Zemlja Snova (Dreamland) by Tomislav Tomic

Summary
Current Price: £20.00
Number of Pages: 84
Size: 25 x 25cm
Paper colour: White
Paper surface: Smooth  
Paper thickness: Very Good  
Linework: Fine  
Perforated: No  
One sided: No
Binding: Glue  
Drawings go into the spine: Yes
Waterbased pen bleed: Some shadowing

For me, there's something about foreign colouring books that set them apart from the rest. I don't know whether it's the beautiful languages that make them more mysterious and exotic, or the absolutely phenomenal illustrations you see from artists like Daria Song, Eriy & Hanna Karlzon, but pretty much every colouring book I've reviewed from Europe, Asia and beyond has blown me away. Zemlja Snova is no exception!

This absolutely sensational colouring book comes all the way from Croatia and is designed by Tomislav Tomic, an award-winning illustrator. The translation of the title is Dreamland,  which perfectly sums up its content: fairies, dragons, unicorns, giants, mermaids and all manner of fantasy imagery. It has quite a medieval flavour, with brave knights on horses and gigantic castles abound.

There are standalone images and double page spreads, the linework consistently thin with some fairly small and tricky areas in places. Each page is very 'busy' with intricately woven  illustrations which burst with detail. Take a look through the magical land below:

The book has been very well put together. The cover is made of thick card with fold-out dust flaps, and the front features a matte surface with glossy title lettering and a half coloured, half monochrome illustration from inside the book.

The paper is superb quality thickness with a medium tooth, taking coloured pencils exceptionally well- particularly softer artist grade pencils that need tooth to blend seamlessly. Water-based pens do shadow on the reverse which is unfortunate as the book is double sided. It's not a heavy, saturated shadowing but it's certainly noticeable on the reverse, which is a shame. However, Derwent Inktense pencils and water don't make any difference to the back of the page so all is not lost for mixed media colourists.

The book is currently on sale for £20, which is more expensive than most but you are getting a LOT of colouring hours and it would make a stunning storybook keepsake when complete.

Here is my finished page, coloured with Derwent Inktense & an aquabrush.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. You can find it on Amazon here:
Zemlja Snova by Tomislav Tomic