You can use watercolors in coloring books with some degree of success but recently we were excited to see three new books available that are specifically aimed at colorists and designed for watercolor paints and watercolor pencils.
Kristy Rice is a well-known illustrator who has entered the adult coloring book arena with four beautiful books designed for colorists and watercolor artists alike.
Her most recent offering “How to Make Art for Joy’s Sake: Free-Spirited Watercolor” teaches the basics of painting, infusing the learning process with wit, wisdom, and laughter. Rice shows all levels of painters how to make “art for joy’s sake.” Click to Purchase US, UK, Canada, Mexico, Spain or France
Seasonal Watercolor Books
Each coloring book has 25 beautiful drawings on pages that are double-sided, offering the opportunity to paint the same page in different ways. The author shares painting tips for each sketch and advice for discovering the artist within. Also included is a painting tutorial and a handy color wheel. Each book is small enough to carry anywhere and simple to use. Visit Kristy on Instagram here to see many of these images watercolored in.
Painterly Days: The Flower Book for Adults
These 25 floral drawings also include several papers with beautifully illustrated quotes.
Painterly Days: The Woodland Watercoloring Book for Adults
This is my personal favorite of the three and the first one I plan on purchasing! It has both flowers and animals along with some illustrated quotes. All three of Kristy’s books seem to have pictures that range from simple to quite complex. It may be over my head but I plan on giving it a try and reporting my results back to everyone from the perspective of a very beginner painter. (I’ve taken just one class and done one picture on my own with varying degrees of success) At the front of each book, the artist has given directions and tips and tricks for each of the images she has illustrated. Sounds perfect. Click to Order US UK Canada
Painterly Days: The Pattern Watercolor Coloring Book for Adults
These patterns look beautiful in photos that were shared but it looks a bit too complex for a beginner, maybe when I learn a little more about watercolors. Click to Order US UK Canada
The Art for Joy’s Sake Journal
Watercolor Discovery and Releasing Your Creative Spirit (Artisan Series) This is the newest release for Kristy and it’s a watercolor art journal that has RAVE reviews on Amazon. Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada
Kristy has created a few videos for new watercolorists. How to Paint Watercolor for the First Time
Beginner Watercolor Painting Tips for Beautiful Quick Results in the New Painterly series of Adult Coloring Books.
Jade Gideon Coloring Books
Jade Gideon currently has two coloring books unique in both style and book design that use watercolor paper and a third available for pre-order Many pages are double-sided but they fold into the book so there is no design in the spine of the book, rather the double spread fold-out to color or paint.
Island Escape: My Caribbean Coloring
Rainforest Escape: My Island Animal, Exotic Flower and Tropical Plant Color Book
Carnival Escape: Go Wild in this Colorful Parade
Adornit has a line of Watercolor Coloring Books with some really cute illustrations
Adornit Art Play Folk Gardens
Chamberry Coloring Book
Gnome Mini Life
Modern Watercolor Botanicals
Just Add Watercolor Flowers
This is a great book for beginners, very simple large patterns to follow and lots of instructions. Easy Techniques and Beautiful Patterns for True Beginners (Design Originals) 8 Step-by-Step Skill-Building Projects with Tips & Tricks on Thick Perforated Watercolor Paper
Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada
Happy Thoughts – Just Add Watercolor
In the same series as above by Robin Pickens by Design Originals
Watercolor with Me in the Forest
Watercolor with Me in the Ocean
Wendy Tait has literally dozens of watercolor books where you can trace the images to watercolor paper and paint them but she has recently started producing her images on watercolor paper in a book, read to watercolor on.
Watercolour Flowers – Ready to Paint
This book provides pull-out tracings for five beautiful floral paintings, along with full step-by-step instructions for how to bring them to life with watercolor paint. 48 pages
Click to order Amazon US, UK or Canada
You really can use watercolor pencils in most higher quality books like Johanna Basfords, Hanna Karlzon, Steve McDonald, etc.
Read watercolor coloring supplies, tutorials, and tips here
I’ve recently tried and fallen in love with Prima Watercolors. They come in an adorable tin with 4 options for colors. They have excellent transparency for a budget-friendly watercolor for hobbyists and I’ve found many pro artists using them in their art journals too.
- Prima Watercolor Confections Decadent Pies – lovely creamy colors perfect for faces as well as a few primary colors
- Prima Watercolor Confections: Tropicals – as you would expect, 12 bright tropical colors
- Prima Watercolor Confections: The Classics – Primary & Secondary colors
- Prima Watercolor Confections: Pastel Dreams – Gorgeous pastel colors
- Metallic Watercolors
Kristy, how heavy is the paper you use in your coloring books for water coloring? I’m looking for a coloring book that will hold up to water with minimal buckling.
Her books have real watercolor paper in them, the sort without much tooth, they do buckle a bit while apply the color but then smooth out. It’s nice quality paper.