Colouring Books with Adults in Mind

19 Jun 2008 Category: Illustration, Manga

Colouring books are something we first come to know when we are kids, carefulling choosing the colors and filling in the outlines with a great deal of concentration. But these are not just for children anymore! Recently, a lovely variety of “colouring books for adults” caught our eye! They are not what you might think they are. Simply, the practice and games found in these books have gradually evolved from kids’ stuff to things more suited to adults: drawing anatomy, colouring your favourite manga, folding coloured origami or even filling in the colours on a Nintendo DS! Time for PingMag to grab its colouring pencils and fill you in with some playful examples. How fun!

Written by Ryoko
Translated by Kevin Mcgue

Healing Energy

Colouring books for adults have become popular in the last few years for their purported mental effects, helping people to reduce stress and relax. If you are up for giving it a try, we recommend the World Mandalas: 100 New Designs for Coloring and Meditation. The book includes designs based on religious and tribal mandala. Filling in these designs with colours has a strange calming effect, and it seems that once you’ve finished, you could probably analyse your mental state by the colour combinations that you have chosen. Let’s dive into this colourful world!

For the Elderly

Graphic designer, Mimiko Akiyama, has created a Song Colouring Book especially for the elderly (and we are can’t wait for the English release.) The book features illustrations based on old nursery rhymes and popular songs. Filling in the colours, thus moving your hands, and singing the illustrated songs are ways for the elderly to stimulate their minds. And we all have songs that we will hold in our hearts no matter how many years pass… We hope that when you retire, you will enjoy colouring these illustrations while singing songs that you hold dear.

Learn Anatomy!

Have you ever wanted to explore how the inside of your own body looks? An answer can be found in Coloring Guide to Human Anatomy by Alan Twietmeyer and Thomas McCracken. Originally, its illustrations were made for folks studying anatomy, and they make complex anatomical structures, such as the position of internal organs and the composition of muscles, easy to understand. Very detailed — and truly a must see!

For Techy Enthusiasts

Japanese model kit maker, Tamiya, offers popular kits for the boys. In collaboration with Nintendo DS, they have now produced an awesome electronic colouring book, Men’s Coloring Book that Awakens the Heart (we’re not sure about an English version yet.) This game features very realistic pictures of tanks and other military vehicles — for you to colour! Meaning the player begins by selecting various elements to create a picture, and then fills in the colours. Since everything is done with a touch pen, you can feel you are doing something a bit different than colouring with a real pen. And of course there is a sense of accomplishment when you finish the game!

Creative Class!

The London-based graphic designer, Roz Streeten, enlightens us with her series of Rosie Flo Coloring Books, which are pretty popular around the globe. However in this book, you are encouraged not only to fill in colours for the illustrations of the dresses, but also draw in their heads, feet, and arms to complete the picture. Use your imagination! This is really a great project for parents and kids to work on together.

From Eroica with Love

The manga From Eroica with Love was a big hit back in 1976. So, the author Yasuko_Aoike has responded to fan’s requests by making the Eroica Colouring Book (again, we only found the Japanese version — but this wouldn’t stop you, for sure.) This year, all of the illustrations of the main characters from the series, along with their gorgeous costumes, were newly created by Aoike. On the last page, there are additional costumes that are to be coloured in and cut out, to give Klaus and Dorian a change of clothes. Ah, 70’s flair, here we come! As you can see, Aoike was somewhat influenced by rock band Led Zeppelin…

Art!

Next, illustrator Kiyoshi Kuroda (we showed you a while ago) came up with the stunning Uncoloured.1. His illustrations feature plants and insects, and were done with illustrated reference books in mind — but in a grotesque style with Kuroda’s trademark use of lines. With a colouring book, the lines are already provided and you make this picture more pleasing to the eye by colouring these delicate lines. Even with the most simple line drawings, it becomes a collaboration with the artists who made them in the first place, and you, free to fill them in any way you like.

Colour or Fold?

Finally, we have a delicacy for you, Colouring-Origami (we also showed you before) by Japanese design group “Onchu!” is compiling various creators: The marvellous book features unique illustrations of butterflies, insects, and more. Actually, the pages are origami paper, so after colouring in, they can be removed from the book and folded into 3D shapes for further decorating. The traditional origami art can be a lot of fun!

