A Fantastical Color Book
357386
I chose this color book to review because I thought the cover looked  like the game "Zelda" by Nintendo. I love to look at these color books. This has to be one of the cutest ones I have ever reviewed. I was inspired to color a few of these pictures. I don't even like to color. These pictures I think would also look special as a black and white wall hanging.
3848709
It's a lot of fun to color in this coloring book.  Artwork is very well done.  Don't try to color if you're already hungry, though.
4208024
<div id="video-block-R2I5Y3G5XS38Z3" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1y3KGEnBjS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91xDUeDex-S.png" class="video-slate-img-url">&nbsp;This is my second coloring book by Jeremy Elder.  My previous one was also a steampunk inspired book, Steampunk Devices.  There are many animals in the book including: snail, rabbit, owl, turtle, monkey, walrus and many more. Thanks to another reviewer who pointed out my video is missing the design for the tiger on the back of the book.  My pages were stuck together so I will show those two images (tiger and a snake) in the photos below.

The designs in the book and imaginative and are lots of fun to color.  The animals are set in backgrounds rather than simply an animals on a page.  Each of the animals has machinery built-in which is a must for a steampunk fan.

The designs are detailed but are not intricate and hard to color.  There is plenty of room for blending or adding your own details to make the coloring project a more personalized one.

My earlier book by Mr. Elder was released under the Creative Haven line of Dover books and I wish that this one, Steampunk Animals had also been so released.  Unfortunately, it was released as a standard Dover Coloring book.  The difference is distinctive as this book is printed on both sides of the page, has a slightly different feel to the paper, and is not perforated.

However, the price is also less than a Creative Haven book, so I can and will buy a second copy of this book as I will want to use markers on the pages.  If you use only colored pencils, you may be happy with just the one book as-is.

This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing it with my coloring medium.  I will list my coloring mediums that I use for testing and coloring in the comments section below.

30 Steampunk inspired Animals Designs

Printed on both sides of the page

Paper is medium weight, smooth, white and non-perforated

Staple bound with three heavy duty staples

Designs stop well before the binding area and can be removed in whole from the book by removing the three staples at the binding.

All designs have a framing line around the outer edge to give a natural stopping point for the design and all of the elements within it.  I really appreciate this feature in coloring books.

Alcohol-based markers bleed through this paper

Water-based markers spot through and/or leave colorful shadows on the back of the page

Gel pens and India ink pens leave colorful shadows on the back of the page.  India ink pens can bleed through in spots if you apply heavily or use multiple coats.

Colored pencils worked well with this paper.  Both oil and wax-based pencils provided good pigment, layered well with the same or multiple colors and blended well using a blending stick.  Hard lead pencils did not dent through the page.

If you choose to use any medium other than colored pencils, you will probably find bleed through or colorful shadows on the design at the back of your working page.  For me, that ruins the design.  My choice will be to buy a second book if I want to use markers/gel pens/India ink.  I still suggest a blotter page under your working page as it will keep the following pages (other than the one on the back of your working page) from being ruined by seeping ink.  I like card stock for this purpose but find that a couple of sheets of heavyweight white paper work well, too.
2047504
The Joyful Inspirations Coloring Book by Robin Mead is a beautifully illustrated coloring book brimming with cheerful, whimsical designs.

This beautiful color book has 96 pages of well drawn illustrations to color. I like Mead's renditions of people and animals with cheerful faces and large, bright eyes. I also like her illustrations of  summer beach scenes, churches, flowers, butterflies, birds, sunrises/sunsets, and so much more--many of which have Scripture verses that accompany them. This is just a wonderful coloring book to turn on your favorite playlist and relax with. I also especially like that Mead includes a page at the back of the book that list her favorite coloring products along with tips for using those products to create your best work. She also has a page with ten coloring tips that I found helpful. I tried blending some oranges and yellows to create the ball part of my sun in this picture. I hadn't done that previously. I plan to try that more and to try some of her other ideas. This list gave me some good ideas to step up my coloring game. I highly recommend this coloring book to anyone who enjoys coloring Christian coloring pages. If you like Mead's work, she also has a Christmas coloring book, A Very Blessed Christmas, that also has nice illustrations to color.
2536504
This book has lots of animals to color to your heart's content.
2345865
I'm not a big FY fan but when I picked up this book for a friend I did thumb through it. The book contains beautiful color artwork some as it says made just for this book. The book boasts that it is an English carbon-copy of the Japanese version, which I don't know because I don't own the Japanese version. Some pictures are a bit small that's my only complaint. Most of the pictures have a foot-note in the back of the book giving you a little information such as what it was used for originally.
 It has character stats (height, weight, blood type) along with Yuu Watase's original sketches for them. It has a color comic in right-to left format. An interview with Ms. Watase as well as a bio for her is in toward the back. This seems to be a very high quality book with thick, glossy paper, almost like cardstock. I'm impressed!
4242290
"If" is a tour-de-force in children's picture books.  Through a set of lovely illustrations, your child is invited into realms of curiosity and possibility.  As this book gently shows, the only thing holding a person back is her own insistence on "reality."  The tone is exploratory and creative.  And the conclusion of the book is an invitation to further imaginary flights of fancy.
3506476
This book is absolutely gorgeous! I already have Color Odyssey and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. The illustrations are truly wonderful--Garver includes some incredibly detailed images but also some simpler ones, so there's something for every mood. Even if you never color this is a great book to buy because his art is really so special. The paper quality is great. I can't wait to get started on this!
1642855
The review is from my blog, for a full review with a video flip through, go to thecoloringaddict.com

