In the adult colouring world, it's all about the fineliners. There are so many intricate designs with teeny-tiny spaces that sometimes a 1mm tip is far too wide. The stabilo point 88 pen nibs measure less than half of that at just 0.4mm, perfect for getting into all those nooks & crannies, and they're also classed as Europe's number one fineliners. The set I received is called the Festival Spirit wrap, which is a really useful way of storing and transporting the 25 pens within.
Each pen has its place, with individual elastic holders to keep them in order. The wrap also has a zipped pocket at one end to store any loose bits and pieces. As I said there are 25 different shades here, which is a really good range- particularly the amount of blue and green tones there are. It would be great to have more reds included, as you only get one real red and a darker crimson colour.
The barrells on these pens are hexagonal shaped, so no rolling off the edge of the table which is very handy indeed! It's a small thing that makes a big difference. The caps are a good match for their colour on paper (although a few of the greens are very similar) and have a long cap-off time (I haven't tested this so I can't say exactly how dry safe they are). My camera isn't great but I assure you the colours are very vibrant and juicy.
Here are a few pictures I did with the 68pt pens.
It may be easier to see if you zoom in, but particularly in the sun picture they do go quite pithy when you colour over the same spot, even if it's just once. Some of the nib thicknesses are inconsistent, a few of them leaving a broader line than others. I would recommend these pens for school use or as I say, the casual colourist, but I have to be honest and say they're not my favourites for quality and coverage on the paper.
I received these pens in exchange for an honest review. You can buy them from Amazon here:
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The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that there's a new area on the blog, which I am so excited about! I've been working with some amazing illustrators to produce a Colour with Claire Q&A section, so that all my followers can get an insight into the lives of those behind the stunning colouring books we love. I really hope you enjoy reading them! There are LOTS more interviews being completed as we speak, so I'll be updating the page as and when I receive them.
As ever, thank you all so much for your support! I'm loving reviewing for you and hope to continue for a long time to come. This book is designed by holistic lifestyle guru Annie Yates, who believes in nourishing the body and mind in simple, natural ways. With a background in illustration, she decided to produce her own colouring book to soothe and de-stress the mind as part of her healthy lifestyle. So take a deep breath and unwind as you settle down into the pages of Relax me. First of all I have to mention something that probably sounds rather odd, but I love the dot on the end of the title! I don't know if it was a concious thing but it really sets off the statement; it's simply: Relax me. That's it, that's what you get with this book. The 18 designs within are mostly made up of flowing lines and swirly patterns, which feel relaxing just to look at, never mind colour! I found filling in the pages very calming, losing myself in the lines, so it certainly lives up to its title in my opinion. As well as the flowers and leaves within, the book physically feels very organic too. The cover is exactly the same paper as the pages, so there's no heavy binding or anything to detract from the simplicity of the book. The paper is extremely good quality, very thick and smooth to the touch. There is a mixture of broad and fine linework, many of the illustrations containing the same elements arranged in different ways, which connects all the images and makes the book flow really well. The designs are complex but no so intricate that they seem daunting. It's a perfect medium I think, and definitely a book I can see myself coming back to again and again, especially when I want to wind down before bed. There's a dreamy quality to this book which I think sets it apart from others on the market. Here are my completed images :) I was given a copy of Relax me. in exchange for an honest review. You can find it in on Annie's website, Wild Heart Native Soul, in paperback or digital download format.
This is a book that truly lives up to its name, full of nature and wilderness from around the UK (and from further afield if you can spot them)! The illustrator, Meg Cowley, lives in Yorkshire (England) with her partner and two cats, and works best when fuelled by pizza- a woman after my own heart!
Each page features a treasury of wild animals, flora and fauna; whether its nestled inside an overgrown hedgerow or discovering a tadpole-filled pond. The drawings are all captioned with their English and Latin names, reminiscent of a gardening book. Each illustration is contained within a square border so you don't have to worry about each one going right up to the spine of the book, which can be annoying sometimes. This also makes it easier to remove the pages and frame your artwork if you wish.
Meg uses a mixture of fine and thicker linework on her drawings, so you can choose whichever style you prefer to colour. Also, some designs are more heavily detailed than others, meaning you can again decide whether you would like to do something simple or more intricate. The pages are all one-sided, allowing you to colour with whichever materials you wish. It feels as though Meg has conciously decided to include lots of different options for the colourist's individual preferences.
As I received a PDF copy of this book I cannot comment on the quality or type of paper used, but I have been promised a hard copy after its release on 28th May. I will update this review accordingly. Take a look at my finished pages below, I really enjoyed colouring them and getting back to nature :)
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:
Today I'm reviewing Entwined, a geometric colouring book by artist Christine Fleming. Christine is a successful illustrator working out of Texas, USA, who's work has been published in magazines and educational books since she graduated from North Carolina State University.
