Ship of Fools: Colouring In

Thread: Colouring In Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=028269

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

I keep reading about how popular colouring books for grown-ups are, and how nice and therapeutic it is to sit and colour in.

I quite like scribbling, so I thought I'd give it a go, and I've got this, this, and some coloured pens arriving from Amazon soon - mostly an impulse buy, for which I'm now experiencing the post-impulse-purchase guilt.

Has anyone got into the colouring in thing? Is it the greatest thing in relaxing and switching off since sliced bread, or am I just going to be disappointed in my inability to not go over the lines?

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

Last year my brother visited a friend in rehab and found that they all had to color in coloring books for a while each day. It was only then that I felt free to admit that my (47 year-old) son and I do that a lot. What I didn't know was that there were cool adult ones out there! Not that we aren't perfectly content with the Sesame Street and Easter Bunny ones I pick up at the dollar store. Those look fantastic, though.

We also do lots of therapeutic jigsaw puzzles at the same table of peace in the designated "craft" room. { We found that we don't really like crafts too much -- complicated instructions.}

Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :

Ooh those look fab - v tempted.

Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :

I'm definitely going to have to check that out. I think it would be therapeutic. I remember years ago when I was a bookkeeper years ago before computer programs and color printers, I would hand-color my spreadsheets with colored pencils to highlight/separate different accounts. I noticed back then how much I enjoyed that simple task, it became a welcome break in an otherwise mundane job. Working with colored cells in Excel or Word just doesn't seem to have the same psychological effect for me as the more manual coloring did.

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

I'm quite looking forward to trying it. Shame doing it on night buses for those shifts to or from work that fall outside The Tube isn't practical, that'd be pleasant. I think those books look nice and gentle. There are some that seem to have a quest or a puzzle to solve, but I didn't want those - I didn't want the simple gentle colouring process tainted by knowing I'm ultimately going to fail.

[ 12. May 2015, 23:51: Message edited by: luvanddaisies ]

Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :

When I first started teaching many years ago I was sent by my Headteacher on an amazing course for teachers of 4-8 year olds. it was led by a teacher who had worked for years in a deprived area where the children had huge amounts to contend with. She started each and every day with doodling/ colouring type activities and it settled those little ones and stilled their souls ready for other stuff.
I can see no reason why it wouldn't work for us as adults.
Many's the tricky meeting I've been in where doodling has saved my sanity!

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :

quote:
Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
When I first started teaching many years ago I was sent by my Headteacher on an amazing course for teachers of 4-8 year olds. it was led by a teacher who had worked for years in a deprived area where the children had huge amounts to contend with. She started each and every day with doodling/ colouring type activities and it settled those little ones and stilled their souls ready for other stuff.
I can see no reason why it wouldn't work for us as adults.
Many's the tricky meeting I've been in where doodling has saved my sanity!

After my son's marriage break up, he bought some good quality pencils and a book of detailed designs. He said the colouring soothed his mind and allowed it to work on other matters as he concentrated on the design and colour.

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

I find that doing pencil drawings makes for a good break. I have a small sketchpad, but post-its are useful at other times.

Colour can be therapeutic and I'm quite into working with colour as a means of healing.

Posted by ElaineC (# 12244) on :

I asked for and was given some Spectrum Noir pencils for my birthday.

I stamped these images in white ink on kraft card and spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon colouring them in.

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

They're lovely Elaine!

I love the little stressed out children settling down with their crayons.

Some neuroscientist on NPR said that doodling aids in concentration when listening to lectures (or NPR shows) because it keeps our toddler-like left brain busy so it won't be running off in tangents.

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :

Somewhere I have a set of designs based on Arabic mosaic patterns which I used to have for colouring in at school. Search for Altair patterns - there's some fantastic images. The way they got coloured by different children was interesting - some looked for groups of shapes which could resemble things - like houses, or rockets, or flowers, which some picked out repeats and made intricate designs.

I'm glad to see they're still in print - they dropped out of sight for a while, and I had to photocopy.

I had children whom I allowed to doodle in lessons, until I was caught by the head, who hadn't read the relevant work.

[ 13. May 2015, 11:21: Message edited by: Penny S ]

Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :

Callanish's mum has one of these books from Lindisfarne scriptorium and it really is lovely.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

I went through a spiritualy dry patch and used two coloring in books - one had mandalas, the other Celtic lettersd (such as you find in the Book of Kells).

Very centering.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

Dover Publications has some lovely ones.

Posted by Pomona (# 17175) on :

A cheap option is the mandala colouring book made by Tiger Stores.

Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
Somewhere I have a set of designs based on Arabic mosaic patterns which I used to have for colouring in at school. Search for Altair patterns - there's some fantastic images. The way they got coloured by different children was interesting - some looked for groups of shapes which could resemble things - like houses, or rockets, or flowers, which some picked out repeats and made intricate designs.

I'm glad to see they're still in print - they dropped out of sight for a while, and I had to photocopy.

I had children whom I allowed to doodle in lessons, until I was caught by the head, who hadn't read the relevant work.

I remember Altair! Feels like decades ago, my mother enjoyed them as well.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I have some childrens colouring books - I haven't done any for years, but I do enjoy them. There is nothing wrong with it! Very theraputic - a well know meditative technique, one I have used in worship sessions.