Oh, you surely must have found something appealing today for your next creative excursion! There are so many more out there and we didn’t have space to introduce them all. So, please look out for your favourite one!

102 Comments

1. beautiful! here is my colouring book of Japanese street art from shibuya and kabukicho…..i do find it relieves stress :)

   Posted by: s.kokubo on June 19th, 2008 at 7:54 pm

2. [...] ← Yo, Yeah! The History of Sampling, via algorythmusic Colouring Books with Adults in Mind & Electronic colouring (Men’s Coloring Book that Awakens the Heart) June 19th, 2008 / 0 [...]

   Posted by: now » Colouring Books with Adults in Mind & Electronic colouring (Men’s... on June 19th, 2008 at 9:27 pm

3. The Mandala Design looks very inviting, I wish I could colour inside the lines…

   Posted by: Andrei Sarusi on June 19th, 2008 at 10:33 pm

4. [...] Colouring Books with Adults in Mind By ryoko Colouring books are something we first come to know when we are kids, carefulling choosing the colors and filling in the outlines with a great deal of concentration. But these are not just for children anymore! … PingMag - The Tokyo-based magazine… - http://pingmag.jp [...]

   Posted by:   Uncategorized | Books — Recycle Email on June 20th, 2008 at 2:41 am

5. i color all the time with my toddler and found myself wishing for such a thing as coloring books for adults. don’t get me wrong, i like coloring mickey, minnie, donald and goofy as much as the next guy, but once in a while it might be cool to color some tanks or the guys from led zeppelin. good stuff!

   Posted by: marc on June 20th, 2008 at 3:58 am

6. Nice, nice, nice! I’m looking forward to having enough time for them in my last weeks of life! Or imagine one would use them as you did in your childhood… in the car (although I wasn’t allowed to because of the fear of hurting my eyes with the pens) or on the plane. One could also do them together with ones child(ren). Anatomy might be really exciting for them (and you save yourself some time in their puberty)! Nice!

   Posted by: David on June 20th, 2008 at 7:07 pm

7. [...] children anymore! Recently, a lovely variety of “colouring books for adults” caught our eye! read more | digg [...]

   Posted by: Colouring Books with Adults in Mind | WhiteSandsDigital.com on June 22nd, 2008 at 8:06 am

8. [...] PingMag profiles a trend in Japan which many in the West may not be aware of: adult colouring books. [...]

   Posted by: Adult Coloring Books « BC ALL DAY….. on June 24th, 2008 at 2:00 am

9. [...] in het Uiterste Oosten (waar anders ?): kleurboeken … voor volwassenen ! Volgens het Japanse Pingmag grijpen we binnenkort en masse terug naar de kleurpotloden, wasco’s en stiften. Binnen de [...]

   Posted by: Kleuren: van 8 tot 88 ? | CandyBlog (by NOCUS) on June 24th, 2008 at 4:55 pm

10. I love this! I got professional colored pencils for Christmas last year as a gift from my fiance, and I thought everyone would laugh, but I think coloring is such a great, creative outlet! I’m glad to see that there are others who agree!

    Posted by: Heidi on June 26th, 2008 at 11:38 pm

11. The anatomy coloring book was very helpful to many of us in nursing school. The great thing is that in involves both sides of the brain, making learning and retention easier.

    Posted by: Mike Jack on June 27th, 2008 at 1:50 am

12. [...] can find a fabulous article here about the whole exciting topic. There are links to the books as well. Who knows….you might [...]

    Posted by: Coloring books for adults? « Tales From An Open Book on July 9th, 2008 at 7:53 pm

13. I have designed some coloring pages for adults and older children. What do you think? They can be colored on screen as well as hand colored.

    Debbie Neale, Designer

    Posted by: Debbie Neale on July 10th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

14. Hi,

    Just a comment on the adult coloring site. I’m a Teacher Aide at a High School and also like drawing. I have designed 40 advanced coloring pages for the students at school and have recently made a website http://www.clickncolour.com. Just in case anyone wants something different.

    Posted by: Debbie Neale on July 10th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

15. [...] as an added bonus - article about adult coloring in the Japanese Ping Magazine. Share this: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where [...]

