Last summer our daughter living in Ukraine found what she thought was the most unique, perfect gift for her dad: a coloring book! It wasn’t just any coloring book.
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It was a hard-bound book filled with the most fascinating, detailed designs imaginable,
-
It had a Ukrainian copyright, and was printed in Ukrainian, and
-
It was a coloring book for adults!
It’s fun to use the book, and I look forward to summer evenings on the patio coloring the amazing designs with my colored pencils.
After giving me the book for a Christmas present, however, our daughter discovered the same book—in English!—in a bookstore in Seattle. She called with the “terrible news” that her gift was not really a Ukrainian book at all, but that it had been written originally in English by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford, and that her “unique” Ukrainian book had been translated from the original English.
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Her news made me enjoy the book even more. I was the owner of the Ukrainian version of Secret Garden, a book that has been bestselling title on Amazon in the US—selling more copies than any novel. Why do ADULTS find such coloring books so interesting? They fill several needs:
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First of all, coloring is relaxing.
-
Secondly, coloring offers a bit of nostalgia, a chance to reconnect with childhood.
-
Last of all, the books make it easy for people to be creative. Basford says, “You don’t have to have any artistic talent, but what you create is unique.” People are proud enough of their coloring to send her pictures of their work—framed and laminated.
Obviously, adults seek a means for creative expression, and they would likely draw their own pictures, but drawing is just too daunting—even though being able to draw would provide them far more creative expression. So what would it take to help these adults take the leap and draw their own pictures? It would only take them five steps:
-
Start with the coloring book. It will remind you of how much fun it is create visual art.
-
Start drawing on your own by copying some easy-to-draw lines.
-
Find someone who knows how to draw, and ask them to let you draw with them—one line at a time—until you have completed a drawing. You can start with a free art lesson an see how satisfying it can be.
-
Once you have the foundation of the drawing completed, fill in the details (that’s the fun part) until your page is filled.
-
Then add color to the “coloring book page” you have created!
Of course, all these steps could be reduced to just two:
-
Start with the coloring book. It will remind you of how much fun it is create visual art.
-
Use an ArtAchieve art lesson for kids: They are a great way for adults to learn to draw too!
Visit the ArtAchieve website for free art lessons and turn one of our art lessons for kids into an art lesson for adults.
And while you’re at it, ask a child to join you. You’ll be surprised to discover how much you’ll learn from each other!
Last summer our daughter living in Ukraine found what she thought was the most unique, perfect gift for her dad: a coloring book! It wasn’t just any coloring book.
-
It was a hard-bound book filled with the most fascinating, detailed designs imaginable,
-
It had a Ukrainian copyright, and was printed in Ukrainian, and
-
It was a coloring book for adults!
It’s fun to use the book, and I look forward to summer evenings on the patio coloring the amazing designs with my colored pencils.
After giving me the book for a Christmas present, however, our daughter discovered the same book—in English!—in a bookstore in Seattle. She called with the “terrible news” that her gift was not really a Ukrainian book at all, but that it had been written originally in English by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford, and that her “unique” Ukrainian book had been translated from the original English.
|
|
|
Her news made me enjoy the book even more. I was the owner of the Ukrainian version of Secret Garden, a book that has been bestselling title on Amazon in the US—selling more copies than any novel. Why do ADULTS find such coloring books so interesting? They fill several needs:
|
First of all, coloring is relaxing.
-
Secondly, coloring offers a bit of nostalgia, a chance to reconnect with childhood.
-
Last of all, the books make it easy for people to be creative. Basford says, “You don’t have to have any artistic talent, but what you create is unique.” People are proud enough of their coloring to send her pictures of their work—framed and laminated.
Obviously, adults seek a means for creative expression, and they would likely draw their own pictures, but drawing is just too daunting—even though being able to draw would provide them far more creative expression. So what would it take to help these adults take the leap and draw their own pictures? It would only take them five steps:
-
Start with the coloring book. It will remind you of how much fun it is create visual art.
-
Start drawing on your own by copying some easy-to-draw lines.
-
Find someone who knows how to draw, and ask them to let you draw with them—one line at a time—until you have completed a drawing. You can start with a free art lesson an see how satisfying it can be.
-
Once you have the foundation of the drawing completed, fill in the details (that’s the fun part) until your page is filled.
-
Then add color to the “coloring book page” you have created!
Of course, all these steps could be reduced to just two:
-
Start with the coloring book. It will remind you of how much fun it is create visual art.
-
Use an ArtAchieve art lesson for kids: They are a great way for adults to learn to draw too!
Visit the ArtAchieve website for free art lessons and turn one of our art lessons for kids into an art lesson for adults.
And while you’re at it, ask a child to join you. You’ll be surprised to discover how much you’ll learn from each other!
Last summer our daughter living in Ukraine found what she thought was the most unique, perfect gift for her dad: a coloring book! It wasn’t just any coloring book.
-
It was a hard-bound book filled with the most fascinating, detailed designs imaginable,
-
It had a Ukrainian copyright, and was printed in Ukrainian, and
-
It was a coloring book for adults!
It’s fun to use the book, and I look forward to summer evenings on the patio coloring the amazing designs with my colored pencils.
After giving me the book for a Christmas present, however, our daughter discovered the same book—in English!—in a bookstore in Seattle. She called with the “terrible news” that her gift was not really a Ukrainian book at all, but that it had been written originally in English by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford, and that her “unique” Ukrainian book had been translated from the original English.
|
|
|
Her news made me enjoy the book even more. I was the owner of the Ukrainian version of Secret Garden, a book that has been bestselling title on Amazon in the US—selling more copies than any novel. Why do ADULTS find such coloring books so interesting? They fill several needs:
|
First of all, coloring is relaxing.
-
Secondly, coloring offers a bit of nostalgia, a chance to reconnect with childhood.
-
Last of all, the books make it easy for people to be creative. Basford says, “You don’t have to have any artistic talent, but what you create is unique.” People are proud enough of their coloring to send her pictures of their work—framed and laminated.
Obviously, adults seek a means for creative expression, and they would likely draw their own pictures, but drawing is just too daunting—even though being able to draw would provide them far more creative expression. So what would it take to help these adults take the leap and draw their own pictures? It would only take them five steps:
-
Start with the coloring book. It will remind you of how much fun it is create visual art.
-
Start drawing on your own by copying some easy-to-draw lines.
-
Find someone who knows how to draw, and ask them to let you draw with them—one line at a time—until you have completed a drawing. You can start with a free art lesson an see how satisfying it can be.
-
Once you have the foundation of the drawing completed, fill in the details (that’s the fun part) until your page is filled.
-
Then add color to the “coloring book page” you have created!
Of course, all these steps could be reduced to just two:
-
Start with the coloring book. It will remind you of how much fun it is create visual art.
-
Use an ArtAchieve art lesson for kids: They are a great way for adults to learn to draw too!
Visit the ArtAchieve website for free art lessons and turn one of our art lessons for kids into an art lesson for adults.
And while you’re at it, ask a child to join you. You’ll be surprised to discover how much you’ll learn from each other!
