Adult coloring books have been a phenomenal hit ever since the first one was released – and they weren’t even supposed to be for adults when they first came out!

The funny story is that a manufacturing company contacted an illustrator to make a coloring book with more intricate details. It was supposed to be sold to older children, particularly the ones who have better motor skills.

Since these pre-teens could stay inside the lines without much problem, it was the perfect marketing strategy. And that’s when it happened: adults started buying the coloring books. Long story short, it went crazy, and everyone started buying adult coloring books. The trend was born, and it has endured for several years now.  

Adult coloring books are no longer a weird fad. It’s no longer unusual to see grown men and women holding crayons and colored pencils while filling in a literal coloring book. It is now widely accepted as a productive and creative hobby.

Most people do it for relaxation. There’s something about coloring pre-drawn images that clears the head effectively. It’s probably because there’s no pressure of having to create a masterpiece. You can come up with anything you want. And the result will always be just fine.

However, if you do want to make masterpieces with your coloring materials, then you should probably read the rest of this helpful article first. Today we will show you how to choose the right color palette for your adult coloring books. It’s all about the colors after all. This activity as proven to be stress relieving – some even consider it a form of meditation. But that doesn’t mean you can’t unleash your inner Picasso using pre-drawn images. Soon you’ll fall deeper in love with spending your evenings at home coloring your heart out.

Now the best part about this “no pressure hobby” is picking out the right colors to use on a certain coloring page. Trained graphic designers will tell you how important it is to choose the right palette in order to make truly stunning coloring pages. Take note that there is no definite rule for this process since we’re all trying to be as creative as possible, but there are a few handy tips you need to keep in mind. That said, always feel free to try out unique color combinations.

The first step is to find inspiration. Go around your neighborhood and see how it inspires you. Observe the colors of everything around you: look at the birds, the houses, the people.

See how the color combinations bring out incredible details from these real world objects. Find inspiration in nature. Your backyard may be full of colorful flowers. Take photos of them and use it as a color reference. If you don’t have the time or energy to do that, you don’t have to step outside. You can find inspiration in magazines and catalogs. There are several gorgeous color palettes featured in those publications because they focus on being flashy and attractive to readers: that’s the same thing you’ll be trying to do as you color your page.

Now, when you’re actually picking out colors for a certain picture, try to select between warm colors and cool colors. Using these together won’t often come out harmoniously, but selecting all warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow would make your coloring pages look stunning. Cool colors include green, blue, and violet. These colors help soothe your eyes, so if you’re trying to go for maximum relaxation, these might make the best choice.  Also try limiting your palette. Some colorists like to stick with around 12 colors, but be sure to work with whatever number you are comfortable with – there’s no right or wrong choice here. If you’re feeling artsy, add in at least one neutral color like cream, brown, grey, black, or white. These colors will really make the brighter colors pop effortlessly.

We suggest making color reference swatches to make your coloring more convenient. This is where you write the names of all your coloring materials and individually test them out on a piece of paper. That way, you can have some sort of preview on what the color will look like on paper. We hope you enjoy your next coloring session!