    Posted by: doodlage » Friday Fun on July 12th, 2008 at 5:30 am

16. [...] Lähde: pingmag.jp [...]

    Posted by: Japanissa uusi villitys: värityskirjoja aikuisille - Hilavitkutin.com - Uutisia tekniikasta, ilmiöistä ja hilavitkuttimista on July 14th, 2008 at 6:42 pm

17. [...] 15, 2008 coloring books are totally fun for adults! (via Free People) Posted in Websites [...]

    Posted by: Adult Fun « Alicia Pernell on August 4th, 2008 at 11:40 pm

18. [...] stumbled across this website showing these Asian coloring books for adults which you have to check out. There’s everything [...]

    Posted by: Adult Coloring Books | vince's ear on August 16th, 2008 at 3:41 am

19. [...] stumbled across this website showing these Asian coloring books for adults which you have to check out. There’s everything [...]

    Posted by: Adult Coloring Books | vince's ear on August 16th, 2008 at 3:41 am

20. [...] PingMag profiles a trend in Japan which many in the West may not be aware of: adult colouring books. [...]

    Posted by: Coloring Books with Adults in Mind | Selectism.com on November 26th, 2008 at 1:46 am

21. Very sorry to see that Uncolored1 and the Song Couloring book are not available yet. Not in Europe and not through the US. Waiting for someone to keep up with this trend.

    Posted by: Lina on February 9th, 2009 at 11:50 pm

22. [...] Colouring books are something we first come to know when we are kids, carefulling choosing the colors and filling in the outlines with a great deal of concentration. But these are not just for children anymore! Recently, a lovely variety of “colouring books for adults” caught our eye! They are not what you might think they are. Simply, the practice and games found in these books have gradually evolved from kids’ stuff to things more suited to adults: drawing anatomy, colouring your favourite manga, folding coloured origami or even filling in the colours on a Nintendo DS! Read the full story>>> [...]

    Posted by: Kevin Mcgue - Tokyo-Based Journalist & Filmmaker » Colouring Books with Adults in Mind on March 2nd, 2009 at 10:15 pm

23. Check out the Intermediate and Advanced Coloring Pages on this site as well as the different styles.
    Have fun!
    Sheri

    Posted by: SMac on June 2nd, 2009 at 7:35 am

24. [...] Read the English version at PingMag» [...]

    Posted by: Kevin Mcgue | “Colouring Books with Adults in Mind” Translation on April 16th, 2010 at 11:06 pm

25. [...] Song Coloring Book Even old-school paper coloring books are taking on new shapes. PingMag reports on developments from Japan, where unconventional coloring books for adults range from [...]

    Posted by: Imprint Development Site | Coloring for Grown-Ups on July 3rd, 2010 at 3:34 am

26. [...] Song Coloring Book Even old-school paper coloring books are taking on new shapes. PingMag reports on developments from Japan, where unconventional coloring books for adults range from [...]

    Posted by: Imprint | Coloring for Grown-Ups on July 3rd, 2010 at 4:14 am

27. stumbled across this website showing these Asian coloring books for adults which you have to check out. There’s everything

    Posted by: calmiva on March 17th, 2011 at 4:29 am

28. [...] Colouring Books with Adults in Mind & Electronic colouring (Men’s Coloring Book that Awakens the Heart) [...]

    Posted by: Colouring Books with Adults in Mind « now | worldwidewestern on April 29th, 2011 at 11:26 pm

29. It is nice to find a site about my interest. My first visit to your site is been a big help. Thank you for the efforts you been putting on making your site such an interesting and informative place to browse through. I’ll be visiting your site again to gather some more valuable information. You truly did a good job.
    vcnvc4557

    Posted by: men watches online on May 23rd, 2011 at 11:29 am

30. More blog sites should educate the readers about this natural events of life.

    Posted by: abc mentor on May 25th, 2011 at 3:15 am

31. john gray

    Posted by: the best teeth whitener online on May 25th, 2011 at 6:48 am

32. Nice website. Awesome job.

    Posted by: podcast marketing scott paton on May 29th, 2011 at 12:26 pm

33. Sako

    Posted by: Designer soaps on May 30th, 2011 at 5:20 pm

34. Awesome website. Keep up the good work.

    Posted by: Podcast Business on June 1st, 2011 at 11:23 am

35. Very interesting post, much better than I’ve seen on other sites like this. I can get good information here. Thanks for your help.

