adults coloring

I was just discussing this with a friend not that long ago

I've always loved to draw, everything from comic illustrations to more realistic portraits. It's very therapeutic for me. Getting entranced by the attention to detail of drawing something as deceptively simple as a human eye is, for me, like meditation.

But I've rarely colored in any of my work out of fear it would ruin them. But lately I've said nuts to that and am coloring in everything and it feels so good.

It's also proof that eventually everything anyone does for fun, that they've been told they're too old to be doing, will eventually become the latest thing everyone starts doing. So you might as well just be yourself your whole life and embrace the things you enjoy because what's weird today is mainstream tomorrow. What they mock you for now they'll be doing themselves later. So be yourself

Well said, Neurotic!

Your peacock feathers are lovely, eskielover. I'm interested in these water colour pencils you mention. Do you just dip the point of the pencil in water?

I color a lot in therapy while talking to my shrink. It calms me and makes the discussion easier.

They are interesting.....I use them in 2 ways.....actually I draw & lightly color in with them just like you do normal color pencils & then you use a wet paint brush & the colors just blend together.

The other way to use them is to wet a brush & then rub in on the tip to get the color onto the brush. I usually wet the paper before I paint it on with the brush so that the color's run together better (except for the feather where I want them to be separate.

If just coloring them on the paper & painting that with a wet brush doesn't come out the way I want, I go back & use the wet brush on the tip of the pencil & then paint that onto the wet paper that was already colored.

I'm just learning & experimenting & I just also got the tubes of watercolor. I love the Iris flower.....I just drew 2 of them on a piece of watercolor paper. Have been looking on Youtube for techniques also.

Love this thread as it got me inspired to paint/watercolor pencil paint & draw again even though I really don't have time.....LOL...that's why I'm still up at 3am....there aren't enough hours to do all the things I'm trying to do in just 24 hours & I really need my relaxing creative time.

I just ordered these two:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/069...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

And I got this for my mom:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/048...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Can't wait to start coloring!

Wow! Those are some great choices, Blue Bird. I've been eyeing Enchanted Forest myself. I think it's a bit too detailed/difficult for me. I did just order one of the Creative Haven ones though - not the Cat one you ordered for your mom, but the Art Nouveau. I may pick up some pencil crayons for it.

Thanks for sharing! Happy colouring.

Me too! I love them!

Beautiful!!
I wish that I had more time for colouring.

I came across this in my emails.....thought of this thread'

Days of Doodles: Zen Coloring Kit | InterweaveStore.com

I've always loved colouring in. My son got me a beautiful colouring in book for "adults". The designs and mandalas are so intricate that I've yet to start one.

I love to color! I do it a lot when my anxiety is high or when my fibromyalgia flares and I am experiencing a lot of pain. I find any artistic endeavor, whether it's coloring, sewing, drawing or whatever is a good tool for me when I need to calm myself down.

I recently bought another colouring book, with mandalas I'm very happy.

I just bought me a coloring book. I'm so excited. Now if only I could get my hands to quit shaking so bad, so that I could do a good job.

I enjoyed the coloring books when I was hospitalized. Now companies have come out with fancy designs for coloring. I am thinking about getting one of those!

I treated myself to a new box of 96 crayons a couple of days ago.

Great present!

My therapist encouraged me to go ahead and start coloring as it might help me get control of the hand tremors. I tried and I didn't do as bad as I thought. Can't tell what you can do until you try.

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That's fantastic gaylegg!

Oooh, lizardlady, I'm jealous of your gigantic box of crayons.

Well, my "leaves" colouring book was lost in the mail . The seller gave me the refund, but still, I was looking forward to colouring pages and pages of just leaves.

I've only been colouring a bit on the weekends these days, but I have too new colouring books that I like very much. They're a bit more detailed than my usual, but I've been able to complete a couple of pages so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Campers-...aneeya+mcardle

http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Love-Col...aneeya+mcardle

Have you heard of The Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book, Wren?

Tea Buiscuit, I'm sorry! Hope that you can get that album or a similar one.
livelaughlove, I saw that album in a library! But it seemed me too beautiful to change it colouring it

Thanks, BeaFlower.

I had the same reaction to Enchanted Forest. It too beautiful to muck up with my colouring. I would have felt like I was defacing a lovely book of illustrations. Plus, it's a bit pricey for me.

I'm a little envious of those who can just let loose and enjoy the fancy colouring books.

For those who don't want to "muck up" your books by coloring the pages, what about photocopying the pages and coloring the copies? I do that with some of my books.

Oh, I already photo copy everything before I colour, so all my books are 'unused'. I just found the pricey detailed ones not inviting to colour, if that makes sense, too detailed I guess, the lines not solid enough. So even photo copied, it would feel like I'm scribbling over a completed piece of work.

Also books like Enchanted Forest are not in A4 size pages, and a portion of the images are already coloured in....not very photo copy friendly - I just have a standard black ink printer at home.

The spendy ones just don't suit my personal taste or approach, I guess. Nothing against them otherwise.

It's a really good idea liz! If I'll have a too beautiful book maybe I'll do so