As they top best-seller lists around the world, there's no denying that adult colouring books are officially a thing. Offering up stress relief and a surprising source of inspiration, your creativity could be kick-started with just a few moments of filling in shapes, patterns and faces. Here, we pick 10 of the best colouring books on offer today that will cater to everyone's tastes.
01. Colour Calm (opens in new tab)
Colouring books have proved so popular over the past few months, it was only a matter of time before a colouring magazine launched! Colour Calm is a bi-monthly offering featuring over 100 designs to fill in as well as exclusive illustrations from top colouring book designers. Issue two (opens in new tab) will feature five original, exclusive cake illustrations by Tom Hovey (opens in new tab) who is best known for his work appearing in The Great British Bake Off (opens in new tab).
02. Dead Shark: The Break-Up Colouring Book (opens in new tab)
Belly Kids (opens in new tab) are one of our favourites here at Creative Bloq – releasing quirky prints, publications and comics, their collective of illustrators always bring their A-game. This latest offering is a colouring book ode to the best break-ups in movie history. Illustrators Grace Micelli, Grace Helmer, Bunny Bisoux, Patch Keyes and more all feature throughout the pages.
03. Lost Ocean (opens in new tab)
You could describe Johanna Basford (opens in new tab) as a celebrity when it comes to colouring books. Her previous publications – Enchanted Forest (opens in new tab) and Secret Garden (opens in new tab) – made her one of the top sellers on Amazon, with the latter book proving so popular, it was translated into 14 different languages. So, when she announced Lost Ocean – due for release in October – we were more than excited.
04. Tropical Wonderland (opens in new tab)
If intricate patterns are your colouring-bag, then Millie Marotta (opens in new tab) is your illustrator of choice. Filled with with intricately detailed line drawings of exotic plants and creatures, the pages are just begging for a splash of colour and creativity. If you're a fan of this one, you might also like her previous colouring book – Animal Kingdom (opens in new tab).
05. Fantastic Cities (opens in new tab)
Whilst most colouring books tend to focus on forests, gardens and glorious get-aways, illustrator Steve McDonald (opens in new tab) heads in the opposite direction with 'Fantastic Cities'. Featuring cities both real and imagined, you'll be surprised by the serenity that staring at high-rise buildings can bring.
06. Querkles: Masterpieces (opens in new tab)
If you're after a bit of nostalgia but with an adult twist, this colour-by-numbers colouring book could be your ultimate purchase. Whilst the colour-by-numbers of days-gone-by feature images you could already see, Querkles is a series that showcases an array of different shapes that reveals a masterpiece once coloured. A mind-bending bout of inspiration.
07. Doodlers Anonymous (opens in new tab)
Founded by OKAT (opens in new tab) and Hugo Seijas (opens in new tab), Doodlers Anonymous is a collective that has created a permanent home for spontaneous art. There's a blog, interviews, themed-submissions and a lot of amusing thoughts on paper with their colouring books proving particularly popular. Volume 4 is now available to order, with over 60 artists contributing their talents.
08. Bun B's Rap Colouring (opens in new tab)
Most creatives need a tune or two in the background to really get going on a project. Bun B's Rap Colouring and Activity Book combines both with tributes to some of the best hip-hop stars in history. As well as sketches to fill, there's also word searches, crosswords and more, making this one a smart play on rap culture.
09. Indie Rock Colouring Book (opens in new tab)
The Yellow Bird Project combines music and creativity for brilliant charitable causes. Making t-shirts, totes and more, their initiative has been backed by the likes of Best Coast, The National and Bon Iver to name just a few. Their colouring book allows you to add your flair to illustrations inspired by Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and more. A must for any music fan.
10. The Lousy Animals & Friends (opens in new tab)
Created by cult artist Stefan Marx (opens in new tab), this colouring book proves that not all have to be about intricate patterns. Using simple illustrations of lousy animals, this charming colouring book allows space for background creativity where you can inject some patterns of your own if you so wish. A wonderfully weird offering that could offer a path into your colouring book experience.
Like this? Read these!
- Incredible colouring book makes stress melt away (opens in new tab)
- The illustrator's guide to getting an agent (opens in new tab)
- Summer-inspired illustrations are creatively colourful (opens in new tab)
