Coloring Supply Regrets

[@lindaclark3319]

I'm not new to coloring, just new to watching videos of coloring tips and tricks. I find many of the channels show large hauls of craft supplies which is ok but could contribute to over buying or excess purchases. Almost like an addiction, one person had over 400 color books. I'm lucky to finish 10 pages a month. Yours is the 1st channel that has shown discretion in recommending and buying coloring supplies. Thanks for mentioning this!

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

That’s so sweet and I agree. I don’t want to overbuy and have stuff sitting around. I saw a video where someone said they had over 600 books. I didn’t even know that there were 600 Coloring books in existence 😂. I guess they see themselves as collectors because they won’t color in a lot of them. There are some coloring books that are so beautiful that they don’t need ant color so I understand collecting some books tho. It’s important that we all listen to our gut and do what we feel is right for us. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@mjc2624]

A residential facility for developmentally challenged adults is a wonderful place to donate art supplies that you don't use.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

how would I find a place. did you just google it?

[@GwyllionFaye]

Beautiful idea. Thanks so much. A while back I found someone who worked in a nursing home and sent craft supplies there as well

[@LeighPogue]

And schools love getting art supplies through donation

[@sarah28681]

hello! i know this video is older but I wanted to share a tip for the Daniel smith watercolor ground or any gesso product. You can sand the paper with a finger nail file after it dries and it will take they bumps away, then when you paint it will still be water proof. I do this when i want to use my alcohol markers in a double sided book.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

it still is effective even though you sand some off? And it works for coloring with alcohol markers? wow I have a lot to learn! Do you sand it u til it’s very smooth or just a little bit?

[@jjsmakeupobsession323]

Wow! I have had my Derwent eraser for 7 years and it still works great, I also bought the Afmat because it does the micro eraser. So I use my Derwent for larger areas and my Afmat for smaller areas.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I think I must have had a bad one. I was shocked because derwent is such a good brand

[@roslynnaidoo3564]

I have mine for around 4 years and it works great

[@lovetobecolouring2]

Yes I agree ; I’d rather have good quality pencils over budget brands . My favourites are Faber castels Polychromos pencils ; I purchased a small set at first , years ago , then slowly added to them by buying open stock at local art stores here ( I’m in western Canada ) I donated a lot of my unwanted supplies to people in a local community group ( I posted on their Facebook page and people messaged me and then we arranged for them to pick them up . They were mainly going to local schools that have after school programs and also to daycares . It felt wonderful to know that underprivileged kids were getting art supplies ..❤

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

such great advice. I will look into it because I would rather have someone enjoy the books and supplies than them sitting here.

[@lovetobecolouring2]

Exactly ! ❤️

[@junkjournalingbarbie5007]

For the distress crayons…..is your paper water colour paper? If not then it won’t spread as well, you can also put gesso on and let dry then use them on top for a great water reaction too. Or you can dip the crayons into water and try that onto your paper or even colour onto a silicone mat, spray with water then use a pain brush to brush onto your paper. Hope this helps.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

thanks for the advice. very helpful. I am not using watercolor paper so that is probably the reason. thx again

[@desireebryant3658]

JEnnifer Stay with Coloring Bliss just released a video with a secret to using acrylic pens on pages. Might check that video out

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I haven’t seen that one but I’ll check it out. I love her channel.so much useful info.

[@cherylbirchard9482]

A good way to tell AI art are the inconsistencies in the thickness of the lines. Also the lightness and darkenss of the lines. I purchased several books and my son said right away it was AI generated art.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

they are getting better at it though. before we could tell by the hands but they are perfect in this book. they should be forced to label it as AI.

[@LeeDee5]

I have given up buying all amazon paper books and there are so many cute ones but I cannot. Same with RJ Hampson, I love his art a lot but i've never gone ahead because I always heard the paper was poor. I also don't buy cheap Chinese pencils/markers/paint pens/crayons etc. anymore. I used to think I was getting a deal for sure but that's usually not the case. I would rather have 2 sets of great pencils that are a joy to use than 22 sets of mediocre ones.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I so agree. I was chasing deals that ended up wasting money. It’s so hard when you see all the Art hauls not to want more stuff. thanks for commenting.