The thing is, it is not about doing it perfectly, getting everything within the lines all the time. The idea is to enjoy doing it - it is the process of colouring that is most important, not the finished result. If the finished result is good as well, that is an advantage, but it is not the aim.

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :

quote:
Originally posted by To The Pain:
Callanish's mum has one of these books from Lindisfarne scriptorium and it really is lovely.

Lindisfarne Scriptorium have some lovely colouring books and also guides to creative prayer, including a very simple way to do Celtic knots.

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :

I used to like drawing and colouring mazes on 5 mm squared paper - the trick being to start from both ends, so it didn't get too easy to follow as I ran out of choices to branch to.

Also designing snow crystals on isometric paper, using rules derived from real snow crystal growth.

[ 13. May 2015, 22:23: Message edited by: Penny S ]

Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :

I actually quite enjoy it when my Daughter (5) asks for help or for me to join in with her colouring sheets.

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :

I have a couple of Altair books left over from the days when there were children in the house, also a set of Lakeland Painting Pencils, so I have recently given this a go. So far I've found the process engrossing, but frustrating as pencils are quite blunt and none of the sharpeners in the house do a decent job
Can anyone recommend an effective, fairly inexpensive pencil sharpener that is readily available from UK stationers?

Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
I have a couple of Altair books left over from the days when there were children in the house, also a set of Lakeland Painting Pencils, so I have recently given this a go. So far I've found the process engrossing, but frustrating as pencils are quite blunt and none of the sharpeners in the house do a decent job
Can anyone recommend an effective, fairly inexpensive pencil sharpener that is readily available from UK stationers?

I hear that knife-sharpening is better for the pencils than sharpener-sharpening, so I use my Swiss Army knife. It's a tiny bit less wasteful too, as you can get a sharp point with less exposed lead. Otherwise this is the kind of sharpener I have used, sometimes the wee screw needs tightening but otherwise quite reliable.

Posted by ElaineC (# 12244) on :

The Spectrum Noir pencils have their own sharpener and it's recommended that you turn the sharpener round the pencil rather than turn the pencil in the sharpener.

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :

I was fascinated when on jury service to note that the pencils had been sharpened by a blade in such a way that it was almost impossible to see that they had not been sharpened in a sharpener - perfectly rounded, but no grain pulled up as there would be by a sharpener. Since when I have tried but failed to replicate this effect.
Noticed in a period when there was nothing going on I should have been listening to, of course.

[ 15. May 2015, 12:14: Message edited by: Penny S ]

Posted by Kyzyl (# 374) on :

I have both "adult" coloring books. Just started in on one this week. It is fun plus the books have hidden icons which are used to solve a puzzle at the end of the book. Just using some fine point Crayola brand markers now but will get good pencils while shopping in the "big town" tomorrow.

Posted by not entirely me (# 17637) on :

I like colouring. I've always found it therapeutic. I have quite a few books now.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineC:
The Spectrum Noir pencils have their own sharpener and it's recommended that you turn the sharpener round the pencil rather than turn the pencil in the sharpener.

That is hipster pencil sharpening. Wow.

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineC:
it's recommended that you turn the sharpener round the pencil rather than turn the pencil in the sharpener.

Ah, I've heard that bit of advice before, and it does work better - it's just a matter of changing the habit of a lifetime!

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineC:
The Spectrum Noir pencils have their own sharpener and it's recommended that you turn the sharpener round the pencil rather than turn the pencil in the sharpener.
That is hipster pencil sharpening. Wow.

No, hipster pencil sharpening would be to use something like this.

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:

The thing is, it is not about doing it perfectly, getting everything within the lines all the time. The idea is to enjoy doing it - it is the process of colouring that is most important, not the finished result. If the finished result is good as well, that is an advantage, but it is not the aim.

I spent quite a bit of time on Saturday colouring in in my new books, and it was quite nice, but I do struggle with this though. I know it isn't about doing it perfectly, and that nobody is ever going to see my scrawling, but I still get furious and disappointed in my uselessness any time a dot of colour goes over a line, and it takes quite a lot of conscious ignoring of it to bring myself back to happily scribbling away with the pens.
I think partly for the same reason I've been avoiding the pictures that have spaces for doodling your own patterns. They tend to have inviting suggestion patterns already there, and that just makes me avoid it, because I know I'm crap at drawing and my patterns will look stupid next to the ones there to provide inspiration. Fortunately there are plenty of things to colour without my having to go there though.

I'm currently part way through a whole page that is filled with identical butterflies all in a jumbled pile, which should take some time to complete!

Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :

Master S said at the weekend that one of his favourite jobs had been at the Ordnance Survey, joining up the edges of digital maps so that the rivers, motorways etc flowed correctly from one cell to the next. One of the tests they all had to do was a colouring exercise to see if they could stay within the lines [Biased]

Pretty much every teenager round here did a stint at the OS! As you could listen to music on headphones and do your 37.5 hours a week more or less at any time, it was a popular choice of employment [Big Grin]

Mrs. S - at least it was an advance on being a refuse operative [Eek!]

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0