Bird Critters is one of 19 books by Washington-based illustrator Sue Coccia, who's Native American ancestry is very prevalent in her works of art. All of her pen-and-ink drawings contain a ladybird hidden somewhere in the image, to represent good luck, happiness and prosperity! The books themselves are based on animals of all different kinds, including sea dwellers, wetland amphibians, Ice Age beasts and more. Each animal outline is filled to the brim with smaller illustrations, making the pictures intricate and time-consuming to complete- and I say this in the best of ways because the things she hides inside are so interesting and enjoyable to colour. The spaces aren't too small either, so when finished it looks like it was hard work to do but it really isn't. The drawings are basic; it's just that there's so many of them on one page. There's an array of detail in every image; 15 designs packed full of creatures within creatures, miniature worlds going on inside each giant critter. I found that completing each design in sections allowed me to discover something new in each one, which made me eager to move onto the next and see what else lay within the frame of the animal. The book itself is spiral bound, meaning the removal of pages is straightforward, and is A4 sized. The back cover depicts each animal within alongside its name, in case there's any you don't recognise or want the specific name of (eg. Great Blue Heron). The paper used is extremely good quality- almost card-like- and there's only 1 design per page so bleed through from alcohol markers isn't an issue. Overall I really enjoyed completing my image and would love to collect all of Sue's books (it should be noted that there are some crossovers of designs, which are all listed on her website). This one took me 2 hours, but I'm sure you'll agree it looks like it should have taken much longer! I received this book in exchange for an honest review. You can buy Sue's colouring books on her website.
5 Comments
Alice Fink
2/7/2015 02:41:14 pm
I've been following your reviews and want to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate them. I especially like the fact that you color at least one from each book. I always appreciated your telling us what media you used to color. I am very interested in the "Critters" series and have been looking for reviews and completed work. Your coloring of this image is exceptional and I would like to know what media you used. If you could do that on each one, I know everyone would appreciate it. Keep on keepin' on Girlfriend! :D
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Claire
4/7/2015 03:29:05 am
Hi Alice, thanks for your lovely message. I'm so glad you're enjoying the blog, it certainly makes it all worthwhile to hear from people who benefit from the reviews, as they take a lot of time & effort to bring to fruition. I coloured this particular design with my Spectrum Noir markers, which are the most regular colouring medium I use. I will make sure I list each medium I use in future, thanks for the suggestion :)
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Rachel A Hyde
20/9/2015 02:22:09 pm
I have been trying to get Sue Coccias books but have not managed to as they are not for sale in the UK as far as I can see. She is my favorite coloring book artist so do tell me please where I can buy them from!
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Claire Eadie
20/9/2015 03:51:53 pm
Contact Sue on [email protected] and she should be able toi advise you further :)
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Rachel A Hyde
20/9/2015 04:35:16 pm
Thank you for you reply. I emailed her back in January and was told that she would love to sell in the UK but it is tough for small businesses. She ships to the UK but it is very expensive. I keep hoping somebody here will start selling them. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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