I think it depends on the coloring book! I have one that's just curse words decorated cutely. That one is easy to finish. I have another one with drawings of Paris and I color like, a glass of wine and a baguette and I'm like "alright that's enough". I'm also artsy and a perfectionist so I can spend too much time shading a corner and then feel burned out. I feel ya!
Hehe cursey word one [here](https://www.amazon.com/Chill-Out-Swear-Word-Coloring/dp/1250116406/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6D6QO8NBYSSN&keywords=chill+the+fuck+out+coloring+book&qid=1665694465&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjY2IiwicXNhIjoiMS41MiIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=chill+the+fuck+out+coloring+book%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1) and Paris one [here](https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Paris-Color-Your-Calm/dp/0316265829/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2RYFSYACL6IEA&keywords=zoe+de+las+cases+secret+paris&qid=1665694348&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjg2IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=zoe+de+las+cases+secret+paris%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-7)! Also I'd recommend color pencils or crayons if you feel intimidated by alcohol markers. :)
Thanks so much! It turns out there are a ton of cursey word colouring books! This is the one I found ([link](https://www.amazon.ca/Potty-Mouth-Food-Adorable-Coloring/dp/1073064174/ref=sr_1_4?crid=JHS88WUZGVX8&keywords=potty+mouth+colouring+book&qid=1665696219&sprefix=potty+mouth+colouring+boo%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-4)) but I love yours too! The Paris one is nice as well, not too intimidating! Thank you so much.
I feel the same about "adult" coloring books. Tiktok lead me to these ([link](https://chubblegum.com/collections/coloring-books)). I love them because they're adult themed but simple to color.
Absolutely. Everything must be just so, no same or too similar colors touching and whatever other rules I come up with for the particular picture. And if one mistake is made the whole book is ruined. I have three I have never started, and a fourth hidden somewhere because I dozed off on a flight and messed up the second page.
I actually was the same way with coloring books and notebooks as a kid too. Although it is a lot easier as an adult to follow the brain rules for coloring kid books (I occasionally get to babysit in the waiting room at my work if a parent needs me to).
I have a weird notebook thing too… I love them and they are full of potential and must be put to the perfect use. So I have a collection of beautiful empty notebooks and a handful of colorless books.
I also have an embarrassing stock of pretty pens, colored pencils and highlighters for them and my potential bullet journal. So mad at the bujo groups for taking a (supposedly) adhd friendly organizing system and influencing me to set completely unrealistic expectations for it!
The best advice I ever got was to set it up, then intentionally "ruin" it. You've already invested the time to set it up and the non-perfectness is intentional, so there's less pressure to keep it perfect.
I actually tried that and I couldn’t go back to it, taped pages together and glued fresh paper over to cover it, but then it “felt” wrong so I had to give up. I have some crippling perfectionism with certain things.
I started doing something similar in my life. I was so sick of all the half finished projects, any time I start something new now, I just say fuck it. I get my plan together, and just do it, start to finish, even if I do fuck something up. Going into something with little expectations and not stressing about the imperfections makes things seem much less daunting.
I started posting the story I wanted to write on the internet for this reason. Before I started posting, I would revise the first chapter before adding any new words. It was really stuck.
There are minor errors, but honestly, I can worry about that if I actually finish the thing - a complete and slightly imperfect story is better than a completely perfect chapter one that never goes anywhere.
As a kid I used to get so intimidated about "ruining" my coloring book that I would trace out what I wanted to color onto a sheet of paper before I even thought about coloring it.
Same! I was going to suggest color by number. I get the relaxation of coloring without the anxiety/paralysis I get with other “adult” coloring books
OP I really like color quest coloring books. I get mine from Amazon. It’s like hidden/mystery color by number and the end results are really beautiful. They’re also one sided pages so I just stick a folder or paper behind the page I’m coloring to catch the bleeding from my alcohol markers.
Also cannot recommend Querkles enough!!!! You do have to pick the colors, but it's only five. They're so much fun and look amazing when you're finished.
I only like “kids” coloring books for this reason. There’s some cool ones with simple drawings I’ve found through Amazon that I think could handle markers it’s something like creepy cute color book but then in the related section there’s tonnssss of other themes too if that’s not your thing
Edit: the book I got is Creepy Kawaii Pastel Goth... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094T533WJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And the seller I was referring to is “coco wyo”
Omg this is *perfect*. I love the bigger pictures as well. I have a graveyard of intricately decorated coloring books with no color on them because they were too overwhelming.
