Every person I have asked has had at least one memorable experience with nature that has left them breathless and full of wonder. Based off of others' experiences with nature, and sometimes my own, I identify and capture those tiny but powerful moments through art. I'm happy to share some ideas of how you can capture your own moments of wonder when coloring the many great coloring pages you are working on. While these ideas are specific to printable coloring pages, some of these treatments can also work with pre-printed coloring books too. You totally have it in you to turn any ordinary coloring page into your own unique finished art piece worthy of a spot on your walls. Let's get started, shall we? First up, watercolors:
As long as your paper is thick enough, try painting your page! I printed these pages on watercolor paper then covered the design with water. Then I touched the wet paper with pigment and let the colors blend together. I finished the grolar bear off with a few artistic splatters, but that's optional if you're a color-in-the-lines kind of person. This method works best with 2-3 colors that work well together because once they blend, you get even more colors in there. Next up, colored pencils and markers:
Picking favorite hues and adding them to the tiny details of a coloring page is what coloring pages are all about, right? This classic method is a little more time-intensive, but relaxing. Try a twist on this method by printing on different paper colors. Then, don't be scared to whip out all the crazy colors you love! Go ahead and give it a whirl! Or, foil it up:
I made these using a heat foiling machine that reacts to toner printing. So, this method works great if you are printing your own pages on a basic toner printer at home. The results? A showstopping piece that doesn't take too much of your precious time. What's not to love about that? Lastly, don't forget to rope in those crazy kids:
Why not turn it into a family night? Kids love art and frequently identify as artists! I don't know about you, but our little hooligan is at the stage where she likes to do everything we do, so having different coloring pages has the potential to be problematic. Printing our own pages works great because we can all work on the same image without the struggle. (Also, we can print as many as her little hands can work through, which can be quite a lot, turns out.) We each break out our own art supplies and art it up together while discussing interesting animal facts and reminiscing about our shared moments in nature. It's a great learning opportunity for all parties. We learn to loosen up and think more creatively and she gets a mountainload of knowledge about the natural world around her. Then, we share, appreciate, and display our pieces together.
There you have it: just a few ways you can customize your printable coloring pages, and I hope it sparked ideas for additional treatments you'd like to experiment with. If you'd like to experiment to your heart's content, you can snag your own printable PDF of the pages shown in the photos, along with others in the shop!
There you have it: just a few ways you can customize your printable coloring pages, and I hope it sparked ideas for additional treatments you'd like to experiment with. If you'd like to experiment to your heart's content, you can snag your own printable PDF of the pages shown in the photos, along with others in the shop!