Coloring books, coloring books, coloring books! This craze of adult coloring definitely took the world by storm once people realized that this hobby could be quite therapeutic.
The first coloring book I ever had, like probably many others, was Secret Garden by Johanna Basford. Literally thousands of coloring books have been published since.
Secret Garden was a great first coloring book for me and the many published after that were great too.
There was never a shortage of amazing artwork in the coloring book world.
However, I started to get sick of just coloring flowers, leaves, and cute paisley prints over and over. I wanted something more. I wanted something different.
If you’re tired of coloring flowers and such, this list is perfect for you. I’ve gathered 12 unique books that will spice up your adult coloring hobby.
If you’re new to this craze, check out my beginner’s guide to colored pencils to help you color your pictures more skillfully.
1. VIVE LE COLOR! AFRICA (ADULT COLORING BOOK): COLOR IN; DE-STRESS (72 TEAR-OUT PAGES)
Vive Le Color! Africa is a coloring book filled with 72 pages of beautiful African-inspired patterns, illustrations and animals.
The book is top-bound to accommodate for both left-handed and right-handed colorers.
The coloring pages are one-sided and can be torn out of the book for your convenience.
Viva Le Color! Africa is a bit smaller than your average coloring book at 7 in. x 7 in. but if you like having something compact and portable, this may be perfect for you.
If you like this book, Viva Le Color! has many other series in their collection of 10+ books including other themes like India, Japan, Butterflies and Mandala.
2. MAKE LIFE YOUR BITCH: A MOTIVATIONAL & INSPIRATIONAL ADULT COLORING BOOK
Coloring books have been known to be a great stress therapy but when you introduce swear words to it, coloring has never been more fun.
There’s a lot of swear word coloring books out there but Make Life Your Bitch is my favorite for 2 reasons.
One, it has not JUST words but whole swear-y phrases and two, it’s a typography-focused book.
The best of both worlds. This 56-page coloring book is full of hilarious phrases that will be fun for any adult to color.
Although the artwork is printed one-sided, the pages aren’t perforated so they may be difficult to tear out if desired.
3.VOGUE COLORS A TO Z: A FASHION COLORING BOOK
If you love fashion, you’ll love this coloring book published by American Vogue magazine which features 26 archival magazine covers from 1912 to 1932.
Vogue Colors A to Z features a Jazz Age-inspired alphabet and Art Deco patterns.
Although the book is filled with heavy-weight paper, the pages aren’t perforated and the artwork is printed double-sided which won’t work well if you use coloring supplies that might bleed through the paper.
The lines in the artwork can at times be broken rather than a solid black line but if that doesn’t bother you, it’s still a great look into the history of fashion.
4. FANTASTIC STRUCTURES: A COLORING BOOK OF AMAZING BUILDINGS REAL AND IMAGINED
If you’re tired of coloring flowers and leaves, Fantastic Structures by Steve McDonald will definitely break you out of that mold.
Created from actual photographs, this 60-page book features amazing buildings from all over the world including Prague’s Astronomical Clock, Russia’s St. Basil’s Cathedral, a Florentine bridge, a Romanian castle, an Indian palace, and many dozens more.
The book is printed on both sides of heavyweight, non-perforated pages with a middle margin and can be opened to lay flat for ease of coloring.
If you end up loving Fantastic Structures, be sure to check out McDonald’s other coloring book Fantastic Cities.
5. THE SPLAT: COLORING THE ’90S (NICKELODEON) (ADULT COLORING BOOK)
Since I am no doubt a 90s kid, I was extremely excited to see that this book existed. Nickelodeon was my absolute favorite channel.
I was so obsessed that I had all the magazines, the toys, accessories, EVERYTHING.
The Splat offers 47 designs from several classic Nickelodeon cartoons from the 90s with artwork printed on one-side with a matching quote on the page next to it.