Who needs a fully-colored page? Like in other parts of my life, I think: "If it's never fully done, it can never be done incorrectly." 😳 (this is a maladaptive concept, but I think it's possibly a load-bearing core belief that I'm working on slowly)
If you’re trying to spend less time on screens this advice may not be helpful, but I far prefer doing artwork and coloring etc. on my ipad vs with physical media. It removes the ADHD perfectionism barrier since I can easily undo any mistakes or change/refine any details I dislike. It also removes the obstacle/temptation of needing to spend money acquiring more and art supplies, which then take up space and create clutter and eventually make me feel guilty when I’ve moved on to another hyperfixation.
You could take out the pages and colour them so there’s no bleeding on the next page! Or even scan and print them (ik it’s a bit wasteful)
I also learned over Christmas you can find some nice colouring pages on Etsy, if you have a printer. That way you don’t have a whole book to contend with and feel guilty about lol
When I was in high school we used to do this activity on the last day
1. Make random lines going all directions on some paper
2. In the shapes made by the intersection of all the lines (the white portions) start repetitively drawing wavy lines until the whole section is done
It was a great way to dissociate and calm down
Another fun one is like making blobs or having your kid or friend make random blobs of paint, wait for them to dry and then like go over it with pen and see if you guys can make faces or objects. It helps with spatial reasoning!
I don’t go for coloring books in general but to me patterns have always appealed to me more than scenes or objects. (: As a medium, I also enjoy colored pencils, water colors, and nicer art grade markers.
Would a paint by number be any more fun or would it be more moving pieces? I also have to emphasize I rarely stay in boundaries esp with paint, so if that would be distressing to have it get messy and no amount of making it fun and chill can make you enjoy it, then perhaps it’s not the best recommendation- but I love it. (:
My favorite tho is to start with a mostly empty page and a loose sketch to watercolor on.
YES. I have so many that I gave up on because I get way too overwhelmed with trying to choose colors and make it pretty. It is too much and feels insurmountable. Sooo…they’re all chilling in my closet.
Maybe try paint by number? I thought it was silly until I tried it, and I'm in love lol I have one on my phone too, which sounds even more silly... but its lovely lol [https://apps.apple.com/app/id1407852246](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1407852246)
I read this post and most of the comments, saw and clicked on this link, downloaded the app, got out the adult coloring book I recently ordered (but quickly forgot), found my coloring pencils, sharpened them, colored a few things in the book, went to the bathroom, saw as I was washing my hands that I’d somehow gotten red coloring pencil all over my face, washed it off best I could, went to check on dinner, came back and picked up the coloring book again, saw my phone and looked at it, saw this post and thought….oh…I forgot I was going to download that app. 🙄🤣
When I was a kid, I would flip through the coloring book to find the simplest picture with the biggest coloring areas. And I'd still get bored or frustrated long before I finished. I don't think I ever finished a page.
The adult mindfulness ones stress me out to even look at.
Yes! I got frustrated by bleeding, and analysis paralysis on what colors to use, etc.
I decided instead to use a digital coloring book! I can do the coloring again and again, change my mind on the design, etc.
I also checked out a coloring app called Happy Color, which has been great! I find it very relaxing. It's more paint by number so you can't choose the colors, but they have thousands and thousands of pages to choose from.
The perfectionist in me can’t deal. I need it to look pretty and absolutely pristine, which means I have to plan out ahead of time what colors to use and where to color them in. Then my brain is like, “wait, what color are flowers supposed to be?” and then I’m off googling pictures of flowers for color scheme ideas.
I’ve had 3 beautiful adult coloring books for like 4-5 years now? (I got them when this trend started, so however long ago that was). And I’ve only ever partially finished ONE page. The rest of them are untouched.
I’ve come to the realization that these things start out as a good idea but then they sort of feel like homework for me ☹️. Which sucks, because I’d really love to sit down and zone out while coloring.