[@wendyscolouring]

Hi Diane, some interesting observations in this video, I do agree about buying better quality, but its always a good idea to buy a small set first to check you really do like them before spending too much, especially if you are saving. I'm sure someone has probably mentioned these points, but Arttx pens should be stored on the size, it does say it on the box, but its very small, tips facing down will cause flooding, and shorter the life span. I do use these for line work, but it does take very light controlled pressure. The tooli art pens have plastic nibs, so as soon as the ink has wet the paper, you can't go over the same area again, otherwise the hardness of the nib will as you say rip the surface. the fine ones will do the same. I think most people use the fine ones for line work, so aren't going back over the same area, (until dry) Getting into colouring is a learning curve about what suits your style and techniques, what suits one, won't suit another, best advice is buy small packs and test and play to see what works for you, x I love the Holbeins, but again I've heard folks say they hate them, so who knows!😀👍

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Hi Wendy, thanks for the advice. I definitely did not see it on the Arrtx box 😂. I wish more companies sold pencils open stock so we can try all the brands.

[@stacie444]

Holbeins.... I hate them lol

[@MsLouisVee]

Great advice. Perhaps it’s the User not the product that’s at fault

[@HappyCatastrophy]

I store my Arrtx on their side and don’t get the leaking but i find most of the colors are not opaque no matter how many layers i do and so those are one of my regrets too. As for the Tooli-Art… how interesting!! i have the fine nibs and THEY ALSO destroy the paper! i was thinking the medium nib would be better but now i with your observations, i wonder if it’s the formula. My paper does the same as you were saying… pills, tears, disintegrates. wow. good stuff! THANK YOU

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks so much for sharing. I thought it was just me because so many people love the Arrtx and Tooli Art paint pens. I thought I was doing something wrong. I will start to store. y Arrtx on the side and see what happens. thx again 🙏

[@PonceStibbo]

Thanks for your review and information and preventing us from buying crap 😉. Using colored pencils (whether oil or wax based) it is always helpful to use the appropriate paper. It makes a difference. And to avoid pain in the hand you should try to softly layer your colors. Do not press the pencil to get the full/ darker color, just layer after layer in small circles or "eights". It takes more time but the results are impressive. And for the Distress Crayons: these are primary made for mixed media and not coloring per se.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks for the great info/advice., I have tried so hard to be light handed when coloring but it definitely does not come that naturally to me. I will keep trying! Thanks again and the Distress Crayons make sense now.

[@lindajohns726]

You are meant to keep Arrtx acrylic paint pens flat on their sides. There are 2 types of acrylic paint pens, the first are like the Arrtx with a brush tip for drawing and colouring and the second are like Posca which you can use for line work with a thin nib or use to draw with if you use a slightly thicker nib. I don't color as I draw and paint my own images but the colouring methods are similar.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

thanks for commenting. someone else mentioned that the Arrtx box actually said to put it on its side and it still took me 3 times to find it! too funny but it’s now on its side so hopefully that helps. thanks for watching

[@valeriel3103]

I recently bought a Derwent battery operated eraser. Was highly disappointed in the quality. I wasted money. I loved the Ohuhu brand but they no longer sell it on Amazon U.S. I was looking for a substitute and still haven't found it.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I’m glad you agreed. Most people have a very positive experience so we might have gotten defects but I’m not willing to buy another one to see if that was the problem. I bought a really inexpensive one from Afmat and it’s working well so far and I’ve had it just over a year now

[@LeighPogue]

I bought the Deli pencil sharpener and it is fantastic. I charged it when I first got it , like it said, and it lasted ab out a month and a half a coloring everyday and also getting several sets of new pencils to have to sharpen. It also takes the pencil down, sharpened it and sent it back up to me when it was complete. About $30 on amz

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

wow that sounds like a nice sharpener but did it only work for one and a half months or am I misunderstanding?

[@marvelenia6702]

I agree with you on the black widow pencils. I just bought a skintone set, nothing else, and I am glad I didn't, because to me, they are hard as a rock. What do you think of the very expensive Holbeins? Do you think they are easier to use? Thank you for this video!

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I only have a handful of colors but I really like them. They are somewhere between a Prisma and a Polychromos but they are a harder pencil. But they are highly pigmented so you don’t have to press so hard like the Black Widows or Castle Arts. I am saving up for a larger set. They are a pricey pencil so I would recommend getting a few and working with them for a while before investing. Thanks for watching my video!

