Cool (Angie's Extreme Coloring Books Volume 2)

So much fun and it takes forever to complete one. Same calming effect as my crochet. I've used different color systems on these: multiple colors, complimentary colors, two or three colors with black to make them pop. Black and white comes out beautifully. Deciding where to put color is sometimes difficult as there are so many segments to each picture and they are often asymmetrical, although I believe there are other books in her series that are more symmetrical than this one. You do need to plan your color patterns ahead of time due to the complexity of the pictures, even if you have many colors to choose from. Difficult to use with cheap pencils so if you want to go this route, buy a better set. I use Staedtler Fine Liner Pens, which made it difficult to color the larger areas. I use a paper between pages, but usually there is no bleed. It depends on your ink, but I don't like to take the chance of ruining the next page. Keep in mind it's important to leave white space as is shown in the semi-colored picture. You cannot fully color these like you would the Mandela-type books as these get too mottled without the white space and the design is lost.

What a fun coloring book! It has just the right combination of symmetry (mandalas, etc.) and quirky whimsy. There is a lot of detail here, but it's not overwhelming. I've used colored pencils (Prismacolor), water-based markers (Crayola SuperTips), and alcohol-based markers (Bic Mark-Its ultra fine point and fine point), and they all work nicely.The designs are printed on one side only, so that's a plus. The markers do have a tendency to bleed through, however, so be sure to put a piece of paper behind the design you're coloring to prevent inadvertent bleeding onto the following page/design. I just use a piece of paper from my printer.I have several other Angie Grade books but I gravitate to this one and her "Balance" book -- they're about equal in terms of the level of detail. Angie was one of the "early" artists doing coloring books for adults -- her first book came out in late 2012, and there are a lot of her books available here. Her style is instantly recognizable -- and her designs provide hours of de-stressing.

For an idea of how beautifully these images are colored, and the consistent quality of the books put out by Angie Grace, visit her website: www.angiegrace.com & also look at the Facebook Group 'Color with Angie Grace'. Angie herself posts pages she's colored & her current WIP to the group at least 2x/wk, and the work you see here done by members is inspiring and will absolutely confirm why you SHOULD order this & other Angie Grace books.My only complaint is that I wish the pages were of a slightly heavier paper stock. Images are one sided & the paper used in the book is sufficient enough to hold markers such as Bic Mark-Its, Sharpies, Prismacolor, Coptic & Crayola. Save yourself a facepalm though & be sure to put a blank sheet being the page you color with marker, as there will be some slight bleed through.

Can we all just take a second and thank Angie for being one of the greatest illustrators in the coloring book industry? I have many AG coloring books and they are all equally as gorgeous. You never get bored with her patterns and her books are perfect for pencils, pens, markers, etc. Her books are printed on top quality paper and can handle "oops" moments if you need to use an eraser and holds up beautifully to Odorless Mineral Spirits. The designs don't cross into the binding so you don't have to tear your book apart unless you want to frame your work, which, I've seen more of her illustrations framed than any other artist out there people have even had their finished pic printed onto t-shirts, which are gorgeous, by the way.These are truly for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced colorists.

I didn't realize how popular adult coloring books had become (because I live under a rock?) and I'm glad I purchased several of Angies Coloring books instead of the hastily made ones found in stores. Wish I had taken Amazon's suggestion to buy the coloring pencils with this purchase because many places were sold out. These were gifted to my adult daughter and friends who are stressed social workers because all these hard working women might enjoy some quiet concentration to destress after a difficult day. I kept one for myself and absolutely love it. Excellent paper sick in these books as well. Im using pencils so I don't have too worry about bleed through though.

I have colored some of the pages, but some are a weird design. I like them to be the same edges and some are different, which I don't like, but that is my preference. You get a lot of duplicates also.

Let's put it this way. . . My husband calls himself a "coloring widower" now, as I have eschewed sitting in front of the TV with him after work for relaxation. Instead, I enjoy coloring for grownups at the kitchen table! Hours fly by engaging the right, non-verbal side of my brain as I choose gel pens of varying colors to fill in these intricate designs by Angie Grace. Results pleasantly surprise me as I let go of conscious control and allow the process to flow! This is one of a series of her books. I recommend this one -- and all of her extreme coloring books! Now if only my husband would join me at the kitchen table!

Love the crazy designs! I first purchased Secret Garden and grew tired of coloring leaves all the time. The paper is pretty thin and the ink does sort of bleed through to the backside (probably why the pages are one-sided). I have a sheet of paper I use in between pages just in case but the gel pens have not bled through to that extent. I plan on trying some of the other books.

Rather disappointed with this colouring book. The designs are interesting but the paper is very thin. I colour with gel pens therefore not the best scenario. I would only recommend this book if you colour with crayons.

good for fun and therapy

My mum bought this book, and as soon as I saw it, I had to have one too. Both of us have quite a few Angie Grace books now, and this one is my 80 year old mums favourite. It contains an unusual mix of surreal patterns and mandalas. The book is roughly 8 and a half inches square, and is kind of floppy. The paper is white, and quite thin compared to other colouring books. We use fibre tipped pens and coloured pencils. Some times you get a bit of bleed through with the pens, but not very often, and we put a bit of paper between the pages just in case. Luckily though, the patterns are printed on one side only, so it doesn't matter if anything comes through. I've included a few photos to show what to expect. It's a totally recommended book.

I've bought others but Angie Grace seems to give me the abstract designs I enjoy the most.I use both high quality pencil crayons and and good felt tips throughout the book and some designs are more suitable to one or the other but either could certainly be used throughout. There's a lot of "repeated" styles and one or two look similar to others, but there are no copies. One big advantage is that the designs are only printed on one side of the paper so if there is any 'bleed', it's less important. I also find that aspect helpful for testing the colours before using them.I'd recommend this, but if someone has a "better" selection, I'm open to persuasion..

I was looking forward to colouring in again but sadly the paper in this book is so poor I fear any other medium apart from crayons will leak through from page to page. I had expected better quality paper, my mistake for not checking this book out in a store first. Designs are really good though.