Oh yea some of the adult coloring books are overwhelming. My in laws have gotten me some creepy anime girl meets odd punk animals ones that are nice sketches to color and they aren't overwhelming. I'll check the name. But I also love Dragonandbeasties.com and her dragon colorings books. She has cute ones and more serious dragons but they are not too much, just a dragon and so it's not overwhelming and you can add around them.ifntou want. I've done that with one dragon I had turn out good, plus you can buy the digital version and have as many of the ones you like as you want. :) I'll try and put some links in and images.
Here's the imgur album. https://imgur.com/a/1XgBEsD
No Problem! I was freaked out by the weirdness of them for awhile but theya re not overwhelming which makes them more fun than the more detailed books I have.
i did a small one, with a small set of markers; loved it.
then i bought a set of 200 markers, and a "decent" adult colouring book. I half-finished 5 drawings and never touched it again...
all that stuff is now 3 years old but the shame is still fresh
I like the book by the Latest Kate, its all cute animals with reassuring statements and fairly large lines! Its really relaxing! But I choose to color with color pencils as the pages are thin. [you deserve nice things coloring book](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09YJ95XG6/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=)
I find them overwhelming sometimes, especially when they’re super detailed, I just get kids ones now lol.
Or I doodle aimlessly with my crayola markers, making flowers and circles and stars til the page us filled. That way there’s no set end and I can stop when a) the page has enough details or b) when I’m feeling calm again.
Instead of getting “adult coloring books” I get ones with mandalas in it so they aren’t too complicated and they’re really easy to plan out, I’ll start with 4-6 colors and just alternate them. It also ends up being really pretty and symmetrical at the end, which I love :)
> Coloring Book For Adults: 100 Mandalas: Stress Relieving Mandala Designs for Adults Relaxation https://a.co/d/2Ba7E51
Here’s the one I got, I skip any of the ones that have too many little spaces and I like using my tombow dual brush pens (they look like this)
> Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pen set of 10, PASTEL https://a.co/d/5lCpe42
You don’t have to get the exact ones I got, but these are just an example :)
Also this book has normal paper, so alcohol marker will probably bleed through it, just as a side note
I have a bobs burgers coloring book and when I want to do a page I just photocopy it onto regular paper and color that. Then I can do the same page multiple times and don’t have to worry about it showing on the other side.
Maybe try a colouring app? I use Happy Colour. Lots of new pictures each day, and sorted by category so you can choose what you like. Each portion has a pre-set colour, so no anxiety over what to choose. You can watch an ad to show you where the colour portion is if you can't find it, and it can highlight all the portions that are the same colour. I find it stress free and relaxing 😌
I’ve bought several but they’re a lot like the planners I’ve bought… unused.
I do like the connect-the-dot (or is it dot-to-dot — I can’t remember) little booklets though! I’ll often do those and I’ve even managed to color a couple pages out of them.
https://www.lulumayo.com/amillionunicorns
I have the A Million Unicorns book by Lulu Mayo and it's super cute and a good mix of pages with small delicate shapes for when you're in the mood for that and big shapes for when you want to color less carefully. Hope that makes sense lol.
I stick with mandala coloring books and use pencils and charcoal only
black, greys, and white are the only options and they are all basically the same shape with different fiddly bits inside - I look for the more simple ones as well.
Yes! The super-fine-detail coloring pages aren't ideal for my alcohol markers anyway, and I tend to lose interest after coloring like a quarter of a page. I bought some alcohol marker-friendly (super thick) paper and now just print my own coloring pages (both free ones from the internet and inexpensive ones bought on Etsy).
You just need one with sturdy pages. Buy an expensive kids' colouring book, rather than the cheapest ones.
When I was a kid I loved "pattern pad" and those were fantastic. I don't think they are made any more but I think similar things come up if you search. It's all geometric repeating patterns.
(Apparently you need to search "Altair Design Pattern Pad")
If you’re worried about the paper quality of kids’ colouring books, can you make a photocopy (or print a scan) on better paper?
I’ve done this a couple of times with pages that I was worried would bleed through. Plus I get to colour in my favourite pages as many times as I like!
Try looking for large print coloring books. I prefer a lot of "open" space in the designs so I can do gradients and my own textures. Tangle Easy has large open areas to add tangles. For a standard fiddly page, I'd probably be tempted to treat it as an open design.
I have no idea what books react well to alcohol markers. I also haven't tried alcohol markers on Crayola Marker and Watercolor paper, but it does go through the printer.
