Querkles: A Fun Spin on Adult Coloring!

As a fan of adult coloring, I've been searching for more fun novelty books to color, so when I began thinking of what I wanted for Christmas, I scoured the online stores for a new coloring book. This one caught my eye, since I am a lover of old films and pop art. My mother bought it as an early Christmas gift (since I am generally a hard-to-buy-for person), and I quickly started my own Querkle Icon portrait.

Front and Back of Cover

Querkles is basically a 'paint by numbers' but more whimsical, since the sections to color in are made of circles. And instead of having to wait for paint to dry (impossible for me), you can use pencils or markers to color these in. Since I've already acquired a hoard of colored pencils, I chose to use those, though the nice thing about Querkles is each portrait gets it's own page (the page on the other side of the portrait is blank), and it is easy to tear out if you don't wish to color it in the book, making it easier for those of you who like markers to not have collateral damage AKA bleed through.

Another thing that makes this coloring book unique is you only need 5 shades/colors to do an entire page in this book (there are twenty portraits in my Icons book). For those of you color lovers out there, that may seem restrictive, but you have a lot of fun finding the right shades. It took me a couple tries- I even made another color chart with darkest to lightest in each color group before choosing my colors.

Marilyn Monroe Portrait, prior to coloring:

I chose to start with Amy Winehouse for my first Querkle Icons portrait. Since I am a perfectionist, I chose to take the mystery away by looking at the index of portraits in the back of the book, though some portraits, despite their befuddling beginning patterns, I could tell who the portraits depicted. I chose my colors around Amy's penchant for wearing red and yellow. I began with the darkest shade (1) and went to the lightest (5). Here is some of that transformation:

Tips:

-Choose your colors beforehand, even if you choose to not know which portrait you are coloring.

-I went from darkest to lightest, doing one section/color at a time- I highly recommend that approach. Otherwise you may get confused or even a bit overwhelmed.

-Like any puzzle, it's easier to start at the edges- trace the inner outline of the area you wish to color (like the 1 section, 2 section, etc.) and then fill it in. It gives you a barrier just in case you have a penchant to get outside the lines.

-Know your pencils/markers before you choose them. For example, my darkest shade I chose was a pain to work with- I'd rated the brand lowest in my Color Me Happy guide due to its belligerence. And yet, I still chose it to do the largest swathe of color in the portrait. I struggled with it needlessly, when I should've chosen another pencil from the start to work with.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adult coloring with a healthy dose of pop culture portraits that remind one of Sixties style pop art. There is another Querkles book out there if you don't like portraits: Querkles Masterpieces, which I am coveting as I write this. I was impressed with the variety of people portrayed in this book- it is pretty diverse for even a regular book, though the cover/back and my initial portrait choice doesn't do credit to that. For a full list of people portrayed in this coloring book, highlight below (they are in no particular order, so the mystery/puzzle is preserved slightly):

Amy Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, James Dean, Che Guevara, Jimi Hendrix, Groucho Marx, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Nelson Mandela, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frida Kahlo, Janis Joplin, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor

P.S. Although this seems like a sponsored post, I'm just completely obsessed over this book right now and had to share how much I adore it. If you wish to see the complete page of completed Querkles portraits as seen in the back of this coloring book, PM me on Twitter or email me.

Happy Coloring!

Color Me Happy: An Unofficial Guide to Adult Coloring Book Bliss

I recently partook in the phenomenon that is adult coloring... but I have a secret. I used to do the same thing before the craze with velvet posters and markers. There's no shame in expressing yourself artistically, and I can't fathom why anyone wouldn't want to try this, other than having traumatic experiences with coloring inside the lines, but I suppose I won't be covering that today. If you're new to the world of art books and art pencils, it can be a bit overwhelming to know what you actually need, or which of the cheaper brands of colored pencils will work best for you. Luckily in the past month I've learned the basics, along with which colored pencils are actually worth buying, and some helpful tips.

