drawings in Kaleidoscopic Designs are done by hand. It's utterly amazing to think about as you're coloring in the pages. Very fun. Highly recommended! I'm going to post all the pictures I've colored from this book, one a day, so keep coming back!

M

Paisley Designs

2009-07-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I love the 'design' sorts of coloring books. Those and the fashion ones are my favs. I love using bold markers for the designs. Paisley Designs is another Marty Noble book, and I love all his work. This one is a must have! If you click on the link, it'll take you to Amazon where I see they have a few colored examples uploaded. Very cool!

Pre-Raphaelite Paintings

2009-07-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Color Your Own Pre-Raphaelite Paintings by Marty Noble is another keeper. I like when the books have colored pictures of the actual paintings on the back covers so you can chose to either duplicate the original painting, or give it your own idea of color. I did a little of both with this example.

Heart Designs

2009-07-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hearts seem so innocent, so...kind. Yet this coloring book just may drive you mad. It has the simplest designs, and then very busy ones. As you can tell by the colored pic, I like busy. The pages are a little thin in this one, so if you use markers, it will bled through and you won't be able to use the pic on the other side of the page. But check out Heart Designs by Wil Stegenga for hours of fun.

Floral Bouquets

2009-06-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Very delicate drawings fill the pages of Floral Bouquets by Charlene Tarbox. These are so pretty, you'll want to cut out a page and hang it on your fridge when you're done. Hey, if the kids can do it, why not us?

Dazzling Designs

2009-06-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

This one is a bunch of optical illusion sort of designs. They range from simple to drive you mad when it comes to small details. Fun to work with. Check out Dazzling Designs by Koichi Sato

The Far East

2009-06-03T16:51:00.001-07:00

Ruth Heller's Designs for Coloring books are always awesome. Clean lines and only one design on each page, so the back is blank (great if you use markers to color like I do). These books are worth the little higher price tag as well.

RUTH HELLER'S FAR EAST

Poster Masterpieces

2009-03-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a little reluctant to check out any of the 'color your own' series, since most of the pictures are adapted from paintings, and depending on which artists does the adapting, they may or may not make for good coloring. This is another Marty Noble book, so it rocks. Color Your Own Poster Masterpieces features a lot of posters from the Art Nouveau time period. There are 30 posters to color.

Art Nouveau Patterns

2009-03-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'll buy any coloring book that has designs or repetitive patterns. I think the finished artwork always looks so cool. And there's more planning involved when you have to determine color matches and what is going to repeat most and which colors to chose as highlights or accents. Never thought coloring could be so challenging, eh? That's why I do it. Sometimes it's a mindless relaxation, a means to just not think (beyond selecting colors), other times it really is a focused project. Either way is cool. Art Nouveau Patterns is another Marty Noble book. All the Dover coloring books by Noble are must-haves. There are 30 designs in this book. As with all the Dover books, if you use marker, even though the paper is pretty thick, they will bleed through. So you have to decide if you can do without the design on the back of the page. But if you use colored pencils, you're good to go.

Wondrous Wizards

2009-03-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

I realize I forgot to color her hair on this one. Hmm, probably would have made gold or black. The gray on the overjacket is actually silver gel pen. Had to have a bit of sparkle for a wizard, don't you know. Wondrous Wizards is a fun book if you like fantasy drawings. Mostly male wizards, but there are a few females in it as well.

Empire Fashions

2009-03-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

I have ALL of the DOver fashion coloring books. All of them. If you haven't noticed yet that coloring is my obsession, then keep coming back to the blog; you'll learn sooner or later. ;-) I'm not too keen on the Empire time period, but I do like coloring the intricate details of the dresses. Tom Tierney's Empire Fashions is another must have. You'll spot Napoleon and Josephine in this one as well.

Intricate Butterflies

2009-03-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

I love all the new Intricate coloring books! They all have 45 designs to color. The pages are a little thin, though the backs are blank, but some marker bleed-through is experienced, so put a sheet of paper behind your design if markers are your thing.

