Colouring mandalas... it's addictive!

Did you enjoy colouring as a child? If so… remember how excited you were when you received your first pack of Crayola wax crayons? Remember the pride you felt when you “graduated” to pencil crayons, felt tip markers, water paint, etc.?

I’m not an artist but I have always had a passion for colour; be it in fashion, cosmetics, or decor (just to name a few). There’s never been a period in my life when things were black and white; be it in the afore-mentioned or in my thoughts.

Add a little colour to your life!

Today, I’d like to tell you about some of my favourite colouring books and supplies. I hope they’ll entice you to indulge in the wonderful, creative and relaxing world of colouring.

Mandala colouring books

I’ve purchased a wide variety of colouring books over the years with an assortment of themes/subject matter (bugs, flowers, fairies, etc) and styles (vintage, whimsical, art deco, etc) but my favourites are the ones with mandalas. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, mandalas are basically circles within which are a number of repetitive patterns and/or images. Creating and colouring mandalas has become very popular as a form of art therapy. The time spent on them is soothing and almost meditative, leading to introspection, greater self-awareness, and healing. My two favourite mandala artists have each published a series of colouring books touching upon various aspects and/or stages of life.

1. Picture I coloured from one of Claudette Jacques’ books
2. Where to buy Claudette’s books
3. Picture I coloured from one of Susanne F. Fincher’s books
4. Where to buy Susanne’s books

Colouring pencils & markers

The number of options available can be mind-boggling. My favourites coloured pencils, by far, are the Prismacolor Premier. The selection of colours is drool-worthy. You can use the pencils to create various intensities of shading and they are beautifully blendable. The leads are relatively soft and prone to breakage but that can be solved by using this specific pencil sharpener by Prismacolor. My favourite markers by Faber-castell and Staedtler contain far more ink than most other brands and the tips are more pressure resistant, making them less prone to feathering, splitting and flattening.

1. “Swatches” of my recommended coloured pencils and markers.
2. Prismacolor Premier coloured pencils.
3. Faber-castell markers.
4. Staedtler duo color markers.

Colouring mandalas is a hobby that has brought me countless hours of pleasure and relaxation. I sincerely hope you’ll give it a try.