Romantic Country: A Fantasy Coloring Book

“Romantic Country” is the imaginary country that artist Eriy created in her childhood. Based on these designs, it is a charming and whimsical land to visit. The artist named this land Cocot. What is interesting about the designs is the back story on how the artist created them. Apparently, these were the first ink studies she had done and while she remembered to buy ink, she forgot to buy a pen! Being resourceful, she used what was on hand – a toothpick. Approximately 700 toothpicks were used to create the designs in the book. The unusual drawing tool gives the lines in the book a faded appearance and provides lines that vary in thickness. These add to the charm of the designs rather than detract from them. The artist tells the story about the town at the front of the book and then follows up with a detailed description the subject matter of each design at the back of the book. The fantasy land (and the book) are separated by their areas. There are several maps and five chapters. In all, the story adds an event more delightful layer to the coloring book. It makes it a story book of coloring designs rather than simply a coloring book. The book has a removable dust cover. While there are no elements to color on the inside of the dust cover (a missed opportunity), there are areas to color on the actual brown cover which is attached to the book. The designs are printed on both sides of non-perforated cream colored paper. The ink tones seem almost sepia in nature but it may be because of the toothpick tool. The binding of the book is sewn rather than glued, so you can remove a few pages at a time by snipping a few threads. Eleven of the designs spread across two pages and, in my book, align very well. Fifty-eight designs are printed on one page. Many of the designs merge into the binding but if you remove pages by snipping threads, you should be able to remove them without loss of any of the design. I was able to get the book to lay flat by breaking the spine. There is a bonus fold-out poster included at the back of the book. My copy was fairly bent up. It appears to have been done in manufacturing as the cover of my book and the package it arrived in was pristine. I tested this coloring book with a wide range of coloring medium (though, I must admit, I did not try a toothpick!) Here are the results of my tests and a listing of the coloring medium I used in testing: All of my alcohol-based markers bled through the page immediately. My water-based markers and my India ink artist pens left shadows of color on the backside of the page. My gel pens did not bleed through but required a little extra drying time than ordinary. My coloring pencils worked exceptionally well with this paper. The soft lead pencils went on thick and creamy with little effort. They blended exceptionally well. My hard lead pencils went on distinctly and did not leave indents on the back of the page. I plan to use primarily coloring pencils and some gel pens with this coloring book. If you use any form of ink, be sure to use a blotter page below the page you are working on. The ink will certainly mar the design on the back of the page but the blotter page will keep the ink from seeping further into the book. These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile: Markers: 1) alcohol-based – Copic Sketch, Prismacolor double ended markers (brush and fine point), Sharpies (fine and ultra-fine) Bic Mark-its (fine and ultra-fine) and 2) water-based – Tombows dual end markers (brush and fine point), Stabilo 88, and Staedler triplus fineliners India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip) Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes - 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, Caran D'Ache Pablo Colored Pencils and Faber-Castell Polychromos

I saw this in stores, but purchased here. As always, Amazon has the best prices on coloring books! This book is absolutely adorable if you like quaint images to color. The thing that really drew me to this book was the quality of lineart in it. The lines are unlike any other book I've found. Most books have crisp black lines and more and more I'm finding have a crisp, generic feel to them. It's hard to find a book that still has the feeling of being hand-drawn (like Color Me Your Way, Sommernatt, and Dagdrommar). This book takes it a step further. Not only do the lines retain the sense of being drawn by hand, the lines are a grey color. The color of the lines is a great feature in this book because it makes these pages look stunning with soft, subtle colored pencil and even better with watercolor. I've been using Inktense and Albrect Durer watercolor pencils in mine and have had great results. The pages handle the water well, despite being printed on both sides, as long as you don't overdo it with the water. (I use a water brush for more controlled water flow.) They handle layering and blending of colors well, both dry and wet. The only flaw with the book is that they are printed double sided, which limits the use of markers. However, I think this line style lends itself better to softer colors than bright, bold markers anyway. Bottom line: If you're looking for a new coloring book to use with colored pencil or watercolor, buy this!

I LOVE this coloring book❣ I have somewhere around 15 coloring books including all 3 of Johanna Basford's books. While I do love Johanna's books, this one has completely stolen my heart. The illustrations remind me of quaint European villages and places I've always wanted to go. They take me back to childhood coloring books - a little girl on a swing, a girl reading a book to her teddy bear, little boys around a campfire, castles, windmills, cottages and geese! There is a GREAT variety of detailed pictures and then easier pictures. I like to switch between easier and more detailed when the details become too much. The paper is thick and printed on both sides. It's very different from other papers I've colored on in that it is a creamy color and rather slick. You will have to use darker colors and/or heavier pressure if you're using Prisma Color pencils. I have not tried any other mediums yet, but will update my review after testing what I have. I'm pretty sure that water based markers won't bleed through, but I don't think alcohol based markers would be a good idea. The lines are lighter than most other books as the artist drew these with a TOOTHPICK dipped in ink! They will be easy to cover if that's an issue for you. If you buy no other coloring books, PLEASE buy this one! It will grab your imagination warm your heart❣