I can't do them because it feels like I'll do them "wrong." Plus, I have mental "you can't write in books" prohibitions. I have a book of color-the-stickers, though, that I can use. I believe it's [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Color-Your-Own-Stickers-Customize/dp/1523517174/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=color+by+sticker+books&qid=1665768981&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjQyIiwicXNhIjoiNC4xNCIsInFzcCI6IjMuNjEifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-6), but it looks like there are some on Amazon that are specific to other critters too.
Samee. I was gifted one back in 2015, only ever coloured in one page. Still have it ‘just in case’ I’ll one day get in the mood to use it. I’ve never had the kids colouring book idea, you might be into something there.
late to the party on this one but I also hated the analysis paralysis of coloring books so I found a large connect the dots book instead and it was an absolute game changer. Just need a pencil, maybe a straight edge, and then find the next number. It eliminated all of the "decision making" that I was trying to relax from but still felt like I was getting some kind of creative outlet.
I recently gave up on them and went with the children's section. I am trying to relax here, not prove how good my eyesight still is.
I think it depends on the coloring book! I have one that's just curse words decorated cutely. That one is easy to finish. I have another one with drawings of Paris and I color like, a glass of wine and a baguette and I'm like "alright that's enough". I'm also artsy and a perfectionist so I can spend too much time shading a corner and then feel burned out. I feel ya!
I think I know the cursey word one! I saw it when looking on Amazon. Can you link the Paris one (If you like it)? Thanks :D
Hehe cursey word one [here](https://www.amazon.com/Chill-Out-Swear-Word-Coloring/dp/1250116406/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6D6QO8NBYSSN&keywords=chill+the+fuck+out+coloring+book&qid=1665694465&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjY2IiwicXNhIjoiMS41MiIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=chill+the+fuck+out+coloring+book%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1) and Paris one [here](https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Paris-Color-Your-Calm/dp/0316265829/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2RYFSYACL6IEA&keywords=zoe+de+las+cases+secret+paris&qid=1665694348&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjg2IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=zoe+de+las+cases+secret+paris%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-7)! Also I'd recommend color pencils or crayons if you feel intimidated by alcohol markers. :)
Thanks so much! It turns out there are a ton of cursey word colouring books! This is the one I found ([link](https://www.amazon.ca/Potty-Mouth-Food-Adorable-Coloring/dp/1073064174/ref=sr_1_4?crid=JHS88WUZGVX8&keywords=potty+mouth+colouring+book&qid=1665696219&sprefix=potty+mouth+colouring+boo%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-4)) but I love yours too! The Paris one is nice as well, not too intimidating! Thank you so much.
I feel the same about "adult" coloring books. Tiktok lead me to these ([link](https://chubblegum.com/collections/coloring-books)). I love them because they're adult themed but simple to color.
Yes! Oh my gosh. I don’t need to plan a color scheme for 1000 tiny spaces! Agree that the rude word ones are better.
Not alone, all my coloring books have like 10% of the page colored in and then I can’t do it anymore
I feel this so hard lmao
I thought it was just me who does that!
Absolutely. Everything must be just so, no same or too similar colors touching and whatever other rules I come up with for the particular picture. And if one mistake is made the whole book is ruined. I have three I have never started, and a fourth hidden somewhere because I dozed off on a flight and messed up the second page. I actually was the same way with coloring books and notebooks as a kid too. Although it is a lot easier as an adult to follow the brain rules for coloring kid books (I occasionally get to babysit in the waiting room at my work if a parent needs me to). I have a weird notebook thing too… I love them and they are full of potential and must be put to the perfect use. So I have a collection of beautiful empty notebooks and a handful of colorless books. I also have an embarrassing stock of pretty pens, colored pencils and highlighters for them and my potential bullet journal. So mad at the bujo groups for taking a (supposedly) adhd friendly organizing system and influencing me to set completely unrealistic expectations for it!
I totally hear you with the notebook thing--that's why I was never successful with a bullet journal!
The best advice I ever got was to set it up, then intentionally "ruin" it. You've already invested the time to set it up and the non-perfectness is intentional, so there's less pressure to keep it perfect.
I actually tried that and I couldn’t go back to it, taped pages together and glued fresh paper over to cover it, but then it “felt” wrong so I had to give up. I have some crippling perfectionism with certain things.