Intricate Butterflies by Chuck Abraham is a must-have. I see he's got an Intricate Valentine book planned as well. You know I'll grab that one when it comes out!

Coloring Mandalas

2009-03-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

So call this one my Goth Mandala. :-) And obviously my scanner is too small for the nice wide square pages in this spiral-bound book. Coloring Mandalas by Susanne F. Fincher is a keeper. There's 72 designs inside. Only one on each page, so the backs are white to allow for bleed-through if you use markers. Essential, if you ask me.

Updates!

2009-02-20T16:41:00.001-08:00

Added a big handful of new coloring books to the Miscellaneous page at the Coloring Addict's site!

Designs for Coloring

2009-02-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

The Ruth Heller's Designs for Coloring series is awesome. All the pictures are absolutely amazing and fun to color. One of my favorites is INSECTS AND SPIDERS. Don't be queasy about it, this is a fun book! I used gold and silver gel pens to highlight areas on the butterfly and moth's wings in this one. Markers do tend to bleed through a bit in this book so keep a sheet of paper handy to place behind the page before coloring.
[Note: The book I have was purchased years ago and 'Spiders' is in the title. I see the book shown at Amazon, but with the same ISBN has removed that word. Maybe it was freakin' the peoples out.]

Tales of Great Dragons

2009-02-16T13:02:00.001-08:00

An excellent book put out by Bellerophon. This publisher always has exquisite detail in its drawings. It appears that some of the designs are taken directly from texts and maybe even paintings. Tales of Great Dragons is a keeper coloring book for me.
This picture was fun. I used silver gel pen on the wings and gold for other highlights.

Designer Doodles

2009-02-13T13:35:00.001-08:00

Designer Doodles by Christine Dymond by Search Press. This is a nice over-sized book with 12 big pictures to color. Lots of small details that will keep you busy on one picture for hours. Days, even. This example was one of the less-busy pictures. The scan is a little crooked and the bottom is cut off, but that's because the picture was too big for my scanner. They also only have one design per page, so if you use markers (like I do) it won't soak through to a design on the back. And there's a 'cut here' dotted line on each page so you can post them on your fridge, if you like. Hey, I do that once in a while. :-) The book is a little more spendy at $9.95, but well worth it to the Coloring Addict.

[Note: I just checked Amazon and this book is sold out, and you can only buy used for a rather more expensive price. Yikes. Wait for this one to come back in stock if you're interested.]

Intricate Ornaments

2009-01-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

Another book in the 'Intricate' series that I just discovered. Heck, Christmas may be past us, but that doesn't mean you can't color Xmas pics. This book rocks. It's filled with intricately detailed Christmas Ornaments, and there are no duplicates. It's a bit more expensive than the Dover books, at $6.95, but well worth the coloring fun!

Intricate Ornaments: 45 Christmas Designs to Color

Intricate Eggs

2008-12-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

Whew! Very long time since I posted. Sorry about that. Is anyone even out there who reads this blog? Post! Let me know if you like to continue to see colored pics from books. I'm going to try and post more often, at least once a week. Heck, my scanner was buried for months under office ephemera. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.

This coloring book, Intricate Eggs, is cool. Over 40 different designs, all different. Each is an egg with a graphic design in it. You don't need to save it for Easter. :-) The paper is a little thin, but if you use markers to color, just put a piece of paper behind the picture when starting.

Updates

2008-07-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Whew! Sorry, haven't posted here for a while. Have colored a bit in the two months, and will post a picture this week. But for now, I wanted to let you all know about the updates to the Coloring Addicts Page and Store. I added 50 new titles to the web page. Lots of Stained Glass coloring books. The Chinese Kites one looks awesome. I'm drooling for the Color Your Own Poster Masterpieces to come out in October. And I also added Mermaids and Thai Decorative Designs to my 'wish' list at Amazon.

Check them all out here.

