Compare Coloring Styles and Get Creative

As a coloring book designer I have the privilege to see many talented colorists use many different styles in my books.

When I design a coloring page I have an idea of what it will look like completely colored...well, I have an idea of my version anyway.

I have drawn hundreds of images, and I am still surprised on a regular basis at some of the styles and color schemes used on my images--and I have to say I love them.

Here are some examples of the exciting ways my images have been colored:

Penelope's Pumpkins, uncolored.

Colored by Karikaribik on Instagram:

This was colored with Ploychromos pencils and Posca Markers. The colors are very earthy and rich, and very similar to what you would see in real life. Pumpkins are (for the most part) orange, and leaves are green. The flowers of a pumpkin plant are yellow. There is white highlighting throughout the picture done with a Posca marker, and the shading is done realistically, too. The ground looks dimensional and rolling because the shadows surround the objects on almost all sides. Love this.

Colored by colouring_inner on Instagram:

This was only marked as "colored pencils" so I can't even be specific which ones! It is very soft and pastel, and very original for a Halloween image. The sky is black, the ground is grey, and the pumpkins are periwinkle! Love!

Colored by me:

This was colored with Poychromos pencils, and blended with a Faber-Castell blender. The shadows fall in the direction the light of the moon would cast them, and the highlights are done by leaving them white, and not coloring there. The depth of this one is somewhere between the previous images.

Colored by Kimberley Calaminici:

This was colored with Derwent Inktense pencils, activated by water. It gives the impression of watercolor, and allows the colors to be very bright. She also used a white gel pen for highlights which is a lovely touch. She used a deep aqua blue for the sky which gives the impression of early evening. Very lovely.

It is interesting to me that we all made the mice the same color, and we also made the cat black.

This has inspired me to try and change up what I think a picture should look like, and make it into something new and different. I also want to try water-activated pencils, or maybe even paint.

I hope this inspires you to try new things while coloring. You can always make a copy of the images that you have, so you can do them in more than one way.

Show me your finished work! I'd love to see.

You can buy PENELOPE'S GARDEN HERE on Amazon or at my ETSY Store.

xo

The Top FIVE Coloring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

From COLORING DREAMS Coloring Book

We are still riding the adult coloring wave, and it does not look like it will crash anytime soon.

From cute fairies to exotic fantasies and explicit curse books, we can't get enough of our favorite new past time.

But are there certain things to avoid in the relaxing coloring world?

*DISCLAIMER* Coloring is just plain old fun. If you are doing it, having a ball, and do not want to change a thing--keep on coloring! Read on, what I write might surprise you.

Do you:

1.  Use the same pressure on every area when using colored pencils?

 Some color with a light touch and some are heavy handed. If you want an artistic look to your pictures, vary the pressure you use. Pressing very hard gives a very bright, opaque finish to the area you are coloring. If you press very hard you will burnish the area which means there will be a shine or gloss to the area you are coloring, and any tooth on the paper will be flattened. This technique is great for some areas, not for others. Don't be afraid to experiment. Pressing lightly gives the area a more translucent feel, and layering with color and even texture is possible.

2.  Color in every single space on every single picture?

Occasionally you will be stuck to figure what color to use. This might mean that you don't need any color at all, and the space should be left white. Some pictures look gorgeous with every area filled in with bright and vibrant colors--but some do not. Sometimes the negative space around the subject of the picture helps the focus to remain on the subject. Other times the negative space may be an interesting design itself. 

3.  Only color what you already like?

When we are kids, we are fearless and we learn what we like from trying practically everything, at least once. As we get older, we fall into patterns and feel we already know what we like, and do not like. I spoke to some colorists recently, and many said they didn't think they would like to draw people, or houses, or any number of things, and when they tried, they loved it! So give it a whirl. Throw yourself at some new coloring themes and see where you stick.

4.  Have the feeling that more is better?
How would it feel to have an endless supply of colored pencils or markers? Or enough gel pens to cover an entire wall? Sounds divine. Sure having a choice is nice, but having a smaller amount can be wonderful, too. When I illustrated a children's book many years ago, the only thing I used to color it was a set of 24 Conte charcoal pencils. It got published, and spent one lovely weekend featured at The Eric Carle Museum of Storybook Art. Practice blending colors. Using a blending stick or turpenoid helps too. You may surprise yourself. Also, having less pencils is a great study in color theory. You are forced to make new shades out of necessity, and the skill translates when you have even more pencils. Oh, the colors you will create! (Now that being said--I think almost everyone agrees the seemingly endless choices we have in coloring books styles is GOOD.) You can try this too: choose three or four colors and finish the entire picture using only the colors chosen. You may be in for a treat if you have not done this before. (BTW--my coloring book COLORING DREAMS is based on the children's book I illustrated.)