The hand-drawn pages in Entwined are inspired by lace patterns and Turkish tiles, and there are 20 of them for you to colour in total. I particularly love how the designs are not too complicated; each patterns still looks detailed and crisp, and the artwork produced looks professional no matter how much skill you have as a colourer! I showed my Mum the book and she loves the fact that there aren't really many tiny-weeny spaces for you to strain your eyes over!
The tagline for this book is 'to help you unwind and relax' which it undoubtedly lives up to; I was absorbed with the clean lines of the mandalas and mathematical symmetry of each illustration.
The book itself is bound in a glossy cover, one side coloured and the other black and white, for you to finish if you wish. The bright-white paper is good quality, with no bleed through from water based markers, and each design is printed one one side. I would recommend this book for kids and adults of any age, as it isn't too difficult for little hands, and neither is it too simple for the seasoned colourist. Here are my completed pages, done with Promarkers and Spectrum Noir. I decided to use a tropical palette for the sun picture, and a mixture of red and purple tones for the flower.
Christine has kindly created her own series of classes on Skillshare, in which she teaches you how to draw with her! You can attend her sketching school here :)
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase it on Christine's Etsy with 15% off by using coupon code COLOURWITHCLAIRE and on Amazon here:
I have teamed up with stationery connisseur edding UK to bring you a Bank Holiday Bonanza of a competition! Included in the prize are several sets of pens by edding, a signed copy of The Colouring Mind book and awesome print by Samuel Lindup himself!
Amazing, right? I know what you're thinking- Where do I sign up?! Well, take yourselves off to the competition post (below) and post a pic of your favourite completed colouring page in the comments. That's it! You're in. Like & share if you wish & good luck everyone!
Flower Patterns is a beautifully illustrated book by Pamela Duarte, a successful artist who has previously designed Barbie books for Mattel! Pamela has now forayed into the colouring book world with two self-published books; Flower Mandalas and the one I'm reviewing today.
Her intentions for this book was to create a variety of patterns that range from complex to simple, to allow anyone at any level of colouring to create some exquisite art. The book is quite substantial with 50 different designs to colour as you wish, each one handily printed on one side of paper.
The paper quality is good, none of my Triplus or other felt tips bled through and each page is crisp and white. I love the assortment of designs, some mandalas, some Paisley style, some are even like a groovy 70s wallpaper :) If you like colouring flowers of all different kinds I'd certainly recommend this book. Here are my finished pages. I used my new Spectrum Noir and Promarkers to practice shading, I think they turned out pretty good! Do remember to put a sheet or 2 of scrap paper between your pages when using alcohol markers.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:
This book is so opulent! It's full of characters from the carnival world, with masks, costumes and dramatic make up all waiting to be coloured in. I love colouring books that are so different to many others around, and this definitely is- it's so fun! There are 30 different line drawings for you to fill in, and each one is as beautiful and quirky as the last.
The illustrator, Sarah Walsh, is an American artist who's interests include vintage and magical creatures, which I think you can see in her artwork. The drawings seem to have a period-style to them, as if they're from another era. I'm reminded of Venetian masquerade masks, street parades and booming drums. It really takes you into another world whilst you're colouring, which I love.
A great thing about this book is the paper. It is very thick, almost cardlike, so you'll have no problem with markers here. Alcohol pens will always bleed through, but this book has one-sided pages so as long as you slip a piece of paper between there's no problem. Each page is also perforated, meaning you can remove them with ease if you wanted to put them in a binder or hang/frame them. The book cover is soft-feel matt, lovely quality. It's also not quite as big as A4, more of a square shape, which feels nice & manageable.
There are lots of books in the Just Add Color series, and if the standard of drawings and paper is anything like this one I'll definitely be purchasing the rest. Have a look at my completed pictures!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:
This book is good for casual colourists, in my opinion. Many of the designs are interesting, but some of them seem quite poorly drawn- like rough doodles you might do whilst on the phone. If you like your colouring books random and abstract rather than symmetrical and aesthetic, this is one for you. Sometimes it's good to not worry too much when you're colouring though, right? I don't always want to be precise, and I think that's what this book offers you.
Paper quality is good, a variety of markers and gels not bleeding through at all- Sharpies and alcohol markers do though. The cover is soft which has a lovely feel in the hand. I'd recommend this book for when you want to wind down or 'zone out' as it advises in the blurb. Children may like this book just as much as adults due to its simplicity, so it's definitely one that you could share with the little people.
Still not sure whether it's the colouring book for you? Why not enter my competition below and win yourself a copy!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:
Today I have been filling in colour charts to document all of the pencils and markers I own, so that I can quickly glance at them and work out which colour I want to choose for whichever project I'm doing. Do you have colour charts for your materials? Show me on the Facebook group :D |