Interview Morena Vajak

Hello adult coloring fans! Today we have an interview with a lovely lady that can always put a smile on anyone face! When you see how much work and effort is put in those little coloring masterpieces who would not love that unique style of hers. Meet Morena Vajak from Croatia!

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Q: First of all tell us little something about yourself.

My name is Morena Vajak, I live in Osijek, which is a small town in Croatia. My hobbies are obviously colouring, but also gaming and reading books. I work as an English and German teacher at a local elementary school.

 

Q: How did you start to color? When did this attraction begin?

I’ve always been artsy, always drawing, sketching, painting. Ever since I can remember. I had some more serious tries in painting with dry pastel 10-15 years ago, but abandoned this hobby (hopefully not permanently) due to the lack of space and time. I discovered the world of adult colouring books in May 2015 and haven’t stopped doing it ever since.

Q: Do you use coloring as a small getaway from the real world?

Definitely. Just as painting, music, reading, watching movies, all of these are small escapes from the harsh reality that surround us. However, engaging in arts of any sort also makes you more able to understand the world around you in a deeper way. It’s a paradox, but that’s what art will do to you. You will become more awakened and more spiritual. You start seeing and hearing more than you used to.

 

Q: How do you prepare before coloring?

It depends, which medium I am planning to use, which book or artwork I’m going to colour in, if it’s a limited palette, a challenge, or a totally free choice, something that speaks to me. But the first thing I will do is choose the pencils I want to use and sharpen them. It’s like a short meditation before diving in. Sometimes I do a very thorough research on light and shadow, shape and colour of specific objects I want to colour. I don’t mind doing my homework! I don’t listen to music while colouring, I prefer my own head to play some inner music during the process.

 

Q: What inspires you to create so beautiful coloring pages?

Thank you for calling them beautiful Everything inspires me. Anything can trigger observation, not only gorgeous flowers or a stunning building. It can really be a simple thing, like the way my coffee mug is casting a shadow or a reflection in it – just to name a very mundane example. If you know how to look, everything inspires you.

Q: Describe your coloring pages in three little words

That’s not very easy! But let me try: light, shadow, shape…

Q: What are your favorite supplies for coloring? Do you always use the same or you like to experiment with it?

I have several good sets of coloured pencils. My absolute favourites are Prismacolor Premiers, Faber-Castell Polychromos and a couple of other brands, but I also love my Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils. I love to experiment with watercolour too, when I have the chance to colour on appropriate paper. Faber-Castell’s Pitt artist brush pens are my good friends too.

Q: Do you have special techniques and color mixes that you’d like to share with us? Any tips and tricks?

Well, it’s not easy to describe techniques. Let’s just say I prefer a light hand, I like to blend with a coloured pencil rather than a blending pencil or other blenders, I layer a lot to get the depth and new colours. Also, what I would advise to any colourist: don’t be afraid to use black. It gives dimension and shape to the objects in your picture. There is no shadow without light and vice versa. Go dark, it gives depth.

Q: We think you did a really great job with “castle” from Zemlja Snova by Tomislav Tomić. How did you come up with the idea to make that picture?

Thank you for your compliment. When I first flipped through this magnificent book, the picture of the castle became imprinted in my brain. I ached to colour it as soon as possible! I love architecture because it gives me a chance to engage in what I love most – giving shape to objects. Also, I thought this castle was so well drawn that I simply had to bring it to life. I hope I managed to do that. I only know I enjoyed every second while colouring it. Tomislav’s castles are beautiful beyond words. And Zemlja Snova is filled with castles! To me it really is the Land of Dreams.

 

Q: If you could choose only one of your finished coloring page which one would it be? And why?

If I could choose only one? That’s not easy, that’s like asking which of your children you would choose! Well, jokes aside, I would choose Tomislav’s castle. This picture speaks to me on so many levels and I am happy with how I coloured it. Which does not happen very often

 

Q: Do you have a favorite coloring book author? How did he/she earn your admirations?

Again, choosing among so many is difficult. I love Tomislav Tomić’s work, but I also love Klara Markova, Eriy, Daria Song, Kinuko Y. Craft, Macoto Takahashi, Good Wives and Warriors, Rita Berman, Maria Trolle, Nicholas F. Chandrawienata, Ruth Sanderson,Rachel Reinert, Svetlana Malysheva, Clara Yang and so so many others to whom I would like to apologize for not naming them here.

 

Q: In your opinion, why does your coloring pages appeal so much to adult coloring book fans?

Like any other creative hobby,(painting, knitting, writing, any kind of craft), it pushes our limits and enhances our imagination. And it can seriously help us alleviate the stress and problems we all go through in our everyday lives. Also, you can see the result of your work and it remains there forever.

Q: What drives the adult coloring trend according to your experience?

First of all, I don’t think it’s a trend anymore. It has become a legitimate hobby like any other I named above.

Q: What would like to see more in adult coloring book world?

Nowadays you can find just about anything you are looking for in the thousands of colouring books that already exist. More and more are released every single day. What I would love to see as soon as possible is a new book by Tomislav Tomić. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

Q: What are your plans for the future?

To be honest, I don’t have any specific plans for the future except to try and make more time for colouring and creating art generally. Maybe reviving my old hobby – painting with dry and soft pastel. I would really love to do that.