What You Actually Need:
  -An Art Book, or a Good Printer and Computer (some coloring pages can be found for free online)
  -A Good Pencil Sharpener, (preferably manual)
  -A Set of Colored Pencils/Markers, (depending on the person I'd suggest a 24-50 count set)
          *I highly suggest colored pencils if you plan on coloring in an art book.*

What Might Enhance Your Experience:
  -A Case to Store Your Pencils In (I use an old tin)
  -A Clear Jar/Drinking Glass (to put your pencils in while they're in use)
  -Tracing/Thin Computer Paper to Trace With
  -A Pencil
  -High Quality Colored Pencils (usually found at an art supply shop)
  -Someone Else to Color With
  -A Favorite Beverage (preferably in a spill proof cup)
  -Music to Play (TV watching is difficult when your eyes are elsewhere)

Hints & Tips:

  -Always test your colors beforehand, regardless of medium. Most brands will never come out true to the depicted color... or your impression of it.

  -If you're having a difficult time deciding what to color which section, trace the problem areas onto a separate sheet of paper and do a test run.

  -If you have no idea what type of adult coloring book would appeal to you, go to a bookstore and look at them in person. Your perception of how big you think the patterns are might be different, influencing your choice.

  -Use online reviews to help narrow down your choice: often other people will think of something you wish you'd read before buying or ordering a certain art book.

  -Try using different amounts of pressure with your pencils/markers: you can eke out three different shades (or more) from one pencil.

  -Combine two colors to get a completely different shade. I loathed Crayola's Gold and Silver colors, but with an additional color beneath them they look like another brand.

  -Clean the pencil sharpener between pencils. You may end up with a yellow pencil with black specks otherwise.

  -The most important part of adult coloring is... to have fun. Otherwise it isn't worth doing at all.

Colored Pencil Trials:

I bought four brands of colored pencils, with a vast difference in pricing. I chose colored pencils over other mediums because there is no ink bleed, and I would hate to ruin the double sided pages of my Animal Kingdom coloring book just so I could have smoother colors. Also, I've noticed the colors you've put down with markers have a tendency to fade over time, and I'd hate to lose any of the pigment in my pictures just because I chose the wrong brand of markers.

Crayola Colored Pencils 50 Count

Price: About $9
Where Were These Made? Brazil
Package Claims: Preferred by Teachers (I laughed), "Bright, Bold Colors", "Long-Lasting", "Premium Quality"
Price Per Pencil: $0.18
Shape: Cylindrical

Each set of three horizontal cells on this color chart is made by the same pencil, to give you an idea of how many different shades you can get out of one set. You press the hardest to get the more intense color, then adjust your hand's pressure from there. I have two extra cells below the squiggly line on this one to show you how I blended colors to get the right shades of gold and silver.

My Gold = Medium Shade Harvest Gold + Gold
My Silver = Medium Shade Slate + Silver

General Questions (1 = Worst 5 = Best)
  Color Variety: 5
  Easy to Use (Did I have to press hard): 2
  Colors True to Pencil Color: 3
  Sharpens Well: 4
  Long-Lasting: 3
  Laydown (How difficult was it to get an even shade): 2
  True to Package Claims: 2
  Cost: 5

Observations:
Definitely not "Premium Quality"- but what do you expect from a brand from your childhood? The plus on this set is you get a lot of bang for your money, and despite having issues with getting an even shade, I would recommend this set for a beginner. The most disappointing thing is half of the pencils are nothing like the shade they portray on their skins, so you have to do a chart like I did above or test them out before using.

Favorite Shade: Cerulean (Blue)
Least Favorite Shade: the Gold and Silver aren't really what I expected them to be.