    Posted by: subliminal perception on June 2nd, 2011 at 5:05 am

36. i am an amateur who likes to take pictures.

    Posted by: Digital Photography on June 5th, 2011 at 6:02 pm

37. Thanks for the information about this topic.

    Posted by: innovative healthcare on June 15th, 2011 at 12:45 am

38. Getting a routines is paramount for your progress, and completion.

    Posted by: weightlifting routines on June 16th, 2011 at 10:07 am

39. Nice Website! You should promote it from the messaging console at QuickSendSMS.com. Easy to use, nice and quick and can text (for free) to over 200 countries.

    Posted by: QuickSendSMS on June 16th, 2011 at 2:46 pm

40. Great info I’ll be back soon.

    Posted by: lose fat,lose weight on June 19th, 2011 at 8:57 am

41. simlpy love your site. you did a super job in creating it.

    Posted by: tips and ideas for singles on June 20th, 2011 at 8:11 pm

42. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful.

    Posted by: Internet Strategy on June 25th, 2011 at 12:34 pm

43. 1 unique “trick” to reduce junk-food cravings

    Posted by: Number 1 Abs Program on June 26th, 2011 at 1:56 pm

44. interesting website, I while seeking more information about the affiliate network business from oriflame

    Posted by: Dbcnetworkku on July 6th, 2011 at 11:34 pm

45. Actually it has been verified time and time again that over 75% of women of all ages prefer polygamy

    Posted by: Affiliate Marketing Reviews on July 17th, 2011 at 11:23 pm

46. OK, thank you for the memory, here we go again!

    Posted by: Affiliate Marketing Reviews on July 21st, 2011 at 3:46 am

47. bagaslayın benı :D

    Posted by: goruntulu sohbet on July 22nd, 2011 at 3:23 am

48. Yeah! Adults are entitled to continue coloring books!

    Posted by: Video Production NJ on July 29th, 2011 at 3:15 am

49. I sure would love to color to destress!

    Posted by: Pergola New Jersey   on July 29th, 2011 at 3:25 am

50. So there’s also variety in the coloring books like origami. Great!

    Posted by: Wedding Video Philadelphia on July 29th, 2011 at 3:43 am

51. If you were a kid this would make you look forward to growing up. :P

    Posted by: Fence Philadelphia on July 29th, 2011 at 3:54 am

52. I have designed some coloring pages for adults and older children.
    Diet And Weight

    Posted by: nem alma on August 4th, 2011 at 5:25 pm

53. google seo birinci siraya cikmak icin zaman kaybetmeyin arayin bizi “profeseonel”

    Posted by: goruntulu sohbet on August 6th, 2011 at 1:25 am

54. I think you convey some interesting factors that not too many individuals discuss . It’s interesting to see it from this perspective. I really enjoyed the post!

    Posted by: Bill Poulos on August 10th, 2011 at 4:34 pm

55. This is an Online Marketing Review

    Posted by: united healthcare of florida on August 13th, 2011 at 1:04 pm

56. I am a giant fan of foreign exchange and finance so I find this topic very interesting. I always like to undertsand a brand new method of looking at it. Thanks for the information.

    Posted by: Examples Viral Marketing on August 17th, 2011 at 12:19 pm

57. I have never seen it from that perspective. Luckily there are a couple of techniques to do things. I always like to undertsand a new means of looking at it. Thanks for the information.

    Posted by: Skinny Guy Muscle on August 21st, 2011 at 8:32 am

58. I loved reading this post. I am interested within the topic so I used to be pleased to come across this article.

    Posted by: Health Natural Products Database on September 9th, 2011 at 9:25 am

59. Thank you for taking your time to give all this information.

    Posted by: stop speeding ticket on September 10th, 2011 at 3:12 am

60. Like your website! We are in the international call center outsourcing business and the only way to succeed today is to embrace the emerging markets worldwide. Thanks.

