Saturday on the Couch… with colouring books

Colouring books for adults are for sale everywhere, and continue to be a big publishing trend.

I read that the craze for adult colouring books began in France, where it is still popular. One might wonder what is causing adults to turn to what has historically been a childish pastime. Therein may lay the answer, the simple act of selecting a colour and filling in between lines is an absorbing enough so that the brain is engaged, without requiring an abundance of concentration.  Many adults are finding colouring to be a great pastime which has the additional benefits of reducing stress and allowing them to unwind.

Therein may lay the answer, the simple act of selecting a colour and filling in between lines is an absorbing enough so that the brain is engaged, without requiring an abundance of concentration. Many adults are finding colouring to be a great pastime which has the additional benefits of reducing stress and allowing them to unwind.

Many adults are finding colouring to be a great pastime which has the additional benefits of reducing stress and allowing them to unwind.

Off the wall: Drawings for colouring with pencil, ink and paint by Kyle Hughes-Odgers

The author is an Australian artist who has held exhibitions and been commissioned to complete large scale pieces of art, published books for children and is known internationally for his quirky characters and street art. One of his most well-known commissions has its home on the exterior of the Perth international airport. Other well-known pieces are the interior mural at Jamie Oliver’s Perth restaurant, a mural overlooking the Mitchell Freeway in Perth, and a mural at the Murdoch University. His most recent solo exhibition, A Survival Guide, is on show at the Swinton Gallery in Madrid.

The colouring book is filled with distinctive line drawings done in the classic Hughes-Odgers manner.  The drawings are quite intricate, and aimed at an adult market. Many of the drawings depict people performing activities in an abstract manner.  The book is roughly three-quarters the size of an A4 page and has 46 pages of good quality paper. You could construct your own hybrid artwork for display, and have fun doing it.

Mulga’s Magical Colouring Book by Mulga

Mulga, aka Joel Moore, is a Sydney-based artist who had his first art show at a Cronulla gallery in 2012.  He has been working full time in the art world since 2014.

Mulga had thought of publishing a colouring book before it came to be a trend. He recognised that his style of art suits colouring in because he is fond of using detailed black lines. His publisher gave him some statistics on sales, and the rest is history.

Mulga’s book features a number of drawings of animals and bearded men. I work with teenage boys in a social work role and found that the boys really enjoyed colouring these drawings. The images have masculine appeal, resembling gangsters, pirates and sailors. Many of the pages feature a single image, but the book also has some smaller sketches.  There are 80 pages of high-quality paper a bit smaller than A4 size.  This book and a set of colouring pens would make a great gift for a teenage boy.

The images have masculine appeal, resembling gangsters, pirates and sailors. Many of the pages feature a single image, but the book also has some smaller sketches.  There are 80 pages of high-quality paper a bit smaller than A4 size.  This book and a set of colouring pens would make a great gift for a teenage boy.

Have you embraced adult colouring books yet? Let us know in the comments below!