5.  Try to make every image perfect?
Yes, there is beauty in photo realism--to have that wonderful ability to recreate what already exists. But there is another kind of awe in creating something that has never existed before. Use your imagination--no one is stopping you. If you color, you are an artist, and you can use your creativity in any way you like. Unlike a job or a duty, coloring is YOUR thing, and you can create any world you like. If it makes YOU happy, DO IT. No one gets hurt here, and in my humble opinion, putting a smile on your own face helps you spread the joy. Even if you are not the best colorist on the earth,(there is only one and no one knows who that is) do what thrills you. Everything has cracks--that is how the sun gets in. (Leonard Cohen)

Even though I named this article The Top Five Coloring Mistakes, in reality, I truly do not think we can make mistakes when we color. We may learn what we like to color, or what pencils are our favorites, and even new techniques, but one of the truly beautiful things about coloring is that there aren't really any terrible mistakes, just things we might learn. 

Now go grab your pencils, I have wasted enough of your coloring time.

xo

You can buy COLORING DREAMS HERE.

Click HERE for my website and see my additional coloring books.

Join my newsletter HERE for coloring tips, once a month free pages, giveaways, and educational and product videos.

Join my Facebook COLORING GALLERY to post your coloring pages and receive motivation, tips, and a great coloring family HERE.

Gorgeous Garland Coloring Book and Gel Pen Giveaway!

Hi everybody!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I am celebrating by giving away my Gorgeous Garland Coloring book. It has 56 pages to color (14 image with three copies each), enough garland for a six foot Christmas tree.

Just color, cut, and create your own garland.

Watch the video and sign up below! Follow guidelines to qualify.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!

Penelope's Garden Coloring Book Video Review

Thank you Jennifer Shaffer Art and Reviews for the lovely video review of PENELOPE'S GARDEN! Click below to watch.

Happy coloring everyone!

You can buy PENELOPE'S GARDEN right HERE

What is YOUR Coloring Personality?

This personality list was created by me for fun. I have NO credentials for creating personality tests, but I have been told it is accurate. 

Let's see if it is true for you too.

The Perfectionist: Everything you color is beautiful, but you are never happy with it. You like iced tea, coffee, or anything with caffeine. You may have every type of eraser known to man, but none of them work well enough for you. You love organizers and date books but never use them.

The Lone Ranger: You like to close out the world when you color. You may have a whole area or even a room dedicated just to coloring. Your taste in music ranges from a little bit country to a little bit rock and roll. You love scented candles.

The Over Indulger:  You might not stop for your cup of Starbucks, but it is very hard for you to pass up a great new coloring book, or pencil, or gel pen. You'll color in your pajamas, with the kids, alone, or with kitty on your lap. You are a bit afraid of spiders and kind of like it when you get the hiccups.

The Little at a Timer:  You think about coloring a LOT, but many times your find yourself finishing one leaf, a flower, or even just an outline. But that does not bother you a bit! It takes you a while to finish but the results are worth it. You like fuzzy slippers and a robe and would love a visit to the spa.

The Stalker:  You watch some of the coloring groups from afar but have never posted. You admire many of the pictures and feel a bit nervous about posting yourself. If you look carefully at your pictures you'll see you prefer cool colors with a pop of warmth. You love the holidays and always look forward to dessert.

The Picture Jumper: You have plenty of books, and you have started many pictures, but you have only finished a few. You are very excited to start, but soon see something new and can't wait to start on it, leaving your other picture half done. You love cookies and can't understand what all the fuss is about yoga. 

The Old Schooler:  You started coloring WAY before coloring was cool. You had the 64 color Crayola set of crayons when you were a kid, and possibly the scented markers. You may have even colored on Saturday mornings as you watched cartoons. You are addicted to pizza and wish it tasted like it did in the 70s.

