Colour Me Mindful series by Anastasia Catris

31/7/2015

Check out these stunning books from the Colour me Mindful series by Anastasia Catris. They were only released in the UK today, so here's your first look at these little gems!
Anastasia is a freelance illustrator from Wales, mainly specialising in comic books. This triple set is her first foray into the colouring book world, and will be followed in October this year by Colour me Mindful: Butterflies; Enchanted Creatures; and Seasons. She's also the author of a deliciously dark book of short, Circus-themed stories, Cirque Du Mort, which I own and love! If you like creepy stories and curiosities, grab yourself a copy, it's awesome.

From looking at Anastasia's previous work, you wouldn't expect such lovely, delicate art- and I mean that in the very nicest way! Much of her work is very bold and character-centric, a style reminiscent of Ed Hardy. It is testament to her talent that she has produced vastly different artwork in her colouring books, and I have to say from the moment I received the books I was in love. They're small and square, so perfect for taking out with you. The pale pastel covers are soothing and so pretty, relaxing you before you even start! The designs within are simple yet charming, and are illustrated so beautifully that each one will look great no matter how you decide to colour it.

Tropical: this book includes plenty of lush fauna and blooming orchids just dying for bright colour! There are flowing natural waterfalls, undulating palm fronds and exotic jungle creatures blending into the wilderness.

Birds: Decorative ostriches, a flock of doves, a wise owl and a loving penguin family are all waiting for you inside this volume, so if you're a fan of colouring creatures of the feathered variety, this is the one for you!

Underwater: Dive deep to the ocean floor and discover what lurks beneath the waves. The curling tentacles of the octopus king, intricately patterned schools of fish, a gently gliding turtle and so many more water dwellers.

Have a look at the slideshow below for a peek into all 3 books!

The books are extremely well made, with lush, thick paper and a wide range of 50 designs included in each. Your pens and markers won't bleed through, unless of course they're alcohol based. One thing I did notice is when you're pressing hard with coloured pencils, it can transfer some of the linework behind onto the next page. It's not a major problem, but I'd advise light/medium strokes only to avoid this happening as all the books are double sided. There are some small spaces in the illustrations but not teeny-tiny, which is how I like it. These books can definitely hold their own against the big bestsellers in the colouring book charts, they are truly gorgeous!

Now, if that hasn't tipped you over the edge and had you one-clicking in your droves, this definitely will. Despite the £4-5 pricetag on each book, The Book People are currently offering all three for just £3.99! Yep, the whole trilogy for the price of one. Amazing deal! (Links at the bottom of this post.)

Here are my coloured pages from each book. I had such fun doing them that I was finished before I knew it! I used Prismacolor Premier pencils, Spectrum Noir markers and Inscribe pastels.