Here I am with another review of a coloring book! To fit with the I Love Austen Week that I'm hosting right now, today I'm sharing Color Me Jane, with artwork by Jacqui Oakley. This is a small book, only about 6" x 8", but it's got some beautiful artwork and has quickly become one of my favorite coloring books even though I only just got it in January! The paper really takes color well, and the smaller size makes it easy to color on my lap while watching movies which... I totally did. I watched both Emma (2009) and Sense and Sensibility (2008) (my first time for both!) while coloring appropriate pictures to match the films, and that was amazingly fun.
I colored this illustration of Emma first. I like how it matches a scene from the 1996 adaptation in a way, but isn't simply a copy of that moment from the film.
I had the most fun coloring all those different book spines! I wanted a nice variety, but to have more blues and greens than anything else just to add some cohesion. I loved coloring Mr. Knightley's chair too, as I layered it with two or three different colors to lend it some depth. I love using multiple shades of colored pencil on top of each other to create new or deeper colors.
Next, I tackled this scene from Sense and Sensibility. It's simpler, but has some cool movement, and I love how deep the room goes.
There are several illustrations for each of Austen's six novels, and some of them match different movie versions, but others don't (or at least, I don't recognize some of them). There are also pages of flowers, jewelry, and illustrated quotations. Here are some I can't wait to color:
This has been another entry for the blogathon part of I Love Austen Week, which I'm hosting on my other blog. The main post for that is here, with links to all the cool reviews and other posts that people have been contributing. And do check out the giveaways, fill out the tag, and try your hand at the unscramble and the Quotation Quiz!
Oh that's so fun! Coloring books are very relaxing, so I can only imagine that a Jane Austen coloring book (with beloved stories and such) would be even more so! :)
ReplyDeleteLaura, I agree -- it's so fun and sort of soothing to color a beautiful picture. I especially love coloring books that relate to stories I love, like this one!
DeleteOh dear, you're making my "to color" pile almost as big as my "to read" one! I'll have to look out for this book.
ReplyDeleteAbby, yeeeeeeeah, I kind of have like ten or twelve coloring books now. I want to review one every month for the whole year, so sorry if that makes your pile grow and grow!
DeleteOooh! That looks like so much fun! You did an awesome job on the Emma picture. I love all the colors! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Miss March :-) This book is definitely fun!
DeleteThis looks really cool! And colouring while watching an adaptation sounds lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Birdie! I've been having a lot of fun doing that :-) I think listening to an audio book and coloring at the same time might be even better, but haven't tried that yet.
DeleteI don't really enjoy coloring, but this book does look fun! :)
ReplyDeleteKara, coloring's not for everyone, it's true :-) Two of my kids love to color, and the third hates it!
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