[@marvelenia6702]

@@Dianedreamsincolor Yes I am also disappointed about the castle art pencils. Everybody says that they are soft but I consider them quite hard. I have the botanical set and I don't want any more of them.

[@michelleh9685]

With your serendipity book try using clear geso as a base covering before colouring, normally works well

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks for the recommendation. Someone else recommended Golden clear glaze medium. Not sure if that was the exact name but it was a glaze. I will need to look up the difference between these two bc I’m not too sure what either is used for. Thanks again

[@michelleh9685]

​@Dianedreamsincolor yes that was my other thought but I couldn't remember the name of it & as soon as I read your reply thought "that was it" lol

[@HarleyJaneQuinn]

Not sure if anyone responded but paint pens should be stored horizontally. It states so on the box in very small writing.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks I never noticed it on the box.

[@PixieyDust]

Hi! Loved the video. I'm sorry you did not like the Black Widow set. I've only used prismacolor since 2012, until this year about march I bought the black widow set. I love them and want to get to know them the way I know prismacolor! The colors are so unique and you can really change up the combos with colors that shouldn't work!. I'm working on a johanna basford 2 page spread right now. I feel bad they did not work for you!! Hopefully your pencils can go to a good home! Thank you for the warning about AI books. I never know sometimes when looking on Amazon. I'd rather not buy AI books if that makes sense. Not sure how others feel! Thanks again! 💜🩵🦋🐰🩵💜

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

you have me wondering if it’s more the paper that I tried the black widows on. I’ll try them in a Johanna Basford book and see if I feel the same. I’m glad you like them though. it’s hard to beat Prismas!

[@PixieyDust]

@Dianedreamsincolor I love this!! Thank you for giving them a second chance! I'd love to know your thoughts! They don't best prisnas for sure, but they are really my no 2 now! 💜🩵🦋🐰🩵💜

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I m starting the next video and will try them then if the colors work. not sure about you but sometimes I feel my mind is closed to new things so I will try again and let you know what I think. only problem is the book has Amazon paper. do you think that matters?

[@PixieyDust]

@@Dianedreamsincolor hmmm...the only thing I've used them on were the johanna book and I drew with them on Strathmore 400 series drawing paper. I hope this helps!

[@PixieyDust]

@@Dianedreamsincolor and I do understand what you mean about trying out new things when you have favorites!

[@pesto12601]

Stop buying... start using... you don't need much to make happy art!

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@roslynnaidoo3564]

You can get the arrtx paint pens with a dual nib it has a small bullet tip on the other end .. that should solve the issue

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Awesome thanks for the advice. I do like the brand so I will definitely try them. Thanks again

[@bellasmum2025]

Completely agree with you about the Derwent Superpoint.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thank God, I thought it was just me!

[@louisepeers782]

I agree with your comments about the floral book , I was excited when I saw it but I always look to see if there is a flip through online before purchase and all those repeated patterns would have been very boring.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

believe it or not but I actually bought it at a store and flipped thru but still didn’t realize it! 😆 It wasn’t until I started coloring that I noticed it.

[@jjsmakeupobsession323]

I keep my alcohol markers and paint markers on their side for storage. Distress Crayons are really made to use on heavy card stock, the Distress brand caters to a lot of card makers. But also both the distress crayons and neocolor 2 are meant to be applied to a pallet first, the with your brush and water apply them to your page like you would in painting.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I knew about the paint pens but had no idea about the alch markers. Thanks for sharing

[@jjsmakeupobsession323]

@@Dianedreamsincolor I only know because when I bought my single set of Copic Chiao the directions said to store on their side.

[@rokess5053]

Thanks, just starting to color and I need this. I had the same problems. I love RJ Hampsom and bought every one, and the paper is so bad. I thought maybe it's just my lack of skill but I can color in other books. And I had the same issue with a gray scale forest book, some really weird thick lines in some areas. Now I know some others not to bother with too.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I’m glad you liked the video and found it useful. I was a little worried about giving my opinions because some artists have such a large fan base but it’s never the art that we are complaining about, it’s usually the paper. I couldn’t do a thing with that paper, everything just looked awful. Thanks again 😄

[@rokess5053]

@@Dianedreamsincolor You weren't harsh at all and just pointed out what you do and don't like. For example the busy-background book, you might not like it but sometimes I get daunted by a big open background I feel like I have to fill. So that could be a plus for some people. You had something positive to say but just pointed out how these things didn't work for you.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

thanks 🙏

[@AM-th1vr]

I totally get what you're saying. I'm willing to wait and save to purchase better. Items coloring books and materials. Then to get just something that I'm going to be disappointed about. I'm learning more as I go😊

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I’ve been coloring for almost 3 years and I’m still learning too. That’s what’s so great about KZbin, you can learn so much from others in the community.