    Posted by: Call Centres on September 23rd, 2011 at 5:07 am

61. Owner Mighty Solos

    Posted by: Get 125.000 visitors Free with Mighty Solos on September 26th, 2011 at 11:00 pm

62. Text Message or Mobile Marketing is the future

    Posted by: SMS Text Message Marketing on October 27th, 2011 at 11:22 am

63. Gran articulo. Somos seguidores vuestros desde hace tiempo y queriamos aprovechar este comentario para felicitaros por vuestro blog y por el trabajo que estais haciendo en los articulos…

    Posted by: Jamon Iberico on November 2nd, 2011 at 8:21 pm

64. I love your site. You have put a massive effort in creating it. I cannot believe how informative your site is. Good work.

    Posted by: Dream Home Business Opportunity on November 4th, 2011 at 9:14 am

65. χριστουγεννιατικα δεντρα,χριστουγεννιατικα στολιδια

    Posted by: χριστουγεννιατικα δεντρα on November 8th, 2011 at 8:49 pm

66. Very Nice! makes me remind the coloured performance of the early pink floyd!

    Posted by: christian louboutin on November 10th, 2011 at 2:33 am

67. Your business sounds interesting. Why is it important to the industry?

    Posted by: See Clear Without Glasses on November 10th, 2011 at 8:48 am

68. New Information About Hairstyles and Haircuts.

    Posted by: hairstyles on November 11th, 2011 at 10:15 am

69. It good article. Black Friday Xm Radio

    Posted by: Black Friday Xm Radio on November 12th, 2011 at 10:49 pm

70. Nice for me Black Friday Sirius Xm Radio

    Posted by: Black Friday Sirius Xm Radio on November 12th, 2011 at 10:49 pm

71. Free Indicateur,Free Expert Advisor,feedwikipedia,forex wikipedia.

    Posted by: forex wikipedia on November 23rd, 2011 at 9:45 pm

72. WoW …. Very good articel .. Keep goning man … i waiting your news articles .. :)

    Posted by: العاب باربي on November 24th, 2011 at 12:04 am

73. school of thai massage and spa certificaes Association of thai treditional medicine Appoved by the Ministry of Health

    Posted by: School of thai massage on November 25th, 2011 at 12:01 am

74. wat a nice post

    Posted by: Movies and TV Series on November 30th, 2011 at 2:26 am

75. Timex Womens Watches

    Posted by: Timex Watches on November 30th, 2011 at 5:27 pm

76. Thanks for share …

    Posted by: Partaji.com - share the info ... on November 30th, 2011 at 7:11 pm

77. wow… is cool….

    Posted by: toko jasa on December 1st, 2011 at 10:34 am

78. I was Mtalbtvn

    Posted by: reza atayee fard on December 4th, 2011 at 4:24 am

79. Travel Trips has been succesfully catering to travellers across the globe with its well established and secured Global Hotel Reservation System. Our 24X7 customer care support is there all along to help people with their hotel reservations, cancellations and other related issues. Featured are some interesting testimonials from our valued customers vouching for the credibility of Travel Trips.

    Posted by: Travel Trips on December 6th, 2011 at 1:00 am

80. สารสกัดจากธรรมชาติต่างๆ ที่นำมาเป็นอาหารเสริมเช่น กลูต้าไธโอน,แอลคาร์นิทีน, น้ำมันรำข้าว, กรดอะมิโนต่างๆ และอื่นๆ นั้นมีประโยชน์ต่อร่างกายของเราอย่างไรบ้าง

    Posted by: อาหารเสริม on December 6th, 2011 at 8:35 pm

81. Thank you so much for this content, Im so lucky and glad that I found this website, Please keep this website going and I will keep

    Posted by: The Visayas on December 9th, 2011 at 9:33 am

82. appmedia.co.il

    Posted by: cbhh, t,r on December 10th, 2011 at 1:35 am

83. Your business sounds very interesting. It is great to have businesses that can contribute to so much to our society these days.

    Posted by: Removing Tattoos Naturally on December 12th, 2011 at 2:23 am

84. I’m very lucky to have found this website, this is exactly what I have been looking for All I can say is wow, you hit the nail by the head.