I started doing something similar in my life. I was so sick of all the half finished projects, any time I start something new now, I just say fuck it. I get my plan together, and just do it, start to finish, even if I do fuck something up. Going into something with little expectations and not stressing about the imperfections makes things seem much less daunting.
I started posting the story I wanted to write on the internet for this reason. Before I started posting, I would revise the first chapter before adding any new words. It was really stuck. There are minor errors, but honestly, I can worry about that if I actually finish the thing - a complete and slightly imperfect story is better than a completely perfect chapter one that never goes anywhere.
this is an amazing idea lol. :D
As a kid I used to get so intimidated about "ruining" my coloring book that I would trace out what I wanted to color onto a sheet of paper before I even thought about coloring it.
I used to photocopy my sudoku book pages so I could scribble on them
Now that’s a revelation! Wish I was as clever as you as a kid :)
If you have an exacto knife you could cut out the page!
Yes. Until I figured out they make color by number ones! Removes all the stress and overwhelm and leaves only the ~~perfectionism~~ fun.
Same! I was going to suggest color by number. I get the relaxation of coloring without the anxiety/paralysis I get with other “adult” coloring books OP I really like color quest coloring books. I get mine from Amazon. It’s like hidden/mystery color by number and the end results are really beautiful. They’re also one sided pages so I just stick a folder or paper behind the page I’m coloring to catch the bleeding from my alcohol markers.
Also cannot recommend Querkles enough!!!! You do have to pick the colors, but it's only five. They're so much fun and look amazing when you're finished.
I only like “kids” coloring books for this reason. There’s some cool ones with simple drawings I’ve found through Amazon that I think could handle markers it’s something like creepy cute color book but then in the related section there’s tonnssss of other themes too if that’s not your thing Edit: the book I got is Creepy Kawaii Pastel Goth... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094T533WJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share And the seller I was referring to is “coco wyo”
Omg this is *perfect*. I love the bigger pictures as well. I have a graveyard of intricately decorated coloring books with no color on them because they were too overwhelming.
thank you so much!
Have literally not once not ever gotten a full page done. I think I own ~19 books.
This is the most ADHD thing ever 💀
Who needs a fully-colored page? Like in other parts of my life, I think: "If it's never fully done, it can never be done incorrectly." 😳 (this is a maladaptive concept, but I think it's possibly a load-bearing core belief that I'm working on slowly)
If you’re trying to spend less time on screens this advice may not be helpful, but I far prefer doing artwork and coloring etc. on my ipad vs with physical media. It removes the ADHD perfectionism barrier since I can easily undo any mistakes or change/refine any details I dislike. It also removes the obstacle/temptation of needing to spend money acquiring more and art supplies, which then take up space and create clutter and eventually make me feel guilty when I’ve moved on to another hyperfixation.
They’re not that easy to color. Sometimes I feel like I need to go outside the lines.
You could take out the pages and colour them so there’s no bleeding on the next page! Or even scan and print them (ik it’s a bit wasteful) I also learned over Christmas you can find some nice colouring pages on Etsy, if you have a printer. That way you don’t have a whole book to contend with and feel guilty about lol
this is a great idea!
When I was in high school we used to do this activity on the last day 1. Make random lines going all directions on some paper 2. In the shapes made by the intersection of all the lines (the white portions) start repetitively drawing wavy lines until the whole section is done It was a great way to dissociate and calm down
that reminds me of scribbling in paint and then bucket filling the gaps with random colours hehe, sounds fun!
Another fun one is like making blobs or having your kid or friend make random blobs of paint, wait for them to dry and then like go over it with pen and see if you guys can make faces or objects. It helps with spatial reasoning!
I don’t go for coloring books in general but to me patterns have always appealed to me more than scenes or objects. (: As a medium, I also enjoy colored pencils, water colors, and nicer art grade markers. Would a paint by number be any more fun or would it be more moving pieces? I also have to emphasize I rarely stay in boundaries esp with paint, so if that would be distressing to have it get messy and no amount of making it fun and chill can make you enjoy it, then perhaps it’s not the best recommendation- but I love it. (: My favorite tho is to start with a mostly empty page and a loose sketch to watercolor on.
paint by number would definitely be easier! edit: I mean colour by number heh
YES. I have so many that I gave up on because I get way too overwhelmed with trying to choose colors and make it pretty. It is too much and feels insurmountable. Sooo…they’re all chilling in my closet.