The Librarian:  You may have dozens of books or only a few, but the ones you have are placed carefully on shelf or stacked where they are easy to view and accessible. You won't rip the pages out of the books to color even if it is much easier to color that way. You love cinnamon and have taken pictures of clouds or seashells.

The Combo: You are little bit of everything--or maybe none of the above! You can't be put into any of the above categories, and you might have a great love for animals and watching movies.

So tell me what category (or two) YOU fall into. 

Have fun! xo Dea

Buy my new best selling Halloween coloring book HERE.

Or and older one HERE.

PENELOPE'S GARDEN is a #1 Hot New Release on Amazon

Penelope's Garden is climbing the charts.

Jump aboard the slightly spooky, very cutie coloring train. Buy now! Penelope is a perfect Halloween present for the little ones.

Have fun and thank you!

CLICK HERE to buy!

ENJOY!! Happy Halloween!

PENELOPE'S GARDEN Coloring Book Is HERE!

Penelope the Witch is here in her first coloring book PENELOPE'S GARDEN.

Frolic through the pumpkin patch, help her water the nightshades, and count all the tiny mice in her enchanted garden. Don't forget to pet Midnight! xo 

CLICK HERE to buy on Amazon

CLICK HERE to buy from my website 

Enjoy!

Selling Your Art

Last month I sold a few images on ETSY.

They were all copies or reproductions of originals that I created in the past. One was a copy of a picture from a book I illustrated that I retained the rights to. One was a watercolor reproduction that I recently added to my site.

Reproduction sold last week.

Although I do not think I will ever get rich selling off these sites, I do think they are important. Agents, publishers, and others look for our work. They need patterns, illustrations for children's books, pix for stationary, umbrellas, cloth, and plenty of other art.

I use Etsy, Facebook, and I just discovered Society6. People use eBay, Art Fire, Craigslist, and many others. HERE is a list of 18 places you can use to get your art out there.

If you are looking to start your art career or just make a few extra dollars, there are plenty of places for you to start. 

xo

Quicky Book Review--Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Click to purchase

In June I attended a writer's conference and met many lovely writers and rubbed elbows with some savvy agents.

I asked each agent that I had the pleasure of meeting to please tell me an excellent book to read--especially in the spooky/shivery genre. Not quite horror, but something atmospheric and delightful.

The first one I read was Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke.

This YA book not only grabbed me from the first page (not for the squeamish) but held my attention through the whole delish and eerie tale.

A charming boy named River shows up in a sleepy, seaside town and turns bored Violet's life upside-down...to say the least.

This book has a bit of it all--the supernatural, romance, evil, and redemption. 

So hang on to yer hats pardners, it is one exciting ride.

FREE TODAY! Francine and the Super Pet Spy Bunny

Francine and the Super Pet Spy Bunny is FREE today for Kindle on Amazon!

Also available in a softcover book--great for Easter baskets :)

Digital book FREE! http://www.amazon.com/Francine-Super-Bunny-World-ebook/dp/B007N5XCYG

Softcover $7.99 http://www.amazon.com/Francine-Super-Pet-Spy-Bunny/dp/1475073968

Out of This World Tales

Is your Easter basket from the Easter bunny--or a Super Spy Bunny that escaped from the Robots and Technology lab?

Can a spell be cast on a witch--by Merlin?

Where has Santa been--and why is he coated with glowing dust?

All these questions can be answered in OUT OF THIS WORLD TALES, a slightly supernatural, sometimes holiday themed, and always fun series of books for kids.  They are perfect for children who are six to nine years old and reading--but not quite ready for chapter books. 

Although not picture books, Out of This World Tales are sprinkled with whimsical drawings to enhance the interest of the story.

These books will take your child into space, into haunted houses, to the moon, and more.  Written to grab kid's attention and never let go, Out of This World Tales are fun, silly, and filled with adventure.

FRANCINE AND THE SUPER PET SPY BUNNY available at Amazon through Ted E. Beans Press on March 20.

Already on Amazon:  THE MOON IS NO PLACE FOR A GHOST--A story about ghostly friends who are looking for a home that is not haunted by people, and at the same time being chased by goblins who are trying to throw them in Otherworld Jail.  Read if their friend Penelope can help--or if they will spend eternity behind bars!

http://www.amazon.com/Place-Ghost-World-Tales-ebook/dp/B005XT33FW