The Aquarium by Claire Scully & Richard Merritt

​Summary 
Current Price: £6.99
Number of Pages: 64
Size: 29 x 29cm
Paper colour:
White 
Paper surface: Smooth  
Paper thickness: Good  
Linework: Fine  
Perforated: No  
One sided: Yes 
Binding: Glue  
Drawings go into the spine: No
Waterbased pen bleed: No

There aren't many colouring book collaborations that I know of, and Claire Scully & Richard Merritt definitely top the bill when it comes to quality of artwork from a duo. Their books are always brilliant quality and so intricate, truly embodying the meaning of super detailed adult colouring. The Menagerie and The Aviary were hugely popular releases and The Aquarium is set to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors.

This book, as you'll have guessed, features marine life at its most elaborate; from the resplendent Siamese Fighting Fish and serpentine Blue Ribbon Eel to graceful Dolphins and the magisterial Atlantic Walrus. Other highlights include the incredible Lionfish that graces the book's cover, a wide-eyed Seal and sharply barbed Pufferfish. As usual, a full list of all the creatures in The Aquarium is outlined on the first page. Take a look at my video flip-through of the whole book below.

The paper is equal quality to the previous books in the series, ideal for both coloured pencils and markers of any type, due to the illustrations being one sided. The size and format of the book also remains the same with its large scale at 29cm square, meaning that although the drawings are very detailed they are printed larger than usual books, which really helps.

The majority of the illustrations have pops of colour in the background which I feel sets the monochrome linework off nicely and adds a little something extra to the vast white of the page.

The cover features beautiful aqua blue and hot pink foiled details to the illustration and title, and looks very fitting next to its partners in the animal portraits series.

Here is my finished picture of some clinging Starfish, on which I have decided to utilize some of the white space. I think this looks better than colouring them fully.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:
The Aquarium by Claire Scully & Richard Merritt