Adult Coloring

Category: Adult Coloring

Adult coloring books and pages are great ways of relaxing and can be used for motivation, as well as pure enjoyment

7 Drawing Tips for Beginners

This post contains affiliate links

Video at bottom of page

7 Drawing Techniques for Beginners

Drawing is a fairly simple and straightforward skill which is something anyone can enjoy at any time. It is also relatively cheap, as you can start with just paper and pencil. If you enjoy it, you could go on to acquire skills with pens, Tablets and computer software.

It used to be hard to get information on how to start sketching and drawing, unless you attended art classes, nowadays, the search engines provide not only information but also videos on all the techniques and materials you need.

Drawing And Sketching Pads

When buying paper for drawing, consider whether you are going to be practising (sketching) or whether you want to create something to keep longer term. If you want to practise drawing, then cheaper, thinner paper is fine. This is normally made from 60 or 65lb paper (roughly about the same weight as printer paper or copy paper). But if you want to create a finished piece, then you really need to use 80lb or 100lb paper. Finished drawings will usually have had a lot more time spent on them and the paper needs to be able to stand up to this kind of usage, also heavier paper will last longer and give a better end result that you can be proud of and display. Of course, the heavier paper is more expensive or you get fewer sheets in a pad. It can be useful to have two pads available for drawing, a thinner paper for practising and a thicker paper for your finished work. Choose quality paper for finished drawings. Sketches and rough work can be on cheaper, thinner paper, to save money.

7 Tips For Improving Drawing

Try these seven tips for boosting your drawing skills:

1. If you are drawing and you are right-handed, make certain that the light originates from your left side. This stops both hands’ shadows falling onto your paper and making it difficult to see what you are drawing.

2. Practise drawing lines of all sorts, straight lines, curves, scribbles, etc. Get control of your hands with practise, so they will do what you need.

3. Continue to develop your drawing skills and improving your control step by step by drawing circles, oblongs, and different thicknesses of line.

4. Shading is the next skill to develop, this is governed by using differing amounts of pressure with your pencil, so you can create the impression of darkness and thickness.

5. Continue to practise drawing circles and oblongs, to get them correct. Keep a record of your attempts, to see how you are improving.

6. Determine which is your weakest area(s) and concentrate on improving this /these. Develop your own individuality.

7. Use good quality materials. You can start out with just a decent sketch pad and 4B and 6B pencils. Don’t compromise on quality.

Video Of Drawing A House

The video below provides simple techniques that can be easily learnt through trying to draw a house. Practise the techniques shown, then draw and color your own picture. It is labelled as “for kids”, however, the techniques shown can be used by anyone wanting to learn to draw.

Making Comic Strips

A great video on how to start your own comic strip. This presenter has been physically drawing some comic strips for a while and decided to move into online comic strips. The video contains hints on frames, training videos you can watch, some Photoshop tips and thoughts on how to improve the comic strips. Enjoy watching.

Coloring Quotes

As well as coloring, it can be interesting and useful to have a quote included in the coloring page. This particular quote is from Stephen Covey and it has a special meaning for me, in that I often finish off the small things before tackling the big things. I use this to keep me on task. The quote is: “The main thing is keep the main thing the main thing”.
www.mythsoftime.com

How To Use Colored Pencils On Adult Coloring Books

Adult Coloring With Colored Pencils

Here is a great video on how to color your adult coloring books without them looking like your two-year-old got there first!

Try out your new knowledge with a free coloring page.

Free Coloring Pages For Adults

Free Pages

www.mythsoftime.com I am posting my coloring for adults test pages on here, to see which ones are liked best. You are welcome to download any or all of the pages for PERSONAL USE ONLY!

The pages are still copyright MythsofTime.com and you may NOT sell them or include them in any collections. You are however, free to download them for personal use. That means you could color them in as many times and in as many different ways as you want.

Copyright

If you are a teacher, you can print out a copy for each pupil in your class, if there are pages that you think would benefit them. A parent can download and print out a page to keep each of their children coloring happily in the holidays or as part of a project for school work, if they want.

www.mythsoftime.com

I printed some out the other day for young children and their babysitter wanted a copy for herself and she completed one too.