This is a really cool book by Stephen Barnwell, its his first coloring book but hes no beginner at art, you can read his impressive resume on the Antarctica Arts website. This book has an awesome style and the images caught my eye immediately. Also check out the colored pages on their website, there are some seriously amazing ways to color these. And theres also a section there for tips and tricks for coloring.
The book has 52 images, all printed on just one side so you can use markers with confidence (though do put a sheet of paper under the picture you're working with to protect the next page).
The paper quality depends on the version. This US version is printed on 70 pound paper, which is roughly 105 gsm, its not the thickest paper in the world but better then your average copy paper. The international version is printed by Amazon and thus is on copy paper. So I do recommend getting the US version. The paper will not take water well since its on the thinner side, it will buckle so stick to pencils and youll be fine.
The book is divided into four sections by seasons and has the most fantastical imagery ever, everything from flying pigs to Arthurian legends. Theyre all so cool that I had a really hard time picking my first image and I will certainly revisit this book later to do more. I also love how the author himself has colored the images, they're very dreamlike in a way.
The images range in difficulty from very easy to a bit more challenging but theres something for everyone which is always awesome.
Overall, I love this book! I definitely recommend getting it. The paper could be thicker so it could take water as well but that is really the only thing I can think to pick on. The images are seriously enchanting and crazy enough to offer fun for days. I do hope Stephen Barnwell will do more books in the future, Ill surely be lining up for the next as well.
1899427
This book is good if you like to color quite a bit of details.
4419415
The book has a very colorful cover.  The cover will likely draw in toddlers. For anyone who loves to read about jungle animals,  they will be pleased at the book's  short and concise descriptions.
The pictures are also colorful, yet accurate  portrayals of each animal. overall I find the book lovely at enchanting.  The book begins with definitions of a jungle in the language that a child would understand. The animals do not seem to be represented in any sense of an order.  The first animal is a tiger. The description states that the most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on a reddish orange from fur with a lighter  underside. I am not sure how many children would know that vertical means up and down. The description does not state what countries have tigers.  Overall the descriptions of the animals are more suited to the younger readers. I'm not sure how much children care about how much an animal weighs.  Perhaps the author deliberately phrase things in a way that would garner conversation with an adult.  I found the authors choice of animals represented in the book to be interesting and a bit unusual. The animals are not necessarily what you would think of as being a jungle.
 I have very little criticism of the book. Perhaps I did not read the description close enough, but I was thinking it wasn't actual book. I was a bit disappointed that it  was only a Kindle book. I guess I'm a little old-fashioned, but when I think of reading to a child I think of books with actual pages. The very thought  of reading to her child makes me think of my mother reading to my younger sister and I. Books of been a part of my life are pretty much as long as I can remember. Although I do like my Kindle application,  I still love the actual books and turning the pages. I was envisioning a book that I could sit with my grandson and read with him. this is no fault of the author, I imagine this is the way of the world. I'm sure it's much easier to sell digital books and there are no shipping cost.  The delivery is so much quicker, resulting in the ability to get started reading right away.
I received this book for $0.00 in order that I might do a review of the book.
457420
I enjoy this coloring book quite a bit. I like the creative and imaginative Manga art. I am not really into Manga but I do like this book. There are lots of details and will bring me hours of coloring fun. I wish the pages were thicker so that I could use other medias such as paint and markers. Other than that I don't really have any complaints but it is the reason I gave it a 4 rather than a 5.
1609296
Artist - Suzi Joyner

 Publisher - Blue Star Colouring
Pages - 80

Book

At 80 pages and A4 size , this book is a fantastic size, whether for skipping onto a bookshelf, tucking into a bag or having permanently attached to a clipboard!

