Wondering which adult coloring books should be on your wish list? These are my top 20 – I’ve owned and tried them all, and these are the “must haves!”
It’s no secret that I love adult coloring. So far I’ve compiled a collection of my favorite (free) adult coloring pages as well as a “101” guide with marker/pencil reviews, basic instructions, and more.
Coloring is an activity that I do on a daily basis, and I find it to be fun, relaxing, and even meditative. If you’re hooked too, you know what I mean. And if you’ve never started, it’s time to pick it up today!
For months I’ve been building up a pretty awesome (in my humble opinion) collection of adult coloring books. I’ve got quite a few.
Apparently a woman never shares the size of her shoe closet or her adult coloring book collection . . . basically, I’m almost embarrassed to tell you how many I have. But I will say it’s over 20.
And based on my experience with all of these adult coloring books, I’m sharing with you my top 20 – the best of my collection!
To answer your questions: 1) yes, I may have a problem; 2) I own of these personally; 3) I have colored pages in ALL of these books.
So when I tell you I love them, it’s my honest opinion. I’m curious to know which of these adult coloring books you own personally, and which you’d like to add to your wish list! Let me know in the comments.
PS – find out the best colored pencils here (I tested them!)
1
Race Point Publishing
Color Me Calm: 100 Coloring Templates for Meditation and Relaxation
An art therapist and an artist got together to create this book, which has chapters including Mandalas, Water Scenes, Wooded Scenes, Geometric Patterns, Flora & Fauna, Natural Patterns, and Spirituality.
Get it Here
2
Laurence King Publishing
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
Apparently this book has sold 3 million copies worldwide, which kind of speaks for itself. But what I love is that you get a ton of pretty flowers and then other natural items and creatures as well. This is your chance to use ALL of your colored pencils and really play with color.
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3
HarperFestival
Color Me Inspired
This book encourages readers to place their own photographs inside hand-drawn frames, add their own doodles to artwork, and much more by coloring in a variety of artwork and patterns in Kristina’s signature style. Kristina’s clever prompts and suggestions help make this book stand out.
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4
Coloring Book Cafe
125 Mandalas: An Adult Coloring Book
Combining classic spiritual designs with mandalas which reflect the creativity of countless different cultures, inside you’ll find an amazing selection of mandalas to rouse your imagination and help you color your next masterpiece.Note: you can get a 100 mandala coloring book for less here.
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5
Gray & Gold Publishing
An Inspirational Coloring Book: Be Fearless In The Pursuit Of What Sets Your Soul On Fire
Enter Papeterie Bleu’s world of inspiration and motivational self-expression through creativity with this stress-relieving coloring book for grownups. Inside you will find 35 whimsical pages that will take you to your happy place for coloring, relaxation, and introspection. Perfect for decorating with markers, colored pencils, gel pens, or watercolors.
Get it Here
6
Scholastic
Harry Potter Coloring Book
Filled with intricate illustrations and elaborate designs used in the making of the Harry Potter films, this book invites you to imbue the wizarding world with color in your own explorations of Hogwarts Castle, the Forbidden Forest, and much more.You will also find pages of magical creatures and iconic scenes from the films, from the Sorting Ceremony in Harry's first year, to the unforgettable final battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort
Get it Here
7
Cindy Elsharouni
Adult Coloring Stress Relieving Designs
If you're looking for a book that has a little bit of everything, this is a good choice! It's perfect for every skill level, and you'll get all sorts of designs from animals to mandalas to flowers and more. This is a great beginner book!
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8
Schwartz & Wade
I Love My Hair: A Coloring Book of Braids, Coils, and Doodle Dos
The illustrations in this book are truly spectacular and so fun. A huge hairdo with florals, bows, and leaves? Braids and mohawks? This book is just cool.
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9
Jade Summer
100 Amazing Patterns: A Coloring Book
This book is an incredible collection of relaxing and easy-to-color patterns. Enjoy the symmetrical and simple beauty of lovely flowers, elegant floral patterns, fun geometric shapes, adorable animals, and much more! With 100 different patterns to color and a variety of themes, you will always have something different to color.
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10
Rockport Publishers
Just Add Color Botanicals: 30 Original Illustrations
These florals and plants are a bit more modern than others? I'm not sure if that's the right word, but this coloring book is definitely Lisa Congdon (the illustrator's) signature style. And I love it.
Get it Here
11
John T
F*ck Off! This is MY Coloring Book
Maybe you have a potty mouth – maybe it's your best friend? Whomever it is, they need this coloring book. This is for those extra stressful days when regular pages aren't going to cut it.
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12
Laurence King Publishing
Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Coloring Book
I'm a big nature lover, so this book was a given. But not only are there flowers, leaves, forests . . . there are castles, fairies, and other magical elements – along with hidden objects and fun mazes. You'll need well-sharpened colored pencils or detail pens for this book.
Get it Here
13
Angie Grace
Balance (Angie’s Extreme Stress Menders)
I find the patterns in this book particularly relaxing to color. I enjoy the symmetry and all of the little intricate details . . . all 50 pages. The term "stress mender" is completely accurate for this book!
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14
MantraCraft
100 Flower Designs: Coloring Book For Adults
This adult coloring book includes 100 beautiful designs including single blooms, bunches, vases, and a variety of bouquets. These beautiful designs are printed single-sided and range in complexity and detail from beginner to expert-level.
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15
Blue Star Coloring
Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns
This was my second coloring book so it holds a special place in my heart. If you are looking for basic with all sorts of various patterns in all sorts of sizes to color, this is it.
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16
Creative Haven
Creative Haven Owls Coloring Book
I have an owl tattoo on my left ankle . . . need I say more? Owls are a symbol of wisdom to me so I enjoy them as art, and apparently to color as well.
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17
IDW Publishing
The Beauty of Horror: A GOREgeous Coloring Book
Get that red crayon ready! With this coloring book for adults channeling The Walking Dead meets The Secret Garden, this invites fans of horror to discover their inner-colorist. Through intricate pen and ink illustrations to complete, color, and embellish, readers will meet an onslaught of severed heads, monsters, deadly weapons, and skeletal remains.
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18
Penguin Books
Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure and Coloring Book for Adults
With so many books out there that include florals or geometrics, this is a fun deviation from that. Lots of fish, seahorses, treasure . . . and even a fold-out ocean landscape in the middle (which I haven't colored yet – but am looking forward to!).
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19
Blue Star Coloring
Stress Relieving Animal Designs
I absolutely love animals! It's hard not to color them in the "natural" color palette that they come in, but nothing is wrong with a blue lion when it comes down to it. There are all sorts of animals in here, big and small, in all sorts of environments around the world.
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20
Lilt Kids Coloring Books
Detailed Designs and Beautiful Patterns
This was my first coloring book, and the reason I like it is because it's easy for me to use my favorite Twistables colored pencils on the designs. The designs aren't too intricate (I can color a page in a few hours), but just intricate enough that I feel a sense of accomplishment.
Get it Here
Which of these adult coloring books have you colored in, and which would you love to add to your collection? Let me know in the comments!
Catherine
Tuesday 8th of December 2015
i notice some coloring books i bought hat spaces that were too tiny for me to see well and color in. My husband and i decided to create coloring books with my zentangle inspired drawings. I created a facebook pages for those who color my drawings can share.
Paige
Friday 20th of November 2015
I've been loving all of the adult coloring books I've been seeing lately. I'm going to have to put one on my christmas list for this year.
Paige http:/thehappyflammily.com