7 tips to make your adult colouring books pop

In case you missed the memo, colouring in is no longer just for the kids. Children have always known that it’s a relaxing activity to unwind with and regain focus, and even take your mind off anything that is currently bothering you, but for some reason when we hit a certain age we stop. 

Now there are dozens of colouring books available just for adults. Featuring intricate patterns (so no, you don’t need to colour in your grandkids’ favourite cartoon characters, although it could be a great activity to do together), they are a great way to relax and fill in time. 

We may have learnt how to stay inside the lines with our crayons as children, but as adults we probably want our colouring to be a little bit more sophisticated. So what is the best colouring technique?

We’ve come up with a list of tips to ensure your colouring is next level as a creative outlet. 

1. Use felt tips for a bold, vibrant colour

If you’re wanting bright, bold, and intense colours, felt tipped pens are the way to go. They’re especially ideal for colouring small sections, and come in different tip sizes to ensure you can colour in delicate details easily.

2. Coloured pencils are great for adding shaded detail

It is a good idea to invest in artist quality coloured pencils, as they will give you a far smoother texture than the cheap ones your grandkids probably have in their pencil case. They allow you to blend or shade multiple colours, and you can achieve a look as bold or as soft as you want.

Shading can give your colouring a 3D quality that really brings the picture to life.

3. Use gel pens for metallic or sparkly effects

Gel pens come in a huge variety of colours and effects (such as metallic and sparkly), and are just so smooth and delightful to colour with. They are great for fine detail and adding extra special effects to your work.

The tip size of gel pens also vary from very fine to a little larger.

4. Use kids’ water-based markers as watercolours

They may seem unsophisticated, but children’s markers can make excellent tools for your own colouring. They are water based to ensure they wash out of little ones’ clothing easily, but this means they can also be used similarly to watercolour paints. Use a fine paintbrush and some water to blend and spread the colours, or even a damp cotton bud will work well for small details.

5. Turn your page to make it easier

Make sure you turn the page you are colouring so that your wrist is in line with the direction you are colouring. This way it will flow easily and you won’t end up with a sore wrist.

6. Use baby oil

It’s a bit out of left field, but baby oil is an excellent tool for colouring. You can use a little bit on a cotton bud to blend colours from regular coloured pencils, making them appear like watercolours.

Ensure that the base of your picture will not bleed before you use baby oil however. If you’ve printed out a sheet with an ink printer for example, the outlines may blend too.

7. Use white space

Leaving white spaces is a great way to show light (for example, if you leave a sliver of white at the edge of a circle, it will make it appear spherical) and really make your drawing pop.

Have you jumped aboard the colouring trend?