    Posted by: The Visayas on December 12th, 2011 at 8:29 am

85. I read a very interesting article on this website, really adds to the knowledge of positive

    Posted by: kredit mobil on December 14th, 2011 at 6:29 pm

86. Nice website to watch music, movies and tv shows online.

    Posted by: Desi Forums on December 21st, 2011 at 7:34 pm

87. I like it and thanks for sharing this great source. its being my favorite.I like this web blog very much, Its a really nice position to read and find information.Cool site bro, nice post and keep sharing, thanks.

    Posted by: Calculate BMI For Women on December 22nd, 2011 at 8:37 am

88. This is the only blog that can keep you updated with latest information in every sphere of life. Whatsoever it may be health, automobile, science and technology.

    Posted by: Online Information on December 22nd, 2011 at 9:08 pm

89. Axon IT is a one stop business solution for the corporates and individuals. In Axon IT a person can find web design solution as well as multimedia solution. We know the present need of the corporate and individuals. Our experts are always ready to do their jobs in the shortest possible time at a cheaper rate.

    Posted by: website design on January 2nd, 2012 at 7:46 am

90. Thank you. O like this post. I would like to share at my facebook account.

    Posted by: zayifla on January 11th, 2012 at 3:55 am

91. Thank you. I’ll sharing the post at my twitter.

    Posted by: Laptop Özellikleri on January 12th, 2012 at 4:30 am

92. Yes I like your comments and i hope you also like my suggestion here. Please click to view.

    Posted by: Recreation and Business on January 14th, 2012 at 11:10 am

93. Hi Very informative page, I will be back to view more. Keep up the good work.Play free flash games at http://www.gametriot.com ,It is a place for one who cannot live without gaming.

    Posted by: escape the christmas room on January 15th, 2012 at 8:55 pm

94. This is really great. Thank you! You’ve put a smile on my face.

    Posted by: Smile on January 16th, 2012 at 3:46 am

95. Online store Stopitnow Ego-T

    Posted by: ηλεκτρονικο τσιγαρο on January 19th, 2012 at 4:05 pm

96. After years of development and months of testing, 1tradezone.my announces that the service is ready for the small business to start selling on the internet for free which would otherwise cost hard earned money on other sites.

    Posted by: Malaysia's Online Marketplace on January 23rd, 2012 at 7:59 pm

97. This piece of information is really helpful, It is quite informative for me, excellent writing, thanks for the post

    Posted by: Lord Ganesh Pendant Jewellery on January 25th, 2012 at 1:01 am

98. This piece of information is really very helpful, i am pleased by the information provided here, will keep coming to check further, thanks.

    Posted by: Rotaract Club on January 26th, 2012 at 4:27 pm

99. Hi ….. I have information about Whirlpool washers, you should read them and get tips and tricks commersial business with Whirlpool washers.

    Posted by: whirlpool washers on January 27th, 2012 at 6:32 am

100. Software Juridico totalmente web para advogados, escritorios de advocacia e deptos Juridicos. Programa para advocacia

     Posted by: Software Juridico e Programa Juridico e CRM Juridico on January 28th, 2012 at 11:45 pm

101. Shopping Electronics HDTVs Watchs Toys&Games

     Posted by: Electronics HDTVs on January 30th, 2012 at 11:29 am

102. Hello dude,i like this Your New homepage in truth a lot. achieve u have on suggestion for my blog? thanks as

     Posted by: Carey Klaameyer on January 31st, 2012 at 9:19 pm

Name

Website

• Similar Articles
• » Ken Oyama: From Housing Complexes with Love
• » Risa Fukui: The Darkness Of Graphical Papercut Reflections
• » Best Bookmarks For Your Reading Pleasures
• » 10 Hot Summer Gadgets
• » Moving paper books from the 1890ies

• Share and Enjoy:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• Japanese Living Spaces: Home and AbroadCategory: Photography Worldwide
  June 18, 2008
• Vending Machine ExtravaganzaCategory: Japan Technology
  June 16, 2008
• Trend Watch: Hot Fundoshi UnderpantsCategory: Fashion Japan
  June 13, 2008

Notice

As of December 31, 2008, PingMag and sister site PingMag MAKE are both on extended hiatus, and will not be updated for the foreseeable future. We are eternally grateful for your fantastic support over the years.

Search