Lately, I’ve been completely obsessed with watching TikTok videos about adult coloring books. I’ve probably watched hundreds of them—mesmerized by the way artists effortlessly bring black-and-white pages to life with vibrant colors and stunning blends. It all looked so relaxing, like the perfect hobby to unwind after a long day. I was convinced that with the right supplies and a bit of inspiration, I’d be able to create something just as beautiful.
So, I jumped in headfirst. I purchased two Fuzzy Hygge Super Cute Coloring Books for myself and my mom, a pack of 120 Caliart alcohol markers, and some white gel and acrylic pens from Amazon. As soon as my supplies arrived, I eagerly flipped through the pages, choosing a cozy Christmas scene by the fireplace as my first project. I imagined myself sinking into a peaceful coloring session, watching the page transform beneath my markers.
But reality didn’t quite match my expectations.
Expectations vs. Reality
Coloring Day 1: High Hopes
After watching countless videos of people creating beautiful works of art, I thought I was ready. I saved instructional videos on techniques like using alcohol markers, creating patterns, and adding dimension through shading and highlighting. The videos made it seem so easy, so relaxing.
I was inspired to dive in and start coloring my first picture. I knew in my heart of hearts that I could execute these techniques with ease since I’m a creative spirit. I thought that creating an artistic masterpiece on my first attempt would be a breeze. Boy was I in for a rude awakening.
First, it took my mother and I over two hours to swatch the 120 colors from my new marker set. This task was a bit tedious and time consuming to complete. However, this had to be done before we could begin coloring because the colors on the caps didn’t match how it looked on paper. Although it took a while for us to finish, I’m glad we did because it saved us time when it came to coming up with a design and choosing our colors.
After we finished swatching all the markers, I pulled the colors that I needed to use on the page. Since it was a Christmas themed page, I decided to go with red, green, white, and yellow as the main colors. For the fireplace, I chose various shades of brown and orange.
Once I was satisfied with my color choices, I began to plan how I was going to design the picture. It seemed simple enough, but it required way more thought than I bargained for. First, I had to decide where I was going to place all the yellow highlights that represented the glow from the fireplace. Next, I had to figure out how I was going to tackle the fireplace. I made sure I practiced on a sheet of scratch paper first making sure the colors coordinated well with each other. Then, I had to execute the plan on the coloring page. I started with the flame in the center like I saw in all the videos. I quickly came to the realization that my markers don’t blend like the ones in the videos because they don’t have a brush tip. I was very disappointed in the final result because it didn’t look as smooth and professional as the one in the videos.
After the flame fiasco, I was leery about continuing with the rest of the fireplace, but I started cautiously coloring the bricks in the pattern I laid out on the scratch paper. Fortunately, it worked out well. The fireplace was shaping up nicely despite the shaky start with the flame. The bricks looked really nice. They looked authentic. I was very proud of my progress so far. It gave me high hopes for the rest of the page.
Coloring Day 2: Disaster Strikes
Unfortunately, the completion of the fireplace wore me out. So, I decided to stop coloring for the day and come back to it at another time when I was fresh and full of energy. Little did I know that the next two coloring sessions would not be as fulfilling as the first.
I chose to color the wall behind the fireplace and the floors during my next coloring session. I started with the floors. I re-watched the videos I saved on coloring the hardwood floors before I began coloring them in. I slowly added the brown to the floors. Then, I meticulously started adding the lines depicting the wood grain. I was nervous the entire time, but they actually looked good once it was all said and done.
Since the floors turned out so well, I felt encouraged. I decided to do a pattern for the wall. I wanted to do something simple yet fitting for a Christmas theme. I ultimately landed on a cute Christmas tree pattern on a beige background. I practiced it on a scratch piece of paper like before and felt ready to begin.
I laid down the base coat of beige and it complimented the fireplace and floors perfectly. Then, I had a fleeting thought that maybe I should stop there, but I decided to be bold and take a chance with making a pattern. I immediately regretted attempting the pattern once it was done. The trees looked a hot mess. Apparently, I became less consistent with the size and spacing of the trees as I was drawing them freehand across the page. As a result, the page looked sloppy and busy. I was so distraught and disappointed that I had to stop coloring for the day.
Coloring Day 3: Rushing to Finish
The next day, I was determined to complete the picture. I was actually tired of looking at it and was worried I was going to mess something else up on the page. Although I had colored in quite a bit of the page, I still needed to color all of the little things like the plant, candles, tea pot, and picture frames. Self-doubt caused me to hesitate with every decision. I was so afraid of ruining the picture after the disastrous wall pattern that I barely wanted to touch the page.
After staring at the page for a mighty long time, I slowly but surely started coloring the smaller areas on the page. I was terrified that I was going to make a mistake. Fortunately, I colored all of the items well.
I finally reached the last large area on the page which were the feet and blanket. Analysis paralysis set in again. I couldn’t decide what pattern I wanted on the socks or blanket. Therefore, I visited my coloring book collection on TikTok again and watched examples of the same page repeatedly until I made a decision. I finally landed on a simple alternating green and red pattern for the blanket, three different red and green patterns for the socks, and red and green color schemes for the mugs. I finished with the entire picture before nightfall. I was unhappy with the end result, but was too tired to care. So, I closed the book for the night and decided to give it a rest.
Coloring Day 4: Mischief Managed
The next day, I opened the book and just stared at the offending patterned wall. I knew something had to be done about it immediately. I ultimately decided that I needed to cover it up. I pulled various markers from my set and started trying different colors until I found one that complimented the page and was dark enough to cover the trees. I prayed it would work. Otherwise, I was going to be upset.
Fortunately, it worked perfectly. The green covered the trees nicely. You could still see the faint shadows of the tree pattern underneath if you looked hard enough, but the overall effect was quite nice. I felt relief when I saw how well the cover-up worked. The picture looked much closer to what I originally envisioned. I could finally put my pens up and be done with that page.
Challenges and Solutions
- Color Palette Selection: Keep it simple. Use inspiration from Pinterest or choose monochromatic palettes.
- Overthinking Design Choices: Avoid overcomplicating designs. Sometimes, simple and neat pages are just as beautiful.
- Analysis Paralysis: Limit the amount of inspiration you consume to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Small Wins
- My second attempt, a cat in bed scene, turned out better thanks to a simple color palette.
- Reflecting on mistakes helped me improve.
- I learned to accept mistakes as part of the process.
Lessons Learned
- Perfectionism: Mistakes happen, and that’s okay.
- Comparison: Develop your own style instead of trying to replicate others.
- Patience: Talent doesn’t equate to instant expertise. Practice is key.
Conclusion
I assumed I’d excel at adult coloring right away, but it humbled me. With time and reflection, I’ve learned to enjoy the process. Ultimately, adult coloring can be relaxing if approached with a childlike spirit. Therefore, keep it simple, and don’t overthink it.
Have you tried adult coloring books? Share your experience in the comments below!
