The Best Videos to Learn Adult Coloring Book Techniques

Coloring inside the lines may seem like a skill you learned in grade school, but adult coloring books have a lot more lines and potential for intricate shading. These adult coloring book how-to videos demonstrate ways to make a simple coloring page into an outlet for expression. Plus it can be your first step to learning a lot more about how to draw and color.

Johanna Basford is the designer of several impressive coloring books. Some of her coloring tips may be a bit obvious such as pick a coloring book with a topic you love. However, she also covers the basics about why some people choose coloring pencils or pens. Pens have a big pop of color while pencils are a little more forgiving and also offer plenty of options for shading and blending. And there’s also some smart suggestions, like testing out your pen and pencil on the coloring book’s material to see how it looks before you begin.

Mad Pretty emphasizes the importance of using colorless blenders for shading the colors so the tones shift easily into one another. Organizing your pencils before you begin coloring is also helpful to know the options you have at hand. Color coding your pencils can help ensure easy colored pencil or pen combinations are at your fingertips. Creating a color palate can also be a source of inspiration for the shades and tones you’ll use.

TeeJay Today shows how to use two different shades of pencil to create dimension and shapes on a coloring book page. In his example, he combines two shades of yellow and orange to simulate a natural curve in a bird picture. Blending tones from dark to light on the page suggests depth in the object. The sound quality isn’t the best, but the lessons are smart.

Peta Hewitt uses "Animorphia" by Kerby Rosanes to demonstrate a few important coloring techniques. For example, Hewitt leaves some spaces blank to create a more dynamic image. She also experiments with various color combinations to create unexpected and eye-catching combinations. All of her ideas in this video are implemented with low-cost pencils applied with an approach that's both playful and artistic. 

Should you buy nice expensive art pencils or just the best bargain? Of course the answer to that question depends on your reasons for coloring. If you’re just starting and want to color for relaxation the type of pencil you use may not matter. Sarah Carabot tests six different types of pencils to show the difference between low-cost Crayola pencils and the high-range “watercolor” pencils. As she demonstrates, the shade of the materials is just one consideration. The type of pencil used will influence how you hold the pencil, how much pressure needs to be applied and the finish.