Greyscale adult coloring books introduce a new way to color.
Greyscale coloring books are surprisingly simple even though they might seem a bit intimidating at first. Let the gray shading and highlighting guide you when deciding where and how dark or light to color. Your image will come to life with great detail and realism. You will be amazed. Perfect for both the novice colorist and the experienced colorist!
Greyscale coloring comes from either taking a photograph and coloring on top or when an illustrator puts in the beginning grey shading they would use to complete an illustration themselves. Artists have several different methods of doing that. We will explore both types in the greyscale coloring books below.
I discovered Christine’s work in my coloring group and have bought quite a few of her Etsy instant downloads. This is her first full sized published book and it is SPECTACULAR!
Nikki Burnette is a fantasy watercolor artist who loves to depict the world of fantasy.
She has created two greyscale coloring books each with two options, one for beginning colorists and one for the more advanced.
The images in this book have been created from Nikki’s original watercolor paintings including, witches, mermaids, fairies, vampires and more fantasy creatures.
This is the Beginner’s Edition of the book that features darker grayscale images. This book is recommended for colorists who would like more assistance with shading. You will find that you have to add very little shading or none at all, yet the image will still have a lot of depth and vibrancy. An Advanced Edition, which contains the same 20 images, with lighter levels of grayscale that allow for more flexibility and color variety is also available separately.
This is the advanced version of the same greyscale coloring book, Spellbinding Images. We like the beginner version even though we consider ourselves intermediate to advanced colorists simply because it is easier to get the very intense shading already done for you. This saves your pencils and tired hands.
20 Single-Sided Grayscale Images to Color(The Beginner’s Edition features darker grayscale images that assist more with shading)
2 miniature testers of each image in the book to experiment with color schemes and try out your materials
20 small colored images showing the artist’s color choices
4 pages of introduction text that explain the basics of grayscale coloring and offer tips, tricks and techniques to use inside the book
Pages are formatted with full black borders that extend to the edge of the page to help create a clean line while coloring
The paper is 8.5×11″ and is a smooth, 60#, medium weight paper with a slight satin finish due to the printing process
**Please note: These are grayscale images, not traditional black and white line art coloring pages. These are also some of the same characters that are included in Nikki’s traditional coloring books, but instead, these are grayscale images and will be a completely different coloring experience.
I purchased this gorgeous coloring book this week so I would have some harvest and Halloween images to color in as fall arrives in the Rocky Mountains. This coloring book is gorgeous! I think greyscale coloring is great for beginners to help them learn where to do shading and highlights. You can see my flip through on Instagram here.Molly Harrison‘s artwork is quite unique and this book contains gothic, vampire type fairies, fanciful Halloween witches, and autumn magic.
Be taken away to a calm, underwater world full of beautiful mermaids, dolphins, and aquatic creatures as you color in these beautiful, black and white fantasy paintings, optimized for coloring. Let the original painting’s tones and shading guide you to creating your own masterpieces that appear like magic!
Features fully shaded black and white versions of finished paintings, ready for color to be added.
25 artworks to color, with a bonus second set of the same designs for further experimentation, backup, or sharing.
Images on one side only.
Large 8.5 x 11-inch size.
Detail/Skill Level Guide: Medium-Advanced
Mermaids – Grayscale Coloring Edition features the same set of artworks as Selina’s more traditional Mermaids Calm Ocean Coloring Collection book, for those who prefer outline style coloring books.
Let Selena’s original painting’s tones and shading, guide you to creating your own masterpieces. This coloring book features 25 fully shaded, black and white versions of finished paintings, ready for color to be added. A bonus second set of the same designs for further experimentation, backup, or sharing is included. Images on one side only ~ Large 8.5 x 11-inch size ~ Detail/Skill Level Guide: Beginner to Medium. Fairy Art – Grayscale Coloring Edition features the same set of artworks as Selina’s more traditional Fairy Art Coloring Book, for those who prefer outline style coloring books.