The pages from this book is slightly rougher than usual and are non-perforated. FYI though, a huge complaint for this book is that the pages actually fall apart as soon as you receive it.
6. THE OFFICIAL A GAME OF THRONES COLORING BOOK: AN ADULT COLORING BOOK (A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE)
Winter is coming in this official Game of Thrones coloring book. The illustrations in this 96-page coloring book are incredibly beautiful and will be the delight of any Game of Thrones fan.
The designs are a bit intricate and can be difficult to color at times. You’ll get plenty of structures and dragons but there are plenty of characters too. However, don’t expect to color some of the main characters since they are notably absent in this book.
The artwork are printed on one side of the paper with excerpts from the book written on the opposite side. Some of the designs flow into the middle binding of the book and the pages aren’t perforated so they would be difficult to remove if that was what you desired.
I would take a peek at all of the pages previewed on Amazon before buying since some fans have expressed disappointment with the content of designs in the book.
7. DOODLE INVASION: ZIFFLIN’S COLORING BOOK (VOLUME 1)
Doodle Invasion is a large coloring book that’s actually pretty fun for all ages. It’s filled with 50 different unique and detailed artwork.
All of the artwork is printed on one side, however, the paper is thinner than most coloring books which prevent the use of art markers for this book unless you place a thicker card stock beneath it.
If you want to purchase this book, I’d recommend using a colored pencil for this one.
8. POP MANGA COLORING BOOK: A SURREAL JOURNEY THROUGH A CUTE, CURIOUS, BIZARRE, AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD
Manga and Pop Surrealism artist Camilla d’Errico is the woman behind Pop Manga Coloring Book which features 80-pages of her artwork.
You’ll be able to see her love for whimsical art and creative freedom as her artwork encourages the use of bright color and creativity.
The artwork is printed double-sided on thick paper and provides a non-glossy cover that allows for coloring as well.
Definitely check out this artwork as you’ll notice very quickly, this artwork is quite unique compared to other coloring books.
9. SECRET PARIS: COLOR YOUR WAY TO CALM
Secret Paris: Color Your Way to Calm is a sweet and whimsical coloring book filled with 86 illustrations for the beautiful city of Paris, France.
The artwork in this book ranges from patterns, people, items, and architectural illustrations from the streets of Paris.
Markers may be difficult to use in these coloring books since the artwork is printed double-sided on medium-weight paper.
If you like this book, you’ll also love other books in their series such as Secret Tokyo and Secret New York.
10. EDGAR ALLAN POE: AN ADULT COLORING BOOK
“Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from out my door! Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore’ ” If you love Edgar Allan Poe, this 96-page coloring book combines the best of his tales along with Odessa Begay’s chilling images.
The artwork is printed double-sided on a light card stock paper but they’re not perforated so it’ll be difficult if you want to tear out the pages.
At times, the pictures will flow into the binding but if you aren’t planning on removing finished artwork, it shouldn’t be a huge problem.
11. BEAUTIFUL CREATURES: A GRAYSCALE ADULT COLORING BOOK OF ANIMALS
Beautiful Creatures by Nicole Stocker is a grayscale adult coloring book filled with 48 images of animals and creatures.
Grayscale coloring books are not for everyone and may require a bit of a higher coloring skill level but if you are willing to try new techniques, then you gotta try it! It’s deceivingly simple.
Just follow the grayscale by applying darker colors on the darker areas of the design and lighter colors on the lighter areas.
The illustrations are printed one-sided on 100lb archival, acid-free paper and can be easily ripped out of the pages for your convenience.
12. 404 NOT FOUND: A COLORING BOOK BY THE OATMEAL
You’re seriously missing out if you haven’t read any of the comics from The Oatmeal. I have all of his books and they are absolutely hilarious.
It isn’t out yet so I can’t provide any details on the paper and the content but it will be soon.
I would assume that this book will deliver nothing short of the humor and awkward drawings that he typically provides.
If you’re a fan and love coloring books, this is perfect for you!
