A new craze has hit the world, the adult coloring book. Adult coloring books have actually been around for quite a while. In the past you could go into a museum of art and find coloring books that were filled with classic painting that you could then color any way you liked or copy the masters. There have also been posters that you could color both black and white and black velvet and paint by number art work is still available. Most of these you can find in a hobby shop or craft supply store. Adult coloring books however are a bit different.
In 2011 The British Publishing House of Laurence King approached a Scottish artist by the name of Johanna Basford to create a coloring book for children. Basford had made a name for herself doing black and white sketches for wine bottles. Basford countered the offer by suggesting that she do a coloring book for adults. She had found out that the black and white drawings she did for the wine manufacturers were being colored in by adults. The firm agreed and The Secret Garden an Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book for Adults was published. To date over two million copies have been sold. And the book is still available.
Studies have shown that adults coloring books have a positive effect on those who use them. They relieve stress and develop concentration. They are also creative outlets for those who cannot actually draw themselves. It is comforting to see the page filled and not start from a blank page. It is also a form of art therapy. Art therapy is used by many institutions that treat people with emotional and or mental problems.
One of the aspects of these adult coloring books that appeal to people is the patterns that are used. Working in a pattern can help free the mind to go to different places as you create. It is also a form of mindfulness and can be used as a way to meditate.
With all the positives that come for adult coloring, there are also some that criticize. Statements have been made that this is a type of regression, an adult returning to childish things in order to escape the need to confront the real world. Adults have been escaping the real world is not something new. Adults have been escaping the real world for years. People have all kinds of hobbies that allow them to escape for a time. Fishing, reading, TV, crafting, cooking and movies are all escapes from the real world. Coloring is just one more form of these.
One point of interest in this discussion is that coloring is a profession. Professional coloring has been part of our culture for close to a century. First there are Comic Books. In drawing a comic book story there is an artist that does the initial pencil drawings, which then go to and inker that goes over the pencil with black ink and then the colorist who adds the color and brings the story to life.
Beyond Comic Books there are also the animation studios. Animation began in black and white but when color came along a whole new job was created for those who have an eye for color. Disney Studios for example developed the multiplane camera which required several layers of colored cells to be moved simultaneously in order to make the finished product look real.
The coloring books for adults are not the same as coloring books for children. There are no simple animal pictures or favorite cartoon characters. There are some comic book oriented adult books. But these are intricate and detailed. You can see from the example at the head of this article how challenging these drawings can be.
You also cannot use crayons to do the work on these books. Special markers and pencils need to be purchased. Some of the spaces in the drawings are so small that only the thinnest of marker pens can be used so as not go out of the lines. It takes a steady hand and a good amount of concentration in order to complete one of these pages.
There is also more than one app for your phone or tablet devices to engage in this new hobby. You can take coloring anywhere.
These specialized coloring tools do not come cheap. You can spend up to $50.00 on the needed pens pencils and erasers and sharpeners that are needed. These can be bought in cases so that you have everything you need. The books themselves are printed on high quality paper and start out as low as three or four dollars and end at around fifteen.
The demand for these coloring books is remarkable. The Secret Garden, mentioned above is one of the bestselling books on Amazon. Barnes and Noble now has a specialized section for these books as well as selling the supplies. Even Supermarket chains are selling these books on the magazine racks. There is also at least one magazine devoted to the subject.
Recently some Adult Coring Books have been published that have movie and TV themes. The Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter, and Sherlock are a few examples, however these books also are in the patterned and intricate design.
Adult coloring books may or may not be here to stay. But we have it now. It may be a good idea to take a hold of the opportunity. If your life has a lot of stress or your job is sometimes too challenging this may be just the outlet you need. Patterns, concentration and creative choices can take your mind and your body into a new relaxed place.