24 unique grayscale images plus 12 bonus images, for a total of 36 pages to color. Colored Pencils and pastels are suggested for the best results. If you like to blend with Gamsol, remember to put a sheet of paper behind the page to prevent any bleed-through. Each picture is printed one-sided on 60 lb. pure white paper. A member of our Facebook group shared her colorings from Ruth Sanderson’s Cinderella book and these illustrations are just spectacular.
This is a new greyscale book from Nicole Stocker the creator of Beautiful Creatures called Beautiful Nature.
Printed one-sided on 100lb archival quality, acid-free paper
48 grayscale images of flowers, plants, and landscapes for you to color
Perforated for easy removal and framing of your colored picture
From wide-sweeping landscapes to the most delicate botanicals, Beautiful Nature harnesses the restorative power of the natural world.
Simply color over the gray, matching light and dark tones to reveal lifelike shading. Saturate the grayscale with heavy color, use the lightest of touches or simply let it be. Flood the page with vibrant brights or allow a softer color palette to emerge. As the colorist, you are free to immerse yourself in the space between black and white, and explore the many shades of your imagination.
Someone shared her colored-in picture of a cat in a Facebook group that was so fantastic I had to follow through to the source. Turns out it was from this coloring book, “Beautiful Creatures” by Nicole Stocker.
Greyscale Coloring Book Advantages
This book takes beautiful nature photography to greyscale which magically makes your buddy colorist skills improve tremendously because the shading and highlighting are already done for you. Take a look at this image that shows the originals with different people’s ideas of how to color it in.
After seeing this I want the book to help me learn to shade, shadow, highlight, and the eyes! I also plan on taking photos of my own pets, pulling the photos into a software program to convert them to black and white.. printing on nice paper and then coloring in my own fur kids.
How to color a crocodile in Nicole Stocker’s Coloring Book above and coloring the tabby cat below.
Here’s what Amazon Says about this greyscale coloring book:
Color over the gray to bring your images to life in this unique and elegantly simple adult coloring book.
Immerse yourself in the space between black and white and explore the many shades of your imagination. Unique in its sophisticated grayscale format, Beautiful Creatures is deceivingly simple. Using the gray as your guide, you will quickly learn to shade like a professional artist, bringing depth to each image and creating lifelike artwork that is uniquely yours. Take a moment of solitude to rediscover your creativity, and replenish your calm.
Grey Scale Coloring Video Tutorials
Coloring in a Basenji dog with Faber Castell Classic Colored Pencils in Nicole Stockers Beautiful Creatures Coloring book.
Optimized for coloring, each image is printed on acid-free, archival quality paper, perforated and watermarked for framing. Simply select your palette and color over the gray, letting the depth of shading guide your choices as you bring this thoughtfully curated collection of 48 striking images to life. Feel the thrill of artistic accomplishment that comes from creation, and the pride of seeing your work framed and displayed. Where the simplicity of coloring meets a refined aesthetic, Beautiful Creatures opens the door to artistic expression and all the joys that come with it.
This video coloring tutorial shows a time lapse of the cat in the book. About the artist/author : As a young girl, Nicole Stocker was enchanted by a black and white photograph hanging in her parents’ summer cabin, wishing she could bring it to life with color. An artist at heart, Nicole imagined a collection of coloring books filled with inspiring, carefully curated photographs. The first in a series, Beautiful Creatures marks her publishing debut. A mother of two young children, Nicole treasures any moment to lose herself in color and creation in her Vancouver home. Source: Amazon
Artist / Colorist Joanna Lynn Flores reviewed Beautiful Creatures after being sent a sample to color in and is the person showing you how to color in these greyscale animals.
“Coloring a grayscale image is like creating magic and turning a page into a colorful reality. At first I thought it was very complex but the moment I started coloring, I just couldn’t stop. The gray tones served as a guide for my instinct and artistry to decide what color to apply. It also liberated me to create an alternate reality of an image. It was very relaxing, extremely fun and it sharpened my coloring skills. I absolutely enjoyed how my imagination and reality merged in the final colored image. “
Several members of our Facebook group enjoy coloring in Alena Lazareva’s greyscale coloring book Enchanted Art.
