Coloring for Adults

 

A few months back I was looking for a specific gift, and upon purchase, I says “Yusef, you need these markers”, but for what? I have played with Crayola, marker sets, pastels and watercolors all of my life, usually for a reason, then Amazon did me a favor for once, Adult coloring books. They provide a great deal of detail, which I enjoy, and the opportunities are endless as far as style goes.

Coloring Books!

 

 I purchased a nice dual brush 72 color watercolor marking set, a few books and I am off!

That’s when I found out Snow White doesn’t look good as a Mexican, so I bought some skin tone markers, then I noticed I needed Copper, Steel and Iron, and got some metallic pens  After playing and experimenting, I realized my Diorama experience rolls right over into this art form, color matching and blending is a useful skill here.

Metallics

72 color main set

Skin tones

Typical color wheel

 

 Setup and prep:

  Setup should be a no-brainer, but hey, LCD. A large flat table is preferred  but you do you. I also use Magnifier/light thingy on an arm, my eyes aren’t what they used to be, https://photos.app.goo.gl/iDSCLrz8fHPKQ1UC9

 Color matching is next, take a Real Good Look at the piece you’re going to start, ask yourself, 

 are you ready? Locate every different piece and note the requirements, location, color, all of it,    then you begin the color wheel. Depending on the scenario, you may use 3 or 4 different shades of a color, some saturated, some muted, but it’s best to find out and learn your project Before you start, or you’re not going to have fun..  

Dorothy and Toto

Snow globe

 

 

 Once you begin, you want to start from the center out if possible, this way you can avoid smears.

Plan your work, work from the back forward if at all possible,

If you are doing leaves, rock etc. use many colors, but work it so you get the most out of that marker, then grab it’s complimentary color, you used the Wheel right?

 Some pictures require Bold work, some subtle, it’s all a challenge for me. The only down side might be backgrounds, the sky can be hard to keep uniform in color, I’m going to experiment with mounting a cut out picture on a piece of cardstock, then apply a coat of matte finish over the whole thing.

Like this maybe

 

   I have under 100$ in this pastime, it will keep me from boredom, like all my toys, and it’s a good way to pass the time during rain delays. Without room for dioramas, this works well for me, tons of color mixing and great detail. I think I have skin tones down now, they are difficult to do properly, it takes a very light touch and a one stroke pass, or it all goes to shit. notice the difference in a weeks worth of practice,

Blotchy Dorothy

No blotches there

A few more projects, just because cool shit,

Compass

Olde Compass

 My latest looks good, an interesting take on Lions, let’s see it change,

So many little details,

Gotta have Moar Books!

And a bevy of markers, I use watercolors,

I usually work on four or five pictures at once, and take many Eyeball breaks, some projects may take months, but the medium lends itself to time, I have lots of bits and pieces of time to spare, so this is a good way to spend it. When I have a few big pieces done, I’ll post again, until then, Peace out.

Bonus! watch me speed paint to Vivaldi,