Dog and Cat Coloring Books are the most popular in the adult coloring book genre but other animal coloring books are also popular. I wanted to start with some of the lesser-known books that you might enjoy.
This adorable story about the romantic journey with a cow named Lulu as she searches for her true love will win your heart. It’s professionally published with nice quality paper and 68 illustrations.
After seeing colorings from this book on Instagram I purchased it on Amazon. It’s a greyscale book that makes your colorings really come to life. It’s a hardbound book that opens at the top so great for left-handed colorists too.
Over 70 unique and stunning hand-drawn illustrations of chickens, roosters and baby chicks by an artist and a chicken owner. The illustrations vary from minimal detail to highly detailed, making it perfect for multiple coloring methods. Click to Order Amazon US
20 hand-drawn whimsical chicken illustrations for the chicken lover as well as anyone who enjoys humor and coloring. Color fanciful chickens in pajamas and bunny slippers or covered with detailed flowers and leaves. Those drawings are then recreated in a 4×6 size for framing or card making Click to Order Amazon US
Lots of fun whimsical representations of 26 sheep and fiber-producing animals including a variety of sheep breeds, alpaca, llama, goats, yak, muskox and more. Images include Zentangle-inspired designs and decorative fiber animals for adult coloring enthusiasts. Coloring pages are printed on one side to prevent bleed-through. Friends include Alpaca, Angora Rabbits, Angora Goat, Bison, Bactrian Camel, Cashmere Goat, Highland Cow, Horse, Llama, Muskox, Old English Sheepdog, Pygora Goat, Vicuna and Yak. Sheep breeds include (whimsical interpretations) Border Leicester, Cheviot, Icelandic, Lincoln, Merino, Oxford Down, Rough Fell, Rambouillet, Scottish Blackface, Shetland.
72 pages of beautiful and meditative horse-themed designs including ponies, unicorns, winged horses, and horseshoe patterns are all included. Horses is a top-bound coloring pad is perfect for the right and left-handed.
Kerby Rosanes coloring books certainly can’t be left off the list of Animal Coloring books and every colorist needs to have at least one of these books of art in their collection.
Kerby works in intricately detailed black and white line to create creatures, characters, patterns, and tiny elements to form compositions of mind-boggling complexity.
In Imagimorphia, animals and objects morph and explode into astounding detail. Bring each intricate image to life with color and find the objects hidden throughout the book.
These are something a little different and more interactive than your standard coloring book, these animal masks are ready for you to color in and then punch out, attach the elastic strap included with the coloring book from Barrons Educational Books and have fun. Perfect for a party any time of the year.
Of course, I have to mention some of the most well-known animal coloring books as well, those by Millie Marotta.
Animal Kingdom Color Me, Draw Me- Illustrated by Millie Marotta
Millie’s first coloring book was “Animal Kingdom” in 2014 which includes all sorts of detailed animals from beautiful birds to fantastic fish, delicate dragonflies to elaborately decorated elephants.
Reviewers have things like this to say about Millie’s second coloring book:
“In her books, you’ll find whimsical images of idiosyncratic animals, flowers in bloom, and sophisticated patterns at play. Who doesn’t love the idea of immersing oneself into a fantastical world of monochromatic illustrations and bringing them to (colorful) life?” —MarthaStewart.com
60 cat designs are made up of hundreds of triangles that, when filled in, transform a flat illustration or 2D piece of work into a 3D image. Each page has a different breed of cat from the ordinary to the rare. The color keys on each page allow you to use either traditional colors or bright non-realistic colors for a pop-art look. Some of the cats have quite tiny spaces to color while others are a bit larger. This reminds me of those picture puzzles in crossword books where you didn’t know how the picture would turn out until the end.
Many addicted colorists like to have their coloring books handy wherever they go and the easiest way to do that is to have at least a couple of the coloring postcard mini books. Several of your favorite artists and illustrators create smaller versions of their favorite designs in these postcard-sized books. The paper is also sturdier so they stay nice if you tuck them into your bag, backpack or purse. With coloring postcards, you can use markers that might leak through on your coloring books and watercolors. They are also the perfect size for stocking stuffers and gift exchanges!