And don't forget I've got the Coloring Addict's store at Amazon where you can view all the books by cover instead of just the list I have at the web site. I've added more titles there. Lots of sets in the stained glass section.

I'm planning to do a contest in August, so keep checking back!
M

As Big as It Gets

2008-05-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Do you really like to color? I mean really really? And you love getting lost on the page? Then you need the REALLY BIG COLORING BOOK. There's an awesome company, Really Big Coloring Books, that sells, well, big coloring books. They're about 18"x 24" in size. Very cool. Very big. Mostly for kids, but I can't imagine adults wouldn't have a fun time with these as well.

I have a copy of the Really Big Butterfly Coloring Book, and it is awesome. (Nope, no scanned pics today because it's just too big to scan.) Great for colored pens and crayons, but the markers tend to bleed through a bit. What a great way to share an afternoon with a child, sprawled over one of these. Check out their website!

Fantastical Fun!

2008-05-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a neat coloring book I discovered from a fellow writer. Laramie Sasseville designed and illustrated this entire book, and it's really quite cool. A Discordian Coloring Book. Click the link and check it out!

2008-04-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry, it's been a while since I posted, so I scanned a bunch of pictures today. I know I said the Paisley book was my favorite a few weeks back, but if I had to pick an all-time favorite it would be DECORATIVE TILE DESIGNS by Marty Noble. I'm planning to buy this one again. Why? Well, I only use markers, because I like the bright colors, but they bleed through a little. Not a lot, but enough to make coloring on the other side of the page useless. So now that I've colored every page I possibly can, it's time to buy a new one so I can color all the ones I missed. I love this book that much. There's so much detail. Each picture should take you a couple hours, perhaps spread over a few coloring sessions. I've been listening to Oprah and Eckhart's A NEW EARTH on podcast, and coloring these pics as I do. Check out the cool designs...

Imaginative Patterns

2008-04-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

There are five or six books in the ROGER BURROWS IMAGES coloring book series. All feature geometric patterns that can occupy a colorist for hours. That is if your sanity survives that long. :-) I suspect a secret underlaying attempt to drive a person bonkers with these pictures. The spaces are so small, and there are so many, and if you color the wrong space with the red when it should have been yellow, well! Whew! Probably these pictures should be worked on in small doses. The sample is not one of the busier pictures from this book.

M

Go Tudors!

2008-03-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

If only Henry VIII had really looked like Jonathan Rhys Meyers. :-) Seriously, though, I'm wondering if they'll have JRM start wearing a fat suit if the Showtime series continues on into Henry's plump years.
Anyway, today's book is HENRY VIII & HIS WIVES: PAPER DOLLS TO COLOR. Don't let the title fool you. I don't get into paper dolls. But some do, and that's cool. I'm just a coloring freak, though. But, despite the missing heads on some of the pictures, there's nothing wrong with these coloring pages at all. And if you DO like paper dolls the back of each page is blank, and there are tabs on the clothes, so after you've colored them in, you can cut them out.

This book is by Bellerophon Books. I love their coloring books. So much detail, and very precise line on most of the drawings. Some of their drawings tend to get a little artsy, and I think whoever drew the design forgets that someone will be coloring the design. The worst thing that can happen when you're coloring is you start filling in a section and realize it has no black line to close up the section. Or it mistakenly is drawn into another section. Aggh! That happens sometimes with Bellerophon, but don't worry, this book is great.I put up an uncolored page so you can get a look at the detail. Each page in the book is like this, with a bit of history about the garment, and a poem even, or quote.

If you like the time period, or like coloring costumes, or just like a challenging coloring page with lots of detail, I highly recommend this one. You can find a link to it in the PEOPLE section to the right.
M

Perfectly Paisley

2008-03-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

How much do I love this new coloring book, Paisley Designs by Marty Noble? A LOT!
This book was just published this year, and I couldn't wait to order it from Amazon. All the Dover books by Marty Noble are awesome, including incredible detail. I love a busy picture to color, and the pictures in this book are busy. Lots of paisley twists and turns and splotches and curves. Some with birds, and other animals, and all with intricate details that'll keep you busy on one page for hours.

