Break Free From Perfection (coloring)

Do you have trouble starting or finishing coloring projects? Do you want to be more creative, enjoy, and relax into something therapeutic? Learn to break free from perfection and enjoy life!

Break Free From Perfection (coloring)

I did it! I was finally able to break free from perfection.

In my last post (Coloring, Patience, & the Type A Personality – Breaking Free From Perfection) I wrote about the latest coloring craze and the problems I had that kept me from starting and finishing what I started.

The Problems

1. I am so into organizing products that I spend more time searching for just the right products than I do the coloring.
2. I don’t have the vision of what colors to use, so it takes me too long to start coloring.

The Solution

I purchased a coloring book that gave me a type of color by number. Only there were no numbers, just a template to follow. I am proud to say that I started AND finished! Whooo Hooo!

Once I got going, it was truly therapeutic to concentrate on something creative and create beauty. When I’m coloring, I’m not thinking of anything else. I get to focus on colors, techniques, blending, and only positive thoughts.

The Book

Nature Mandalas Coloring Book by Design Originals is the book I started with. They show you templates for each design, plus give you the palate of colors they used. In the beginning of the book, they give you tips, techniques & media. I know that once I get going, learn to shade and blend my colors, and get comfortable, I’ll be able to choose colors on my own.

I’m posting my example (labeled: MINE) and hope you’ll enjoy the Design Originals coloring books as much as I do. They have so many to choose from!

This coloring project took me a little over four hours. The Crayola Colored Pencils and Liquitex Basic Artist Colored Pencils were not the easiest to work with. When layering and blending, two to three passes was all I could do. So I had to erase and play around a bit. The reason blending was a little difficult is because the paper is smooth as opposed to other coloring books that have paper with more ridges. When the paper has more ridges (not too many, but more than the smooth paper), it allows for several layers to push the color down into the paper, causing a nice blending effect.

I enjoyed working on this coloring page because the color choices were done for me. Therefore, I was able to focus on learning to blend. Not too shabby for my second try if I do say so myself.

In my next post I’ll let you know what I think of my latest purchases.

With my birthday money, I purchased the Prismacolor Premier 79 Piece Mixed Media Set and Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book by Johanna Basford. ~Yay for birthday money!!!~

   
So there you have it! I was able to break free from perfection, and you can too! Just make your desire to finish a coloring page stronger than your obsession to choose just the right product or colors. 😉

When my orders come in, I’ll get to organize my desk and see if I’m going to keep my other pencils. I’d love to see what you’ve been coloring! Tell me in the comments below!

PS. Just got these too and am LOVING them!
Staedtler Fineliner markers

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