I have seen people posting pictures they have colored out of this book for a while now. I thought they were beautiful so I decided to go ahead and get the book. I am in LOVE!! The pictures are so beautifully drawn. The illustrations are so cute and whimsical and so much fun to color. I like that the pictures have a lot of detail but aren't so intricate that they are overwhelming to color. You can add as little or as much detail when you color as you want. The pages are double sided which to me is a big negative, however, with this book I love all the double page spreads so it doesn't bother me too much. I will use only colored pencils on this book because I don't want to chance bleed through onto the next page. The pages are also thick and smooth. They make blending my colored pencils feel like butter and it is amazing! I use prismacolors and the color lays down and blends so beautifully. I am so very pleased with this book and I will be looking for more books by Eriy in the future.

I'm torn on this, so here are my pros and cons: Pros: * This is a very creative book and there's nothing else like in the adult coloring world. This book takes you on a journey through an imaginary town and includes a pull out map to color. It's really cool. * Artwork is very nice * High quality, thick paper (though it is printed double-sided and I wouldn't take the chance of using Sharpies or Copics on it) * Quality dust cover and binding. Cons: *The lines are too light and vary in "lightness". The artwork was drawn with a toothpick, and I suppose that's the reason the lines are so light. Personally, I don't like working with lines that light & varied in saturation. *There's something about the lines themselves that on close inspection, make the artwork look like a bad photocopy. It's completely in contrast with the high quality paper it's printed on. I realize that this was drawn with a toothpick, but honestly? I wish the artist used a traditional medium, as this is a coloring book, not a B&W coffee table book and would've made a finished colored product look nicer, IMO.

This is the cutest coloring book I’ve ever seen! I got it for my daughter. There’s nothing weird in it, just classic and beautiful.

This was a great addition to my adult coloring book collection. Beautiful pictures to color. No tedious designs that cause me anxiety. I mean, this is supposed to be relaxing, right. Anyway, I would definitely recommend. Great quality paper makes it a joy to color.

Romantic Country is such a beautiful and cozy coloring book. The artwork is super detailed and whimsical—it feels like you're stepping into a storybook world full of cute villages, castles, forests, and all kinds of dreamy places. Every page has something new to discover, and the little hidden details make it extra fun. I love that the drawings were done with a dip pen—it gives everything a soft, handmade vibe. The paper quality is great too! My Prismacolors and markers work really well on it, and there’s barely any bleed-through. This book is perfect for relaxing and getting lost in your own little world. Whether you’re new to coloring or have been doing it for years, Romantic Country is such a joy to work on. I honestly never get tired of it!

Beautiful illustrations and details one of my favourite artists. The paper quality is amazing and an absolute joy to colour in.

Das Buch hat ganz zauberhafte romantische Motive zum ausmalen. Schlösser, wunderschöne Häuser auch eine Ladenzeile mit Bäckerei, Buchladen, Cafe usw. Eine kleine Welt für sich. Ich bin ganz verliebt in die Motive. Angemalt sehen sie bestimmt ganz toll aus.Im Gegensatz zur vorherigen Rezension finde ich die Motive nicht unbedingt kindlich. Romantisch sind sie . Der Druck ist etwas blass, mal sehen wie es mit Farbe hinterher aussieht. Die Seiten selber haben eine schöne Dicke. Ich male mit Buntstiften, mit denen werde ich ganz sicher keine Probleme bekommen. Ich freue mich schon darin zu malen. Fehlt mir nur gerade etwas Zeit.

wat een lelijke druk..Inkt is erg vaag en lelijk afgedrukt. Alsof halverwege de toner leeg is gegaan. verder hele eenvoudige kinderachtige platen. direct teruggestuurd

Livro fantástico. Estava ansiosa por recebê-lo Papel de óptima qualidade, bom para utilizar lápis de cor, canetas de cor e watercolors. Desenhos lindos, uns com mais detalhe que outros, todos desenhados com 700 palitos Através das imagens para colorir é contada uma história, uma viagem pela terra mágica Cocot onde se pode encontrar castelos, floresta, vilas, circo e muito mais Recomendo este livro Fantastic book. Was eager to have it Paper of great quality, good for using colored pencils, color pens and watercolors. Beautiful designs, some with more detail than others, all drawn with 700 toothpicks Through the coloring pictures is told a story, a journey through the magical land Cocot where you can find castles, forest, villages, circus and much more I recommend this book

Llegó en excelentes condiciones. Es absolutamente hermoso. No puedo esperar para colorearlo todo ya. Estoy muy feliz. Vale totalmente la pena.