Please Comment

I would be very happy if you could comment below and tell me which page(s) you liked best, what worked for you and what didn’t and whether there are any changes you would make or suggestions for alternative pages. Please note that any comments or suggestions you make below will be in the public domain because they will be published and this site will have the right to publish your comment and make free use of any suggestions. If you don’t agree with that, then please do not comment. You are still however, welcome to download the pages for personal use only.

www.mythsoftime.com

If you don’t know how to print out the pages, here are the instructions for Windows computers:

Right click with the mouse on the picture you want to print out.
When the dialogue box opens, click on “open in new tab”. This opens only the picture in a new tab on your browser.
Click on the new tab. You should see your picture there, all by itself on a dark background.
Right click OUTSIDE the picture, that is, on the dark background.
From the dialogue box, click on “Print”.
You can now print out your picture on your computer.
Only for PERSONAL USE.

Colored Pencils Or Markers

What Are The Best Coloring Tools For Adult Coloring?

When adult coloring books first started coming out on the market, there was honestly some snickering going on in society. What prideful adult would possibly waste time sitting somewhere doodling like they were a child? Fortunately, some people were willing to try them, and in fact, many were wanting to do them. Coloring is one of the fondest memories many people have from their childhoods, and as adults get old enough to get nostalgic for their youth, adult coloring books give them the chance to go back in time.

Once you think about it, the concept starts making a lot of sense. The benefits and appeal to children are the same as for adults. Coloring is a chance to make something beautiful and creative happen right in front of you, giving you a sense of accomplishment in making something pretty and beautiful. Like all good art, it’s a chance to enjoy a creative outlet in a relaxing break from being always plugged in and on the go.

If you’re new to this though, whether you bought a book yourself or got one as a gift, you might be wondering what are the best coloring tools for adult coloring? It’s a rather subjective question, so keep reading to learn 4 primary contenders to consider, along with their advantages and disadvantages:

1) Markers

Pros of markers: If you are adult enough to suffer arthritis, carpal tunnel, or similar hand issues, then markers spare you a lot of the pressure needed to fill areas in completely. Markers also fill areas quickly, so coloring goes faster.

Cons of markers: You can count on markers to bleed through your paper. You might need to put barriers between pages in your coloring book to prevent the next page from getting saturated and ruined. Double-sided pages are often a lost cause on the back sides.

2) Watercolor Pencils

Pros of watercolor pencils: If you need to do things like blending, then watercolor pencils are great. You can add elements of realism to any colored picture using these.

Cons of watercolor pencils: These have a serious learning curve. Apply too much, and you get your paper soggy with colors running together. On the other hand, not enough water just winds up looking like any other colored pencil. Your images need to be on thick paper to start with, since thin pages are going to buckle when they are wet.

3) Gel Pens

Pros of gel pens: If you need to handle fine details or want fun options like glitter or metallic finishes, then these are a great way to go. When you are not actually coloring, you can use them to bring flair to shopping lists, honey-do notes, and even office memos.

Cons of gel pens: These kinds of pens often run out of their ink fast, so you’ll be going out and buying replacements pretty frequently. Some users note that gel pens don’t apply color equally under light pressure, even skipping spots.

4) Colored Pencils

Pros of colored pencils: These coloring utensils are among the easiest things in the world to use. You can also sharpen them to a fine point that’s useful in detailing images. Should you get an urge to get really fancy, you can mix these with anything from mineral spirits and paint thinner to baby oil.

Cons of colored pencils: You have to be mindful about not dropping these, since impact might break off their lead from the inside. You’ll also need a pencil extender if they get too short if you want to keep holding them comfortably. Also, if you have to layer colors, you might have to apply some pressure, which can wear down your hands over a long session of coloring.

Now that you know the 4 best coloring tools for adult coloring, sift through the benefits and potential drawbacks of each one, comparing them to your own preferences and budget, in order to figure out which one well serve your relaxation best. Options exist in each category from economical to premium options. If you want to save money, head for the kids section of a big box retailer, but if you’re looking for something nice, head for a dedicated arts and crafts store.