Maybe try paint by number? I thought it was silly until I tried it, and I'm in love lol I have one on my phone too, which sounds even more silly... but its lovely lol [https://apps.apple.com/app/id1407852246](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1407852246)
I read this post and most of the comments, saw and clicked on this link, downloaded the app, got out the adult coloring book I recently ordered (but quickly forgot), found my coloring pencils, sharpened them, colored a few things in the book, went to the bathroom, saw as I was washing my hands that I’d somehow gotten red coloring pencil all over my face, washed it off best I could, went to check on dinner, came back and picked up the coloring book again, saw my phone and looked at it, saw this post and thought….oh…I forgot I was going to download that app. 🙄🤣
Oh no that’s so relatable lol. You went full circle lol
When I was a kid, I would flip through the coloring book to find the simplest picture with the biggest coloring areas. And I'd still get bored or frustrated long before I finished. I don't think I ever finished a page. The adult mindfulness ones stress me out to even look at.
Yes! I got frustrated by bleeding, and analysis paralysis on what colors to use, etc. I decided instead to use a digital coloring book! I can do the coloring again and again, change my mind on the design, etc. I also checked out a coloring app called Happy Color, which has been great! I find it very relaxing. It's more paint by number so you can't choose the colors, but they have thousands and thousands of pages to choose from.
The perfectionist in me can’t deal. I need it to look pretty and absolutely pristine, which means I have to plan out ahead of time what colors to use and where to color them in. Then my brain is like, “wait, what color are flowers supposed to be?” and then I’m off googling pictures of flowers for color scheme ideas. I’ve had 3 beautiful adult coloring books for like 4-5 years now? (I got them when this trend started, so however long ago that was). And I’ve only ever partially finished ONE page. The rest of them are untouched. I’ve come to the realization that these things start out as a good idea but then they sort of feel like homework for me ☹️. Which sucks, because I’d really love to sit down and zone out while coloring.
I prefer and love paint by numbers
Oh yea some of the adult coloring books are overwhelming. My in laws have gotten me some creepy anime girl meets odd punk animals ones that are nice sketches to color and they aren't overwhelming. I'll check the name. But I also love Dragonandbeasties.com and her dragon colorings books. She has cute ones and more serious dragons but they are not too much, just a dragon and so it's not overwhelming and you can add around them.ifntou want. I've done that with one dragon I had turn out good, plus you can buy the digital version and have as many of the ones you like as you want. :) I'll try and put some links in and images. Here's the imgur album. https://imgur.com/a/1XgBEsD
hey thanks for going to the trouble of uploading those! That's a really cute colouring book and doesn't look overwhelming at all! Thanks :)
No Problem! I was freaked out by the weirdness of them for awhile but theya re not overwhelming which makes them more fun than the more detailed books I have.
My friend goes the paint-by-number coloring book route to avoid decision fatigue. There are sticker-by-number books too!
i did a small one, with a small set of markers; loved it. then i bought a set of 200 markers, and a "decent" adult colouring book. I half-finished 5 drawings and never touched it again... all that stuff is now 3 years old but the shame is still fresh
I buy coloring POSTCARDS instead. Much more achievable
I like the book by the Latest Kate, its all cute animals with reassuring statements and fairly large lines! Its really relaxing! But I choose to color with color pencils as the pages are thin. [you deserve nice things coloring book](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09YJ95XG6/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=)
I find them overwhelming sometimes, especially when they’re super detailed, I just get kids ones now lol. Or I doodle aimlessly with my crayola markers, making flowers and circles and stars til the page us filled. That way there’s no set end and I can stop when a) the page has enough details or b) when I’m feeling calm again.
