Say Goodbye to Stress with Watercoloring and Coloring Books!

Nowadays, finding moments of tranquility can feel like a luxury. It’s easy to get lost in your work, personal errands, caring for your loved ones, and more without being able to take a breather. That’s where coloring books step in as an unexpected yet powerful tool for relaxation and mindfulness. 

From whimsical florals to intricate patterns, coloring books can help you slow down, breathe, and connect with your inner artist without too much work. We’ll dive into this underrated art form today and how you can make the experience more enjoyable! 

When people think of coloring books , the first thing that comes to mind could be something like: “But this is for kids!” or “It’s too easy, will this even be calming?”. Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s worth it! Here are some reasons why: 

When you direct your attention to whatever you’re coloring, that gives your brain a lot of opportunity to focus on coloring between the lines and making sure everything looks good. While you’re coloring, you forget about everything else that worries you. Let go of all that work stress and errands you’re thinking about, and instead, focus on completing your artwork. 

The reason why coloring is perfect for beginners is that you don’t have to worry too much about complicated techniques. All you have to think of is staying within the lines! Once you’re able to color basic designs easily, you can move on to more challenging patterns and even sketch your own images before coloring them in! 

Altenew Watercolor and Gouache  

Much like any other activity that you spent a lot of time and effort on, seeing that finished, colored project just hits different. You feel that sense of pride and happiness seeing something that you made with your own two hands. There’s no better way to relax! 

Now you might be thinking of using pens, markers, or even crayons to use with coloring books. Those will work incredibly well, but you could also be overlooking watercolor pencils and watercoloring techniques in general! Here are some supplies and techniques you can explore for your next coloring project. 

If you’re looking for something a bit more beginner-friendly and maybe even neater than watercolor tubes and pans, consider watercolor pencils ! As the name suggests, these are essentially pencils that you can use to color and paint with. 

Altenew Woodless Watercolor Pencil 24 Set

Either scribble on your paper and spread it with water, or take the pigment from the pencil using a brush and transfer it to your paper. It’s incredibly convenient and creates beautiful results as well! Not to mention the fact that they can also be incredibly affordable compared to other coloring mediums. 

Working with bigger images means you have a lot of room to play! The risk of going beyond the lines isn’t as troubling, and you can even experiment with a bit of color blending. If you’re coloring with bigger images, consider painting with gouache or even coloring pans to give you that flexibility and vibrant color. 

When playing with coloring books, you can use the watercolor ‘wet-on-wet’ technique to help spread the colors evenly and with minimal effort. All you have to do is lightly brush your paper with water, and then add a few drops of pigment from your chosen color. You’ll notice that it’s much easier to spread the color around! 

Watercoloring for beginners can be daunting, especially for those who have never done it before, but f you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by stress or simply craving a mindful hobby, coloring books might be just the solution you need.

Remember: you don’t have to be an artist to enjoy the benefits of coloring. As long as you’re creating and relaxing, you’re doing it right. Have fun, and for more coloring books and watercolor inspiration, don’t hesitate to explore The Creative Corner! 

Q: How to do watercolouring? 

A: Watercoloring can be as simple as dipping a wet brush in some paint or gouache and transferring it to a canvas or your desired surface to create a beautiful project! There are lots of techniques to explore, so it’s certainly a must-try for artists of all levels.

Q: What is loose watercoloring? 

A: Lost watercoloring is somewhat synonymous with the “wet-on-wet” technique because you’re working with wet paint on a wet surface. The idea is to be loose with your movements and embrace creativity and spontaneity as you create art.

Q: How hard is watercoloring?

A; How hard watercoloring is depends on your level of experience and the techniques you’re trying to work with. For beginners working on simpler techniques, it’s actually quite easy and calming, while the more complex artworks and techniques will take a lot of time and effort.