[@susanwaitt1643]

Tooliarts xf cover black lines

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

does th for tear the paper at all? I bought the medium size and they do rip papers. lmk

[@coloredbymaia6476]

By the way I returned my black widow pencils as soon as i got them! I agree with you ❤, nothing will ever come close to a prismacolor! Nothing!

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

hi again 🤗. agree Prismas are the best!

[@davidcampbell6527]

Regarding the prismacolor, are you using them for original artwork or coloring books? My favourite is caran d'ache Pablo but I only do original work. I absolutely detest the prismacolors! I find it difficult to achieve subtle results with them. Many people are chasing the same look in the same books with the same colors. Is there any point to searching endlessly for cheap supplies when the prisma look is what many are chasing? Another point to consider about each new cheap product is that someone sings it's praises in a video and helpfully provides a sponsored link to buy them.

[@coloredbymaia6476]

@@davidcampbell6527 true ! I look for alternatives because my viewers in Europe can’t get prismacolor easily. Pablos are amazing!! The problem is our paper in most coloring books is not artist color pencil paper

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I have done some originals with them but I use them mostly in Coloring books. I do more watercolor work as original work. it’s hard to be subtle with Prismas bc they are so saturated and soft. I have a few Pablo’s and I like them but mostly for the unique colors they have. The feel is nice too, they’re a good choice

[@shannonlowery131]

I love my blackwidows I have all 180 but can't stand prismas there to soft.

[@kerrysmith7598]

Try scribbling on a plastic pallette with the distress crayons, then mix it into a "paint" with water.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks for the advice. It was definitely an improvement.

[@kellip9586]

Arrtx & black widow are really good quality budget pencils. Emphasis on budget, you can’t compare them to a prisma or equivalent. They take a little more patience and technique, but the result can be just as good. I love the black widow colour palette 180 pencils and some seriously unique colours. They are great for intricate books with a little tooth to the paper. I use them almost exclusively in the original Tomislav Tomic books. Agree with Afmat over Derwent eraser, not so much on the sharpener they work really well on fragile pencils and are the go if you need a long fine point. I think we have all been sucked into buying an AI book, the thumbnails for them look incredible, but so disappointing in the physical copy, just don’t do it guys. The acrylic pens are best stored on their sides. Arrtx does a dual point acrylic set that may give you the fine point you are looking for.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I have a Tomic book.I’ll give them a try again. someone also said they are great on Basford books as well.

[@locoyo386]

Hi, most acrylic markers are to be stored flat and not standing.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I think I was the only one who didn’t know this 🤣 Thanks for the tip

[@anitawaclawik4286]

Interesting video. I agree with you about saving up to buy quality colouring supplies especially pencils.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Yes, especially pencils! 🤩

[@donnabost4445]

Thank you for this video--you saved me alot of money!!!

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Glad I could help!

[@Bluebirdsings]

About the watercolor ground, you could sand after application to have a smoother surface. Maybe you could sell the materials you don’t use?

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks for the advice. Someone told me to try sanding and someone else thought satın glazing liquid might work better. I will try both.

[@traci4371]

This was good, I can relate!! I also subscribed!!! All the best with your channel!!

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks for liking and I’m glad you liked it enough to subscribe,yay!

[@valeriel3103]

Personally, I think R.J. Hampson should have taken the cost of a hard back and invested it in a higher quality paper. I love his artwork but his paper improvement didn't cut it for me so I've quit buying his books because of that.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

agreed, I really thought that the paper quality would have been better because of the higher price but I guess you are right, it went into the hard cover instead of the paper.

[@amateurcolourist]

Where the wildflowers grow are more Australian flowers I think

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

The flowers are beautiful. It’s just too repetitive unfortunately.