For those of us who might be on the backside of 50, who may need glasses to color now and aren’t that thrilled about TEEENY tiny spaces to color, Hanna Karlzons posts are the ones you want. Instead of taking full pages from her Seasons coloring book, she takes images from the book so that they are nice & full-sized on smaller paper. PERFECTION for seniors.
Originally Published in Sweden as “Vinterdrömmar” is my favorite! Hanna Karlzon’s images in this postcard collection aren’t taken from a regular-sized coloring book but were specifically drawn as postcards so the size of the images is a really nice size to color.
Millie has packaged 50 postcards loose in an attractive box perfect for gift giving. Each one features a different image. Delight friends and family with Millie’s fanciful birds, bunnies, butterflies, elephants, fish, frogs, and flora too.
Johanna has all four of her coloring books available in the postcard size. I find the best supplies to use on Johanna’s cards are the Staedtler Fine Liners or Gel Pens. Her detail is so delicate that it may be hard to get into the tiny spaces with your colored pencils. Markers and Gel Pens are easier for on the go coloring anyway as you don’t have to carry a sharpener and eraser.
Color in the cards and bring to life gorgeous attraction posters featuring the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and more. The detail is tiny as with most Disney coloring so not recommended for seniors or those with dexterity challenges
These cards created by renowned illustrator Marcos Chin are filled with black-and-fairy white line art, riddles and puzzles throughout, and 20 postcards to color and send. Some are printed with black backgrounds too.
Based on Maja Säfström’s delightful book The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts, this collection of 50 collectible postcards is the perfect way for animal lovers and art lovers to share and collect Maja’s charming illustrations.
This newest book from Nosy Crow includes 36 cards and envelopes to celebrate the fall & winter holidays and other special moments including Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s day. You also get 36 themed stickers to seal your wishes with.
These cards come in 3 different sets depending on the type of art you like to color, some are more botanical or series in nature while others are whimsical. The great thing about this Amazon listing is that you can see each card that comes in the set. All of the sets come with envelopes.
Millie Marotta is one of the “must buy” illustrators if you are a dedicated coloring book addicted colorist.
Her images are quite different and distinct from other illustrators, you will recognize her books in an instant once you color in one. Many that are new to coloring see all the signature Millie Marotta tiny spaces and think they need to color each one individually. I chose to see those tiny lines as detail behind my shading and highlighting with colored pencils. Just get creative and give her books a try, you will be a fan in no time.
Millie’s latest book just launched in October 2020, includes her usual enticing flora and fauna including an adorable napping fox, little owl, Japanese pygmy woodpecker, peacock, badger, and polecat, along with whimsical ginkgo leaves, blossoming flowers, and tropical seeds and fruits sprinkled throughout the pages.
Millie’s Brilliant Beasts is a compilation of her fan-favorite creatures from past books so if you are new to her work, this would be a perfect step to see if this is your coloring style.
This book will contain Millie Marotta’s signature style of detailed illustration that can be colored in an intricate way or the easy way depending on your own personal coloring style. I always opt for the easy way. This bird-centric coloring book will include beautiful hummingbirds, Major Mitchell’s cockatoos, lyrebirds, cardinals, marvelous spatuletails, pygmy owls, and laughing kookaburras.
Millie’s first coloring book was “Animal Kingdom” in 2014 which includes all sorts of detailed animals from beautiful birds to fantastic fish, delicate dragonflies to elaborately decorated elephants.
