3. Instead of coloring in a line motion, color in very small circles with your pencils to fill in a space. This will help create a smoother look to your designs as a line motion can sometimes come across quite harsh at certain angles.

4. Using many layers makes the best effect. It does take more time but the result turns out much better. For most designs I am adding a bit of flair to, I use about 3 layers. For sections I am REALLY trying to highlight I may use as many as 5-7 layers. It all depends!

5. Use darker colors (apply more pressure) in the areas where you want the shaded affect. A great example of this is coloring harder / darker near a line and easing your way up as you color inwards. Creating a darker effect near the lines and a light effect towards the center of your design. 

6. Make sure you rotate the pencil in your hand frequently to keep the point sharp! Seems like such a minor thing but the sharper your pencils are the better the color takes into the paper!

7. At the very end, use another layer of white (in your lighter areas) to draw everything in. This will help blend in the entire section you were working on!

Aubrey from Creatively Calm Studios truly believes that learning new techniques such as shading will not only make your coloring pages pop more but you will find yourself enjoying the coloring process so much more.  

“The whole idea of learning new coloring techniques doesn't need to be daunting but should be an enjoyable process. These new skills will breath life into your designs and also invigorate you and your passion for coloring" said Aubrey, owner of Creatively Calm Studios coloring book sets. Her new weekly adult coloring page subscription service is the perfect medium for trying out new techniques and perfecting your advanced coloring skills.