[@GwyllionFaye]

Thanks this was really very helpful. I agree I’d rather wait and save for a better pencil or art supply as I too have learned. 💜

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I feel I wasted so much money chasing a Prisma-like equivalent when I probably could have just used all that money on replacements to my real Prismas. 🤣

[@oneeyeopen5044]

Use fine liners

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I have so few. I should invest in a set. do you have any recommendations?

[@Chizukeki1994]

You're supposed to store the acrylic markers horizontaly. That counts for every marke pen. The way you store them they leak because its still paint, its liquid.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Learned this lesson the hard way since they all leaked a bit 😊 but they are all now on their side

[@valerieb8006]

Hi Diane..With the Gothic Fairies mini, that is a super good point. Details too small. ....Helpful video👍i have rj hampson tiny homes ( something like that haha!) and the paper is bad😆...I use clear gesso as a ground but it leaves a rough texture as well. my fix was to sand it down....A great video. A lot of Good points! Thanks🙋🌅🌺

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

how clever! it still works if you sand it? I’ll give it a try once I find it. thx

[@waymire01]

@@Dianedreamsincolor you are actually supposed to sand gesso.. apply thin layer, sand, then repeat once or twice. It's not actually designed for paper at all, so it's going to be weird regardless but sanding would help. Watercolor isn't supposed to be applied over gesso.. gesso makes the surface non-soluble, watercolor is supposed to soak in to sized paper.. so it's going to be just sitting there... pooling, streaky, and uneven. Watercolor ground was designed for application on non porous surfaces such as wood, stone, etc to allow you to get watercolor to adhere. It's supposed to be rough with a texture similar to cold press watercolor paper. A lot of these "fixes" are just people trying to use things that aren't designed to work that way, to solve the problem of trying to use media on surfaces not designed for it. By far the best solution is to watercolor on watercolor paper.. either by hand transferring the design or copying it using a printer that can do the job. I can give suggestions for either of these techniques if you wish, let me know. Otherwise, it's a roll of the dice if any unsized paper will take the abuse, and none of it will be ideal. You can do it, sometimes, but it's kind of like driving a car on a flat tire.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

wow thanks for all the useful information.

[@deba1289]

Before you buy that set of Holbein's buy a few open stock and play with them. I did that and discovered I wasn't that impressed. Tho I've read there is a lerning curve with Holbeins, I wondered if there was more hype about them that they deserved. My go to set is still my Prismas. The color saturation is stunning. Like you I tried Black Widow pencils, 3 sets in fact. I sent them all back because the price for all the individual sets were going to cost more than a full set of Prisma Colors at the time. Black Widows weren't budget in my book and I resented the marketing ploy that tried to convince me otherwise. My pencil buying rule now is buy brands that are only available open stock.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I have 3 Holbeins and Like them. I hope I don’t regret buying them when I save up enough. I will be so pissed. but I know what you mean. I bought a small set of Luminance and I don’t think they are worth the money yet they have a huge fan base. people love them but I just find them ok.

[@deba1289]

@@Dianedreamsincolor I think it's the lightfast ratings. If you're a pro I totally get it but that is sooo not me. When everyone was hyping pastel pencils I thought heck I'll just move my hand further back on the barrel and get my pastels that way. LOL

[@jackiehoward7300]

Hello, I really don’t like intricate backgrounds either. Also, I don’t enjoy wallpaper type pages. Finding a good pencil sharpener is a struggle. I have a sharpener that is a random brand. I’ve had it for about three years. Never replaced the battery and has an option for manual use. I can change the level of sharpness too.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

would you mind sharing what brand the sharpener is? would you recommend it?

[@waymire01]

Regarding the acrylic paint pen.. it does depend on the paper. Test them in some others in the back before tossing them. I've had the same thing happen with Posca, specifically in Rita Berman's ocean book, went to do a simple background and it ate that paper on contact. I was shocked because that paper takes watercolor beautifully so I never thought it would be a problem. I should have tested it first. I do have the fine tipped Tooli's and I'm not a fan.. just because they are extremely small so they don't last very long (the ad on Amazon doesn't accurately show the size, they are TINY), and you can't buy them open stock. They become expensive quickly when you have to buy a whole set to replace a single pen that holds a tiny amount of actual paint. I prefer posca where I can buy a nice fat pen and replace them on demand, or the moonlight Sakura gel pens for covering lines and pops of detail.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

All good points. I didn’t think about the open stock issues. Does Posca have a thin nib. Mine are all chunky so not easy to get a thin line when I’m trying to cover up black lines. Thanks for sharing.