As I've said, I love a boldly colored image, so used dark blues in this one and highlighted with salmon and browns. I used a gold gel pen, as well. Did this one as I was listening to the podcast of Oprah and Eckhart Tolle discussing A New Earth.

I think the designs in this book have a Suess-ian flare to them. Almost wonder if I'll spot a Who lurking amidst the designs. :-) Love the bold fuschia and yellow in this one. Started to highlight it with silver gel pen, but my pen ran out.

So what can you do with your growing collection of coloring books? Well, take them to parties! Seriously. I used to tote a stack of coloring books and markers along to girlfriend parties. You know the kind where a group of women sit around chatting, eating and just laughing the night through? Set some coloring books out on the table and you'll draw interest. Some will pick them up and start coloring as they chat, others might not. Doesn't matter. It's always fun. I like to have others color in my books. But I have one rule. If you color a page, then you have to sign your name and date it when you're finished. It's great to page through the books and spy a picture and see who did it. Fun!

M

Inside the thin black line

2008-03-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable that I start a blog about coloring. I'm a coloring addict. Have been for years. Sure, I loved coloring as a kid. But I'm an adult now; those kiddie coloring books just won't cut it. When I bought my first Dover coloring book, things changed. I initially bought that first book because I was researching clothing for a historical romance I was writing. The Dover fashion coloring books are awesome and are historically accurate with great details.

But then I found myself coloring the pictures instead of just studying them. And soon, I was buying more, and even more coloring books. Some about animals, and graphic designs and mandalas and plants and places and, well, I had become an addict.

Do I consider myself a coloring book expert? Uh, a little bit. I have over 150 of them. And I'm always getting more. I know what I like and what I don't. Which publishers don't put out well-drawn images and which ones use flimsy paper that lets markers bleed through onto the next drawing. I'll try to impart some wisdom on all that in the coming posts.

My coloring element of choice? RoseArt markers. I like a nice bold, bright picture. I'll use colored pencils on occasion, but I'm not good at blending and shading. Besides, with markers, then you can use gold and silver gel pens for accents like jewelry and swords and clothing. That so rocks.

I'm a list maker, and I've had a list of coloring books for adults for years—The Coloring Addicts List. It lists every single Dover title I can find, and those wonderful coloring books from Bellerophon, and others that you may never have heard of before. If you like to color, my list is a great place to start. I've linked all the titles to Amazon, so you can get price info or even order if you like.

My quest? To spread the obsession. To create more coloring addicts like myself. Because it's makes me happy. It's a meditative thing, to color. My mind releases tension and stress and I can relax and get into the color and lines and creativity. Sometimes. Other times, I can obsess over which color is right, or that I accidentally colored in the wrong part. But it's all fun, no matter. What a way to pay homage to your creativity by unleashing it within the black lines and spreading about the color.

I'm going to post here once a week, hopefully. I'll feature a different coloring book each week, and probably a colored page from it. I love to order the books from Amazon, but sometimes I really want to see the pictures before I order, you know? So maybe my posting here will help some who are vacillating over a specific book. Or maybe, it'll inspire you to return to a childhood past-time—coloring.

The picture above is from the RENAISSANCE FASHIONS book by Tom Tierney, available from Dover. Tierney does a lot of the fashion books, and his drawings are excellent. Lots of details, and fine, crisp lines. Also great descriptions of the clothing, and sometimes colors and fabric. You can't tell from the scan above, but the gray areas are actually silver gel pen. There's gold trim on the man's red doublet. I usually never color my people's skin. Do you? What color do you use?

As the blog evolves I'll try to have more links to my Coloring Addict's list, and maybe there's a way to feature more of the books right here. I like the idea of going to one site and being able to shop for the coloring books. So do check out the list, and let me know what you think.

Anyway, spread the word, and pass around the URL for this blog. I want everyone to become an addict!
M