The overwhelming majority of us enjoyed coloring and painting as children. So, is it really any wonder that many adults are rekindling that enjoyment today? To an extent it is. After all, coloring books for adults haven’t been widely available until recently, but now they seem to be ubiquitous. The purpose behind adult artistry is much different than when we were kids it seems. Instead of attempting to stay inside of the lines with the hopes of having our work stuck to the family refrigerator, we’re coloring for enjoyment, relaxation, therapy, to create art or some combination of all four. If you’re reading this then chances are that you might even be interested in trying it out yourself. Well, we put together a short list of a few tips to help you get started.

Here we go:

• If you plan on using markers or gel pens, test them out on a page toward the back of your book to find out if they will bleed through or leave a shadow. This will be an issue if your book contains pages that are double-sided.
• When you are coloring, put a piece of paper between the page you are coloring and the one behind it. This will help prevent bleed through and even page denting.
• It’s not a race. Take your time when you are coloring. There’s no rush.
• Be selective about the books you buy. In fact, get them one at a time. Book styles are different, and you may find you prefer one style over another.
• All pencils are not created equal. Venture out to one or more art stores and test their pencils to see which ones feel best to you. Once you do so, you can probably save a few bucks buying them online. Arteza offers great quality pencils at very reasonable prices.
• Buy in bulk. It may not seem like it at the time, but purchasing the largest amount of colors that you can afford will actually save you money in the long run. A rule of thumb here is to start out with an assortment of 36 pencils at least. Multiples of a color are always a good thing.
• You can find PLENTY of free pages to color online! Just search, find, print, and get started coloring! You can get your free Arteza coloring book here
• You aren’t alone! If you are looking for tips about any aspect of coloring, seek out groups on Facebook. You’ll learn techniques you never thought about, and there is always room to share and learn.
• Seeing is believing! Check out YouTube for video tutorials and step-by-step instructions for any techniques that you are having difficulty mastering.
• It’s okay to color outside of the lines and enjoy yourself!

There really is no limit to the world you can create. There’s no limit to how intricate you can be, how classical you can make your pieces look, or how avant-garde they may appear. That’s the beauty of art! Most importantly, your expressions of you should bring you joy, reflect the mood you want to convey, and be unending. Arteza offers affordable opportunity, and we certainly hope that you will take advantage of that opportunity.  

Have fun coloring!