Art Therapy For Depression

Adult Coloring To Overcome Depression

Many people do not really understand depression. It may be a dreadful problem,but some pals might not be as helpful if sadness is a persistent problem instead of originating from a particular incident.

But, whether or not it’s chronic depression that needs SSRIs along with other treatment or stress-caused depression which will begin to disappear as you cope with whatever incident induced it, there are certain things that can be done to help you feel much better.

“Get Outdoors” And Some other Dismissive Insults

This can be the time many articles or blog posts about depression begin discussing benefiting from physical exercise, heading outside, as well as healthy eating. It’s true that these may help you handle depression, that’s very clear. However, if you are depressed these may not help. If you can carry out those ideas, you would not be despondent to begin with!

Things That Really Do Count As Self-Help

Should you be depressed, there are a variety of things that can be done to help yourself. Stuff that you may really be ready to do, instead of factors you would have to not be depressed to do. Things such as watching light-hearted movies and television, taking a shower, and feeding yourself. Getting outside and getting some exercise may need more energy than you currently have, but if you can at least pull yourself into the shower, your body will begin creating chemicals that will boost your mood. Even getting out of bed and putting on a pair of shoes can help.

Another thing you can do is color. Adult coloring books have become all the rage these days and for good reason.

Alleviate Your Depression With Adult Coloring

“Overcoming” depression may be a bit of a reach, but coloring can certainly help with the worst of the symptoms. Studies have shown that coloring can help reduce anxiety and increase focus.

How? And more importantly, how does this help with depression? There are several reasons coloring can help. First and foremost, it’s an incredibly simple physical act that none the less requires some amount of mental focus. This means it’s easy enough to do, allowing you to manage the act even when your depression is telling you that getting out of bed is the worst idea ever.

Secondly, as you color, your brain will immediately begin to focus more on creating the picture and less on how terrible you and your life are. It’s not that you’re no longer depressed, of course. It’s that the human brain is designed to create and notice patterns. Coloring a picture is nothing more than creating a pattern of colors. This triggers parts of your brain that can allow you to forget about your depression, at least for a bit.

Adult coloring isn’t as good as actual therapy, and should absolutely not be used in place of psychiatric medication. But for those with chronic depression it can provide a small bit of relief, even if only for a time. And for those with stress-induced depression, it really could be a major factor in overcoming the internal upset that causes the depression-like symptoms!

What Is A Zentangle

What Is A Zentangle Used For?

If you have never heard of Zentangle before, it is a unique type of artwork that can be created using repetitive patterns. It might be referred to as doodle art, or even similar to drawing mandalas, but it is much different. Let’s take a look at what Zentangle is, why people do this, and also why you may consider this to be one of your favorite activities once you get started.

Overview Of Zentangle

This is a relaxing, easy to learn, method for drawing. Even if you have no prior skills with drawing anything, or you do not have basic artistic capabilities, it’s not going to matter. It was designed to help people not only relax, but could accommodate those that were able to draw simple structured patterns that could be used in order to create beautiful artwork.

Why Many People Enjoy Zentangle

Most of us have seen many beautiful works of art, including sketches, that seemed far beyond our abilities. Whether we are looking at portraits of people, or Celtic art which involves spirals and unique designs, we might believe we could never do that. However, this is where Zentangle comes in because it teaches you how to create beautiful repetitive patterns that can be used to create artwork that almost everyone can do. It does not matter about your artistic background, your age, or whether you are fond of painting or drawing. It is designed to be that simple and effective. Therefore, the reason people enjoy this is they are astounded by the beautiful creations that they can make using this simple strategy for creating these drawings. It allows them to explore, tapping into that inner artist that we all have within us, using this uplifting methodology for creating art.

What Are The Characteristics Of Zentangle Artwork?