Reviewers have things like this to say about Millie’s second coloring book:
“A colouring book filled with art so beautiful and intricate, you’ll be hesitant to colour it in, even though your own shading only serves to enhance these amazing illustrations.”—Buzzfeed.com
“In her books, you’ll find whimsical images of idiosyncratic animals, flowers in bloom, and sophisticated patterns at play. Who doesn’t love the idea of immersing oneself into a fantastical world of monochromatic illustrations and bringing them to (colorful) life?” —MarthaStewart.com
“Coloring can be weirdly calming, even for grown-ups. “Animal Kingdom” is a coloring book for adults, filled with stunning, intricate illustrations of various fauna and foliage that’ll ensure hours of relaxation.” —RealSimple.com
“I am on the coloring bandwagon. I can’t wait to try all the fun animals in this book especially the bunnies and squirrels that are just darling. If you haven’t tried it lately I highly recommend it! So fun and relaxing.” —CraftGossip.com
In her most personal book yet, Millie brings you her selection of the most remarkable animals on earth to colour in. A huge wildlife fan since she was a child, Millie has researched curious creatures which are fascinating to look at, have amazing survival skills, intriguing behaviour and courting rituals and are wildlife wonders. Meet the adorable Macaroni Penguins with their yellow crests, the showy King of Saxony Bird of Paradise, the enduring camel, the majestic flying fish to the long-lived walrus and mighty moose.Millie Marotta’s Curious Creatures features animals from all over the world, from all kinds of habitat, from the sea to the mountain tops and from Arctic cold to hot deserts. Remarkable birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and insects are all brought to life by Millie’s beautiful illustrations
Millie has also released absolutely gorgeous hardcover artist editions of her coloring books.
In addition to Millie Marotta’s stunningly intricate images of everything from beautiful birds to fantastic fish, this beautiful edition includes five extra prints in an envelope, four gatefolds, and a gorgeous cover embossed with gold. The high-quality paper is perfect for colored pencils, as well.
“A colouring book to keep and treasure forever. The wonderful illustrations from Millie Marotta’s Tropical Wonderland are reproduced on the thickest paper yet (180 gsm) on one side only, including 13 gatefolds and with five additional prints that can be pulled out of an envelope at the back of the book. These prints are ideal for framing. This is an edition for all Millie fans and even those new to her work who want something special to record their creative colouring and drawing or indeed just a beautiful collection of illustrations. The book is linen bound with screen-printed illustrations and foiling that add a new dimension to Millie’s work. It is, quite simply, a beautiful book.”
Millie even has a line of 75 home decor stickers in her unique style for you in a book. Her inimitable nature designs add style anywhere in the home, gracing the walls or decorating bookcases, tiles, mirrors, and more. Use the fun giraffes and elephants to create a menagerie in a child’s bedroom; let fish stickers happily “swim” above the tub; and grow an indoor garden with Millie’s fabulous flowers. Best of all, they’ll come off without effort (or leaving a spot) when you’re ready to freshen the décor!
If you are new to coloring or just want to dive in a little deeper be sure to read our expansive supply recommendations along with our tips and tricks articles.
Which Adult Coloring Books should you pre-order so you get them first
The thing to know about pre-ordering books on Amazon is that it always works out best for you the customer. You are guaranteed to get whatever the lowest price that was offered during the time of your hold on that book. So if the price goes way up a few weeks before the launch, you are still charged that lower price. You also always have an opportunity to cancel the order before it ships by visiting your orders page.
Ahhh her books are just SO glorious, you are going to want it without seeing a page I promise you. They are printed in a real book with thick luscious paper with an amazing tooth. Yes I’m gushing! This beauty Launches on March 17, 2020
Ahhh, it looks like Kerby is back to giving us the thick meaty coloring books we love again. This one has 96 glorious pages. Hooray!
A new fantastic and super-detailed adult coloring book, in an entirely new world, with spread after dizzying spread featuring creatures, people, animals, and landscapes that blur the line between familiar and magical, between reality and imagination. Worlds Within Worlds will be released on March 17, 2020.
hree, 48-page blank notebooks contain Johanna Basford’s signature charming and whimsical inkwork. With their dotted pages, these notebooks can be used for everything from list-making to note-taking to freewriting. The inside covers and pages are sprinkled with Johanna’s colorable ink art for pleasure and distraction. These journals will be launch March 10, 2020.
The original Creative Cats coloring book was one of my very first and now the popular Creative Haven illustrator Marjorie Sarnat is creating a new one just in time for Christmas of 2020. RELEASE DATE AUGUST 12, 2020.
There are SO few Hanukkah to offer Jewish colorists so this book is sure to be a huge hit. Also by Marjorie Sarnat and due to arrive in August 12, 2020.
I am doing my best to keep this page updated as new books come out, let me know in the comments if I have missed any of your favorites that you are excited about!
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