Enchanted Art Gray-scale coloring book by Alena Lazareva
42 images to color (38 Enchanted Art plus 4 bonus pages)
Pages printed on one side only
Full-size paper, 8.5×11
Pure white, 60 lb paper, acid-free for long art life
A Fantasy Grayscale Coloring Book for Adults: Flower Fairies, and Celestial Fairies by Molly Harrison Fantasy Art
Note: Greyscale vs Grayscale coloring. These are both correct spellings and depend on whether you are in the UK or US… just like colouring and coloring. They are both correct.
Fantasy Coloring books are very popular with grown-ups and include themes such as mermaids, fairies, dragons, whimsical characters and beloved fairy tale characters.
Since escaping to a new land can indeed be relaxing and get your mind off your troubles, mythological and whimsical characters are very popular with colorists or all ages.
Selina gives you an unconventional take on some beloved fairy tales in this book released in 2019. It includes Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Snow White, Aladdin and Rapunzel pictures for your to color.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith’s most loved paintings are now available as a coloring book and what a beautiful book it is. The price is a bit higher than other books but when you receive it you will see why. The paper is gorgeous thick art paper an absolute joy to color in.
Jasmine selected her favorite characters to create this fantasy art adventure for you to enjoy. Designed for coloring book fanatics both young and old, there are detailed intricacies along with larger areas and there are broad patches and fun whimsical characters for those who like to take a simpler approach.
Each coloring pattern features the story of what the original painting is based on, and the individual character depicted which makes it much more personal. A Fantasy Art Adventure is 96 pages, printed on premium quality 150 gsm paper.
I saw some images from the Christmas Mounts book and fell in love with this artist. Her work is completely unique. There are 5 Mounts books in the series with #5 the Christmas book listed here and #4 the Halloween book. The other three are filled with animals complete with saddle and harness for you to ride in your imagination.
Enchanting fairies are shown dancing with butterflies, floating asleep on a leaf, gliding through spring flowers atop a flop-eared bunny, in an elaborate headdress, and enjoying the company of feathered and furry friends amidst flowers and fairy homes. 25 one-sided images to color. Volume II Fairies and Friends by Barbara Lanza
Selena Fenech is an amazing illustrator with a plethora of Fairy Coloring Books
All of Selena’s books come with 2 of each illustration. That’s not my favorite format for coloring in but the illustrations are so fabulous, you will end up forgiving her for that. Maybe one day she’ll make bigger volumes with 1 of each in them but for now be happy with the 25 drawings for 50 pictures.
She warns not all images are strictly Christmas in theme, they all have a joyous, decorative, magical feeling which is perfect for the holidays. Festival Magic coloring book does feature 25 enchanting fairies, angels, unicorns, (and even one baby dragon!) with a festive theme ready to be brought to life with color.
In a world where weddings are red, fire is green, and debts are paid in gold, countless images leap off the page thanks to the eye-popping intricacy of the vivid settings and details. Just perfect for those of us who don’t like to “color in the lines.” Images are meticulously imagined with dozens of stunning original black-and-white illustrations from world-renowned illustrators Yvonne Gilbert, John Howe, Tomislav Tomić, Adam Stower, and Levi Pinfold.
The beautiful adult coloring book takes you from the lush green of the Scottish Highlands to the military red of a British soldier’s coat or the vibrant hues of a tartan kilt, the colorful world of Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser is now yours to explore. Featuring gorgeous natural landscapes, detailed drawings of Claire’s medicinal herbs, favorite scenes and characters, clothing, weapons, and armor straight out of eighteenth-century Scotland. Illustrators include illustrators Juan Alarcón, Yvonne Gilbert, Craig Phillips, Jon Proctor, Tomislav Tomić, and Rebecca Zomchek.
Nikki Burdette is one of my very favorite fantasy illustrators
The images in this book have been created from Nikki’s original watercolor paintings including, witches, mermaids, fairies, vampires and more fantasy creatures.
This is the Beginner’s Edition of the book that features darker grayscale images. This book is recommended for colorists who would like more assistance with shading. You will find that you have to add very little shading or none at all, yet the image will still have a lot of depth and vibrancy. An Advanced Edition, which contains the same 20 images, with lighter levels of grayscale that allow for more flexibility and color variety is also available separately.
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