Faber-Castell Max Colored EcoPencils 24 Count

Price: $8.99 at Hobby Lobby
Where Were These Made? Brazil
Package Claims: "Designed for easy sharpening", "Premium Quality", "Leads Won't Fall Out", and "More Pigment means brighter, richer colors".
Price Per Pencil: Approximately $0.38
Shape: Three-Sided/Triangular

General Questions (1 = Worst/Hardest 5 = Best/Easiest)
  Color Variety: 4
  Easy to Use (Did I have to press hard): 2
  Colors True to Pencil Color: 4
  Sharpens Well: 2
  Long-Lasting: 4
  Laydown (How difficult was it to get an even shade): 4
  True to Package Claims: 3 (Definitely long-lasting, the leads haven't fallen out yet, but easy sharpening??? It was the most difficult one to sharpen)
  Cost: 2

Observations:
Despite having high hopes for this set, it was the most difficult to use, which cuts the enjoyment out of coloring. When doing my test swatches, I had to press so hard it indented the paper, just to get a good color. To compound that, I was afraid I'd tear up the test paper because the centers of the pencil's lead are so hard. But, the colors are pretty and it lasts a long time.

Favorite Shade: Mint Green or Gray Green
Least Favorite Shade: Green Yellow

Prang Groove Colored Pencils 12 Count

Price: $3.59 due to a clearance (usual price is $5.99 at Hobby Lobby)
Where Were These Made? China
Package Claims: "Bright Colors", "Smooth Laydown", and "Ergonomic".
Price Per Pencil: Approximately $0.30
Shape: Triangular/Three-Sided with "Grooves" to improve grip

General Questions (1 = Worst 5 = Best)
  Color Variety: 3
  Easy to Use (Did I have to press hard): 4
  Colors True to Pencil Color: 4
  Sharpens Well: 4
  Long-Lasting: 4
  Laydown (How difficult was it to get an even shade): 4
  True to Package Claims: 4
  Cost: 3

Observations:
Despite this being made in China, these pencils were really nice. I liked the "Grooves" more than I thought I would, and they sharpened better than the other triangular pencils, despite the other pencils having claims of "easy sharpening". The only bummer with this one is the set that was on clearance was a 12 count- I wish I had more of these!

Favorite Shade: Purple and Light Blue
Least Favorite Shade: I like every color in this set!

Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth Woodless Colour Pencils

Price: About $8- I got them cheaper with some in-store coupons.
Where Were These Made? Manufactured in the Czech Republic
Package Claims: "Excellent Laydown", "Outlasts Wood-Cased Pencils", "High Density", and "Ideal Blending Properties".
Price Per Pencil: Approximately $0.67
Shape: Cylindrical

General Questions (1 = Worst 5 = Best)
  Color Variety: 3
  Easy to Use (Did I have to press hard): 5
  Colors True to Pencil Color: 4
  Sharpens Well: 4
  Long-Lasting: 5
  Laydown (How difficult was it to get an even shade): 5
  True to Package Claims: 5
  Cost: 1

Observations:
I love these pencils. Despite them weighing at least twice as much as the competition, and costing you an arm and a leg, these are beautiful pigments that are so easy to use. Whereas with other pencils it was a little difficult to do the color chart with each shade, with this one it was a snap. I have a feeling these will last me a very long time.

Favorite Shade: Dark Blue, Carmine, and Sap Green
Least Favorite Shade: White (not pictured, as I didn't have black paper on hand to use).

Final Recommendations:

If you're just starting out with adult coloring and testing the waters, get the Crayola set. But if you're very into coloring and want something easy to use, I recommend either Prang Groove Colored Pencils or the Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth Woodless Colour Pencils. Definitely go with the Woodless if you want something super easy to use and have the money to spend.

How do you feel about adult coloring? If you've already started, what is your favorite art book?

"The Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier

What drew me to this particular novel was the cover, and pretty much nothing else. In my teen days, cover lust could drive me to buy just about any (bargain) book, and I generally had good results with that system. Also, I've always been a bit partial to books about art, and given this book's title, I figured I would like it.

Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction, due mostly to this book. Anytime art (or an artist) is brought to life, it changes the way we look at the painting. The Girl with a Pearl Earring was never a standout piece of art to me until I read this book, despite being perfectly lovely on its own. Vermeer knew how to paint light, but would I say the girl portrayed was perfectly beautiful? Without her hair showing, it becomes difficult to tell.

The Plot:
Griet is the eldest daughter of a former tile painter. Her father became blind from a work-related accident, and now she is forced to work as a maid for a painter, Johannes Vermeer, as her brother is working as an unpaid apprentice and they have no other income. Griet becomes increasingly aware of the artist's interest in her, and her role in the house begins to change...

