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 that has entered the adult coloring book arena with three beautiful books designed for colorists and watercolor artists alike.
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 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.
Kristy released 3 new watercoloring books for 2017!
Kristy’s Winter Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book
Kristy’s Spring Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book
Kristy’s Summer Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book
Painterly Days: The Flower Watercoloring 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.
Kristy has created a few videos for we 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 completely 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 Carribean Coloring Book on Amazon or Book Depository
Rainforest Escape: My Island Animal, Exotic Flower and Tropical Plant Color Book on Amazon or Book Depository
Pre-order Carnival Escape: Go Wild in this Colorful Parade on Amazon or Book Depository
Adornit has a line of Watercolor Coloring Cards in all sorts of pretty designs.
Adornit This’n That Coloring Book
Creative Faith Coloring Book by Stephanie Ackerman
Creative Faith Coloring Book. Art Play Coloring Book Printed Artistic Paintable Paper. This book has 16 pages and contains 38 illustrations. Cut apart to use in card making, gift tags, paper crafts, décor..etc. Art Sizes: 8 x 10, 5 x7, 4 x6, 2 x 3. Color illustrations by using coloring pencils, watercolor pencils, markers, gel pens, watercolor paints, alcohol inks, or acrylic paint
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 not only provides pull-out tracings for five beautiful floral paintings, along with full step-by-step instructions for how to bring them to life with watercolour paint. 48 pages
Click to order Amazon US or Book Depository
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
You can see watercolor pencil suggestions here.
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.