There are many things that a person will experience while they are creating Zentangle artwork. First of all, they will become much more intuitive. You have the basic schematic for creating these repetitive patterns, and from those you can begin to design different expressions of your own feelings and thoughts into art form. It is also fun and relaxing, something that you can either do on your own, or you may want to do with someone else that would also enjoy a way of expressing themselves through art. Best of all, this is something that you can bring with you, wherever you go, as everything that you will need to create this artwork can actually fit in your purse or pocket.

What Are The Benefits Of Implementing These Zentangle Method

Some of the benefits that people report include feeling so much more relaxed, helping them to deal with the stress of the day. It can also help individuals that suffer from insomnia, and they will do their drawings before they go to bed. It can also help with your self-esteem, curb panic attacks, and modify your behavior in a positive manner. Zentangle will definitely help you improve your hand/eye coordination, and also bring out your creative abilities that may have been latent all of these years.

[instantazon id=’wpis_1522965175′]

How To Learn More About The Zentangle Method

You can visit their website online to learn more about this unique and fun way of creating stunning visual art. They will talk about how it started, how to begin, and go into detail on the method itself. It also goes into the theory behind the Zentangle Method, embracing the fact that every decision we make is like a stroke, each being conscious and deliberate. In the same way, this method allows you to make deliberate strokes to create your artwork, and by focusing on each individual stroke, this is how you can learn to calm your mind. It will allow you to tap into that creative part of you that you may have never known about, and it’s all possible because of the Zentangle Method.

Now that you know a little bit more about what Zentangle is, and how you can learn more information about this unique way of creating beautiful drawings, you should consider doing this on your own. You can visit their website to learn more about this form of art, and see examples of what other people have done. There is also a blog and newsletter where you can learn more information, and there are also products that can help you get started. It’s going to make it very easy for you to immediately begin creating these unique drawings that are only possible because of the Zentangle Method.

Motivational Coloring Pages

Do You Need Motivational Help?

There are several visual ways of motivating yourself to achieve your dreams and wishes. Some people keep a “vision board”, a notice board or a file, filled with pictures of something they really want to do, such as go on a dream holiday, or remodel their house. A Daruma doll is a visual Japanese method of obtaining a wish or desired outcome. The doll has two “empty eyes”. One is filled in at the time you decide on what you want to achieve and the other is completed when your wish or dream has been achieved. The idea is that the doll is placed in a prominent place where you see it each day and the empty eye will keep “nagging” you until you do something to reach your dream. For those who love a simple visual reminder of a job they want to complete or a dream they want to achieve, a project motivation coloring page can be a great way of ensuring you finish the job or reach your dream, whether that’s a special holiday, a home remodelling job, an exam, improving your health or writing a book, for instance. The page provides a relaxing coloring experience, while also providing a reminder of the project you want to complete.

Art Therapy

Art is known to be helpful in many ways for people who are stressed or depressed and art therapy classes are available in many places. It is thought that creating your own art, even doodles, is the best form of therapy, however, many people have reported great stress relief, for instance, from working with pages created especially for adult coloring. If you are interested in doodling, you might want to read up about zentangles. These are a special form of doodle and many people find great enjoyment from creating their own beautiful zentangle patterns with the many different kinds of fill patterns you can use for these.

Project Motivation Pages

There are many times people need to motivate or encourage themselves to start and complete projects, for instance gym motivation and weight loss motivation to name but two. Students needing to write an essay over a long period or an author creating a book might also use project motivation pages. You can use these for anything you would use a vision board or Daruma doll for and the additional benefit of the project motivation coloring pages is that they can be motivational in themselves, to want to color (or shade) them and that means you have to do something about your project in order to do that. Also, they include a timeline which is also completed on a daily or weekly basis. This gives you a visual measure of how close you are to finishing and whether you are keeping up (or exceeding or falling behind) with your target, which keeps you reminded of the task you set yourself to do.

A project motivation page is an outline drawing, or an unfinished drawing with sections, like a stained glass window, for completing as each section of the job is finished. You can make one of these yourself or find something suitable online. Your outline picture could refer to your project or just be something you would enjoy completing as your project progresses. You can stick one of these pages on a wall or a notice board where you see it often and this reminds you to get the project finished a stage or step at a time. They are very useful for long jobs that need to be divided into stages for completion. For instance one stage or section could be a gym visit or an amount of weight lost or a chapter written in a book or a book read and notes made.