17th century Holland is no place for an impoverished girl, but Griet does fairly well with what she is given. She is rather strong in her own way, unwilling to make being a maid reduce her to the shadows. She's willing to do pretty much anything to make her place in the house easier, even if it means doing tasks she'd rather not do.

Another facet of this book was its take on the Catholics vs. Protestants (two types of Christianity) debacle, and how it separates people in the town. Griet is a Protestant, but the family she's working for is "Papist" (Pope-loving, basically), and so she has a slew of unlikely fears when she comes to work for them. Her original room has a picture of the Crucifixion, which causes her much unrest. Coming from my background (a Protestant who attended the Catholic schools), her horror at it sounds silly, but I can see some historical basis for the tension in the house.

The Girl with a Pearl Earring is an unusually realistic look at the people behind the iconic picture, and how it became what it is today. It's a relatively quick read that gives you a feel for how much work an artist actually had to do to compose a painting, and how little appreciation there was when a painting was finished. If you're interested in art history, this book does a commendable effort to bring a portion of it to light.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent story behind an enigmatic portrait.

Content: I recall sexual misconduct, but not graphic. Also, Griet enjoys slapping children. Ages 16+.

Page Count: 233 pages in my paperback edition

"The Color of Light" by Helen Maryles Shankman

This is a book that I thought I would love, but unfortunately the author ran out of coffee halfway through, and began making rash plot decisions.

Vampires and I have simply been best friends. We both burn in sunlight (literally, have you seen my wild Irish pallor?). We met when I was a Twilight addict, then returned to love with The Historian, Dead Until Dark, and Lover Awakened. Indeed, I find blood-suckers the choicest of beaus, you can actually stake them out of their undeath when you tire of them.

The Plot:
Tessa Moss (our fickle heroine) attends Raphael Sinclair's art school, one of the very last that teaches students to paint like "The Masters". Tessa looks disturbingly similar to Rafe's lost love Sofia Wizotsky, who died in the Holocaust. Raphael strikes up a friendship with Tessa's gallery mate in an attempt to discover what her connection is to Sofia. He proceeds to basically stalk Tessa, showing up and scaring her to death. Did I mention there is a no faculty-student relations rule? Well, Rafe decides he won't actually do that, despite his salivating appetite for her. Another thing I dislike about Tessa: she's an artist's bitch. She is a slave to this has-been artist, Lucian, wanting a relationship with him, but when they finally have a "relationship" he cheats on her. She also kept him from killing himself when he became a has-been.

The plot thickens at The Naked Masquerade, a Halloween fundraiser for the art school, where you can get in for free if you arrive naked. Unfortunately, both the would-be lovers arrive clothed. Tessa's boyfriend arrives with someone else, and she's demolished because she forgot her big girl underthings at home that night. Mr. Sin comes and dances a tango with her, then absconds with her into the night. Apparently, his little dance lifted that painful sorrow on poor Tessa, and they have a heated convo about the unmistakable connection between them. The author even mentions that it was like something out of a movie. Very helpful. She leaves, he stalks her home, then orders a late-night snack ala vampire. The next time he has a chat with her, he thinks Sofia is her grandmother, but Tessa has never heard of the woman. She chooses to mention it at her family's Thanksgiving meal, leading her grandfather into a heart attack. Seriously, I'm not making this up. It's definitely Lifetime Movie Fodder.

I refuse to divulge more of the drama, as it is just that, drama and plot twists and a very confused heroine who doesn't know what the hell she wants. There is much, "Do I love him, do I love him not," going on with Rafe later on that just makes you want to push the girl off the bridge of indecision for her own health and sanity. When the Sofia Wizotsky story unfolded about halfway through, I thought this would be a four asterisk read, but as I said, the poor author ran out of Starbucks and switched to Maxwell House, leading to this novel's demise.

Rating: 2 of 5 Stars for a book that didn't fulfill its promise.

Content: Paranormal Romance, so 18+ for sexual content.

Page Count: 557 in the paperback edition