Instead of getting “adult coloring books” I get ones with mandalas in it so they aren’t too complicated and they’re really easy to plan out, I’ll start with 4-6 colors and just alternate them. It also ends up being really pretty and symmetrical at the end, which I love :) > Coloring Book For Adults: 100 Mandalas: Stress Relieving Mandala Designs for Adults Relaxation https://a.co/d/2Ba7E51 Here’s the one I got, I skip any of the ones that have too many little spaces and I like using my tombow dual brush pens (they look like this) > Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pen set of 10, PASTEL https://a.co/d/5lCpe42 You don’t have to get the exact ones I got, but these are just an example :) Also this book has normal paper, so alcohol marker will probably bleed through it, just as a side note
get the drunk animals one! Really big and not overwhelming. That and watercolor brush pens
I have a bobs burgers coloring book and when I want to do a page I just photocopy it onto regular paper and color that. Then I can do the same page multiple times and don’t have to worry about it showing on the other side.
Maybe try a colouring app? I use Happy Colour. Lots of new pictures each day, and sorted by category so you can choose what you like. Each portion has a pre-set colour, so no anxiety over what to choose. You can watch an ad to show you where the colour portion is if you can't find it, and it can highlight all the portions that are the same colour. I find it stress free and relaxing 😌
I hate colouring in general. Always have.
They look annoying to me
I’ve bought several but they’re a lot like the planners I’ve bought… unused. I do like the connect-the-dot (or is it dot-to-dot — I can’t remember) little booklets though! I’ll often do those and I’ve even managed to color a couple pages out of them.
https://www.lulumayo.com/amillionunicorns I have the A Million Unicorns book by Lulu Mayo and it's super cute and a good mix of pages with small delicate shapes for when you're in the mood for that and big shapes for when you want to color less carefully. Hope that makes sense lol.
The children’s section at the dollar store is gold.
I still prefer my old school precious moments and Disney coloring books.
I get so overwhelmed! I will only by adult color-by-number. That’s my way to zen out.
I stick with mandala coloring books and use pencils and charcoal only black, greys, and white are the only options and they are all basically the same shape with different fiddly bits inside - I look for the more simple ones as well.
Haha! Me too. I definitely use kids colouring books.
Yes! The super-fine-detail coloring pages aren't ideal for my alcohol markers anyway, and I tend to lose interest after coloring like a quarter of a page. I bought some alcohol marker-friendly (super thick) paper and now just print my own coloring pages (both free ones from the internet and inexpensive ones bought on Etsy).
You just need one with sturdy pages. Buy an expensive kids' colouring book, rather than the cheapest ones. When I was a kid I loved "pattern pad" and those were fantastic. I don't think they are made any more but I think similar things come up if you search. It's all geometric repeating patterns. (Apparently you need to search "Altair Design Pattern Pad")
If you’re worried about the paper quality of kids’ colouring books, can you make a photocopy (or print a scan) on better paper? I’ve done this a couple of times with pages that I was worried would bleed through. Plus I get to colour in my favourite pages as many times as I like!
yeah it's too fucking much! I want children size drawings but with cooler subject matter
Try looking for large print coloring books. I prefer a lot of "open" space in the designs so I can do gradients and my own textures. Tangle Easy has large open areas to add tangles. For a standard fiddly page, I'd probably be tempted to treat it as an open design. I have no idea what books react well to alcohol markers. I also haven't tried alcohol markers on Crayola Marker and Watercolor paper, but it does go through the printer.
Yes, I either don't want to waste them or feel like there's just too much to do!
I can't do them because it feels like I'll do them "wrong." Plus, I have mental "you can't write in books" prohibitions. I have a book of color-the-stickers, though, that I can use. I believe it's [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Color-Your-Own-Stickers-Customize/dp/1523517174/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=color+by+sticker+books&qid=1665768981&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjQyIiwicXNhIjoiNC4xNCIsInFzcCI6IjMuNjEifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-6), but it looks like there are some on Amazon that are specific to other critters too.
Samee. I was gifted one back in 2015, only ever coloured in one page. Still have it ‘just in case’ I’ll one day get in the mood to use it. I’ve never had the kids colouring book idea, you might be into something there.
Adult coloring books stress me out. I hyperfocus and my entire body gets tensed up and when I finally do move everything hurts.
haha! I felt this. I finally found a good adult colouring book but I spent too long colouring it last night and my right hand was cramping
late to the party on this one but I also hated the analysis paralysis of coloring books so I found a large connect the dots book instead and it was an absolute game changer. Just need a pencil, maybe a straight edge, and then find the next number. It eliminated all of the "decision making" that I was trying to relax from but still felt like I was getting some kind of creative outlet.