One section is completed (colored or shaded) each time you complete one section of the project. For example, if you have a cupboard you need to clear out and you decide you can spend 15 minutes on it each day, then you find or create a picture with 30 or 31 spaces and complete one each time you spend 15 minutes on decluttering your cupboard. You could of course, use a picture with only 10 spaces say and once that has been completed, start another sheet. It’s also useful to have a timeline that you can color in each day or week so you can check your progress.

Finding And Enjoying Coloring Pages For Adults

Note: This article contains affiliate links.

You can find a lot of neat coloring pages for adults. They cover all sorts of topics from classic cars to mythology, from inspiring quotes to skulls and tattoos! Some may have adult language or imagery on them, so be sure that if you get something like this you keep it away from kids. Here’s more so you know where to find interesting and fun coloring pages and books.

How To Find Printable Coloring Pages On Line

The pages you can find with a general search are not always going to be exactly what you want. When you do a search, you need to enter a few words that have something to do with what you like. Do you want funny coloring pages for adults or do you want something that has to do with a fandom you’re a part of? A lot of adults find it to be fun to color things that are offensive or that feature different things that are only for adults so be sure you turn your adult image filter off if that’s what you’re trying to find. Enter your chosen search terms to the search box, such as adult coloring pages and add a search term that will narrow down your search, such as mandala or zentangle or skulls, or classic cars, or fantasy or fairy, etc., or even funny coloring books for adults. If you haven’t tried any of those types of pages yet, do a search, you may find a new area you will really enjoy. Of course, you can always buy a complete coloring book.

The Right Coloring Tools

Before you can color a page, you’re going to need to make sure that you have the right tools. You’re going to need colored pencils, crayons, or markers. You can find these at local stores, or you can buy some online if you want to save money. There are all kinds of brands, so make sure you research what you’re going to get so you’re not disappointed with it.

A lot of what is sold for super cheap is not that good so avoid the super cheap discount store brands if you want to avoid that. If you are just starting out on coloring, it probably doesn’t matter what coloring tools you use, even raid the kids’ pencil cases if necessary! You can see whether you enjoy this activity. If you find a page you really love and want to keep, you can always print it out again and get yourself the best coloring pencils or pens you can afford. Of course, if you are already an accomplished colorist, you will know your favorite brand or types of tool.

There are adult coloring books that you can order which are a lot of fun if you don’t want to have to pick just one image. The goal is to find what other people like, or if it’s a new item then at least see if you like some of the photos of the book and its contents. If they don’t let you see what’s in the coloring book, then you may want to try waiting for a little while. That way, you don’t have to take a risk and other people will review it before you buy.

Are you able to print out coloring pages at home? If you can’t, then you may be able to do it at the library. It may cost you a few cents, but if you can print out a handful of pages at a time it may be like buying a coloring book for a lot cheaper sometimes than it would cost online or in stores. When printing something at the library, you may want to ask about whether you can do adult materials or not. As long as it’s not super offensive or a bunch of nude people on coloring pages, you should be fine.

If you have another family member, you can both try getting a few books so you can swap them from time to time. If you got, for instance, one with adult jokes in it you could trade it for your partner’s animal related one. That way, you don’t have to let the pages that you don’t want to do go to waste. It can sometimes seem like you only like one or two pages, so it’s good to have someone you can share with. You may also be able to trade with people online if that’s easier for you.

Adult pages may be offensive to others so be sure you don’t have them just sitting around. With kids in the home, you should try to keep them put away because if the kids see you trying to color they are going to want to join in. Try to have some separate coloring books around for people that don’t need to be involved with coloring the adult ones. It’s fun for people of all ages to color, but only as long as what you have to let them color is age appropriate and easier or harder to color depending on age.

When you find and color interesting coloring pages for adults, you’ll find it to be a fun way to spend time. The more you can find that feature things you think are fun to color, the more time you will spend on something you enjoy!