[@waymire01]

@@Dianedreamsincolor They have 8 different sized nibs available. There is a very fine one that is about the size of a thicker micron pen PC-1MR, the next size up is probably the most versatile PC-1M, then several larger. They even have a brush tip now. The moonlight gel pens just came out with new pastel colors and earth tones.

[@waymire01]

I share your frustration with RJ Hampson. The only advice I can give is that alcohol marker base is the way to go in the printed versions.. and he has PDF packs if you want to print out on better paper on his website. He also has an email newsletter that gives you a free download page (some of the recent ones have offered both the light and dark versions) each month. If you are willing to import books the Japanese versions are still thin but have much nicer printing and work much better with water media.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I will try the alcohol markers next time and thanks for the info on the pdf packs. I like his new book but didn’t want to buy it bc of the paper.

[@ranamcmahon7653]

Maybe you already know but you should always store markers flat. 😉

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I think I was seriously the last one to learn this, lol. Thanks for sharing

[@jicolourist]

I agree the tooli art paint pens with plastic nibs in the glitter are always clogging. I have to constantly remove and soak the nibbs so never use them either.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

sorry you didn’t like yours either

[@jamie6360]

Maybe u need to start looking for flip thrus of books before u buy them

[@sallycapotosto6927]

That's what I thought as well. The books are too expensive to just not use. Such a shame. I'm sorry you had these bad experiences.

[@jamie6360]

@sallycapotosto6927 the grazio book is beautiful

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

totally agree but sometimes I like it on a video but when I see it in person, I don’t. so weird

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I’m glad you like it

[@leonnehaaijman4709]

Gosh, is this a new trend on YT? Supply Regrets? This is the umpteenth video I've seen pass my feed in the last month or so.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Yes I think it is. It’s hard to think of new things to film each week. I find them very helpful so I decided to do one as well.

[@valeriel3103]

I like seeing regrets. It helps me if I'm considering a particular product. I like honest opinions.

[@thatsaniceboulder1483]

You echo some of my issues

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Thanks, I m glad

[@waymire01]

The Loveliness book is obviously AI. That is why none of the line art makes sense and half of it is a completely different style.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I wondered about that! It looks so odd and I just made the assumption that an artist wouldn’t use AI but I guess that’s silly 😛 I have no desire to color in that book.

[@waymire01]

@@Dianedreamsincolor it's getting harder to tell, they are being marketed with artists names and bios even on Amazon. There is a "certification" that has been formed called Only Human Art but it's not widely used yet.. Coloring Heaven magazine has joined. Hopefully soon it will catch on more so it's easier to know what we are buying. If you look at enough of it you can tell by the way things are shaped, it all has an odd swirly style to it, with line strokes that go from narrow to wide or light to dark in a way a pen or pencil just doesn't do, even a digital pen. Also look for things that don't connect, fade out randomly, or don't make sense, like a petal instead of a leaf on a stem or a leaf on a flower instead of a petal. My daughter is an artist and I've seen first hand how AI is hurting her and her friends, so it's very important to me to avoid it.

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

I think they should develop legislation about this. AI should be clearly marked. We shouldn’t have to dig for signs but you info helped. I knew to look at the hands but I think they got better at that

[@waymire01]

@@Dianedreamsincolor I fully agree, they shouldn't be able to claim an artist, it should clearly state AI generated.

[@Gwazdka89]

@@waymire01This book is 100% not AI generated. It was published mid 2021, when AI image generation technology was not yet that advanced as it is today. (if the date of creation precedes 2022 it's almost certain that image was not created with AI) The difference in line weight and greyscale is a deliberate choice - thick lines and deeper shading for the character, the main part of the image and softer, sketchier lines for the embellishments. I do wholeheartedly agree though, that anything created with an AI should be clearly marked (and there should be an easy way to filter it out during searches! I’m so tired of going through a million AI slop search results on Amazon and Etsy when I’m looking for coloring book and stickers ☹)

[@PixieyDust]

I love egg yolk...I discovered if you lay down a light pink like bw hot pink first, then add egg yolk and one more hot pink, it gets a tanner shade of the egg yolk...pretty cool. 💜🩵🦋🐰🩵💜

[@Dianedreamsincolor]

Great tip! Thanks for the advice