The cover is a glossy image from the book, coloured in a limited palette with a stark white background. It stands out from other books on my shelf, purely due to lightness of the cover!

The book is lightly glue bound, meaning that the pages will be quite resilient to coming loose as they are with some books.

The paper is bright white and quite textured. I was able to achieve quite a number of layers with coloured pencil, and had nil bleeding with waterbased markers or fineliners.

The images are single sided, with a very handy border around the larger images, preventing part of the image entering the spine.

Images

The variety in this book is delightful, flicking through feels like a stroll through a forest.

Beginning with a tree, a pile of toadstools, moving through to a dragonfly and a birds nest, passing a gnome and finishing with an elegant owl, this book is one that whisks you into a forest filled with gorgeous animals and foliage.

Line thickness varies in the book, from medium thickness to thinner lines in the image. It does remain consistent throughout the book however.

Intricacy does vary throughout the book, with some images containing mainly larger spaces with room to shade and blend and others quite intricate, with even larger spaces broken up with lines and sections.

The style of drawing is quite whimsical, and while it may vary a touch throughout the book, remains the same recognisable style throughout the books.

Health

I am a big proponent of colouring nature scenes as a tool for anxiety, depression or pain. I find the scenery is calming, along with the cooler tones that tend to come with it. I think this book would be fantastic for when you are feeling a bit down or anxious, in pain or needing distraction, this is a cheerful book that will give you something peaceful to focus on.

If your concentration varies quite a bit, this book will suit you quite well as there is a variety of intricacies throughout the book and you can chop and choose as you please!

As above, line thickness and intricacy do vary within the book, although not a great deal. It might be suitable for those with vision impairment or fine motor difficulties, although please do check the images before you decide to purchase this book, just in case.
3445371
I really liked this grayscale coloring book. It had alot of cool and weird fantasy photographs to color. The cover alone caught my interest. I have to say this isn't my first grayscale coloring book but it is one of my favorites so far. I do wish that this was available in a pocket-sized edition because it would make a cool gift or stocking stuffer for the coming holiday season.. I really like the color test palettes in the front of the book that allowed me to figure out my color scheme beforehand without having to just cross my fingers and hope I picked the right colors for the image. The Gayle's Grayscale DOGS coloring book is excellent too.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Gayle-s-Grayscale-DOGS-Adult-Coloring-Book-Easy-Coloring-Book-For-Grown-ups-Volume-1/dp/1534839275/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Gayle's Grayscale DOGS Adult Coloring Book: Easy Coloring Book For Grown-ups (Volume 1)</a>&nbsp;I haven't tried any of her others yet. So overall I would say I was pleased with this coloring book and recommend it.
4185159
It's all been said by the other reviewers. But I guess I'll join the chorus. The book is very nicely executed with a sturdy yet flexible binding., black backing pages and attractive typography. Featuring the Worlds first science fiction/fantasy film. The art well express's the books sense of whimsy and mythology. I felt myself carried away to other worlds while coloring,Quite meditational.
562866
This was something new. A coloring book that requires a bit extra. There are many detailed drawings of alien constructs and robots that will satisfy the coloring aspect of the book (always go outside the lines!). There is a decoder "key" you can cut our or just use your phone's barcode scanner and you can figure out each construct's name within the drawing. Part coloring book, part puzzle. It's different and I enjoyed it.
1209112
What a fantastic book.  I never thought I'd be tempted to actually color in an adult coloring bookbut then I was given David and Jeanie Stiles' new publication:  A Fantasy Tree House Coloring Book.  Anyone familiar with the couple's do-it-yourself tree house books, as I am, will recognize David Stiles' fine drawings and sketches.  In this book they just pull you back into your childhoodor one that you wish you'd had, after looking at these fantasy gems.
One reason I want to start coloring now is to discover all the details included in what looks like a simple design:  little signs, and swings, and buckets, stairs, ladders, doorways, windows, decks, bells, lanterns, a hatch in the roof, pulleys used as dumb waiters,and not to forget the children and adults happily enjoying themselves.  The more you look the more you see.  Gives you ideas for your own tree house.
What I particularly like is that in the very beginning of the book there is a page which provides tips on which colors to use and how to mix them, as well as which brushes are best.  I am not an artist so this is very valuable for a novice.  I think I might like to use pencil, crayon, or something similar that is not messy, since I will probably take this with me for downtime when I travel.  I'll have to do a little research.
The book--in case you are in such need--would make a great gift for a young person as well as for an adult.