 

Q: And last but not least, where can we find your artwork?

You can find me on Instagram and Facebook:

https://www.instagram.com/morena_vajak/

https://www.facebook.com/morenas.colouring.room/

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Thank you for the interview. I would only like to add one thing, for some new colourists: never be afraid to try anything you want. Explore and experiment, don’t think about the final results. Enjoy the journey!

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Interview with Kim Mazyck

Interview with Christina Simon

Hello adult coloring book fans! Today we present you a colorist from a country known for love and passion. Meet Christina Simon from France who can colour all day everyday!

Q: First of all tell us little something about yourself.

My name is Christina Simon. I am in my forties and live in the South of France, just beside Monaco.

My hobbies are drawing, colouring, reading, photography, watching good movies and TV shows, gardening, have long walks in nature.

I have a bachelor degree in Product Design, worked as Interior Designer before moving to France where I worked on luxury retail and as a freelance Graphic Designer for many years.

I started drawing and colouring again a few months ago and hope it will become more than a hobby.

 

Q: How did you start to color?When did this attraction begin?

I was just more than a baby actually. My late mother used to tell me I couldn’t even walk well enough but was always grabbing paper and pencils to « draw » something. At this time, I used to do it with both hands simultaneously.

 

Q: Do you use coloring as a small getaway from the real world?

Yes. But more than this it really is something I love to do. Today I can’t imagine myself doing something else. I draw and colour all day everyday or almost.

 

Q: How do you prepare before coloring?

I don’t! I just follow my feelings. But I always do some research when I’ll colour, look for photos of the real subjects to choose colours and details.

If I am creating something, it depends. Sometimes I just doodle and than something comes out of it. But I can also be inspired by other artists work. I also draw from a reference photo, but I haven’t done it for a while now.

 

Q: You are a colorist and an artist. What do you prefer? And why?

Both, it depends on the moment. It is a feeling, I can’t really explain.

 

Q: Where do you get the ideas? What inspired you?

Nature itself, photos, other artists work…

 

Q: Describe your illustrations in three little words

Intricate, delicate, organic.

 

Q: How would you describe your “coloring” workplace?

An organized mess.

 

Q: What are your favorite supplies for coloring? Do you always use the same or you like to experiment with it?

I love everything, but my favourites are coloured pencils, markers and ink.

I have more experience with pencils and started working with markers just a few weeks ago and like it very much as well.

I use technical pens (Rotring Isograph), for drawing mandalas, patterns, doodles, etc.. I have UniBall, Pigma Micron, but prefer the “old ones”.

I have only Caran d’Ache pencils: Supracolor Soft, Pablo and Luminance.

Markers, I use Winsor & Newton Promarkers, Molotow, Staedler Triplus Fineliners andStabilo point 88.

I’d love to try many other materials, brands and techniques but they are very expensive. My wish list is huge!

 

Q: Why do you prefer working with pencils as opposed to digitally?

I don’t have a preference. I like both of them. I just don’t use the computer to sketch, doodle and colour. Now I intend to work a floral doodle on Illustrator, make it a vector image, a pattern, who knows?

 

Q: Do you have special techniques and color mixes that you’d like to share with us? Any tips and tricks?

 

Well, I mostly work with coloured pencils. My technique is to layer a lot! Light strokes and layers to mix colours, blend and shade. In the end, white and black in key places to increase contrast. I need to work on feathers and hair.

Something I always do when colouring books is to scan the illustration and print it on a thicker and appropriate paper for the technique I choose to use. Even with the same medium, the paper texture (and colour of it) changes a lot the results. Colours mix and blend differently, final texture is different and so on. I also make the contour lines lighter, since I don’t like them black. Specially when using pastel colours.

 

Q: What challenges (if any) did you face in making your coloring pages and can you give other artist any tips for solving similar problems?

I think I answered it on the tips above… But mainly it is the quality of the paper that sometimes it’s not appropriate for markers, watercolour and such. And the fact that when the illustration is on two pages it is quite hard to colour in the middle. I skip those.

 

Q: If you could choose only one of your finished coloring page which one would it be? And why?

This is hard… They are all so different, impossible to compare.

But I’d say it is the one from the link below, an illustration from Floribunda, a colouring book illustrated by Leila Duly.

 

It took me more than a month to complete it and I really love the result.

• The colours are much brighter (and soft at the same time) than in any photo I took from it.
• Because it is the best layering job I’ve done until now.

Q: What drives the adult coloring trend according to your experience?

It is a way to release stress to most people, a therapy. And many of them have a huge talent for colouring!

 

Q: Do you have a favorite coloring book author? How did he/she earn your admirations?

There are many! The most known being Johanna Basford, Leila Duly, Hanna Karlzon,Kerby Rosanes, Denise Klette… I like to colour things I’d love to have drawn, this is how I choose the books and pages I colour.

 

Q: What would you like to see more in adult coloring book world?

I’d love to be able to buy digital versions of the books since I always scan and print the illustrations before colouring. Also, if an accident occurs, we could print it again and restart without needing to buy the whole book once more and experiment colouring the same illustration with different mediums.

Contour lines should be lighter, not black. Grey 50%, for exemple.

 

Q:What are your plans for the future?

I am considering sites as Etsy, RedBubble, Artistocracy and such to sell pieces with my own drawings but this is some steps away.

As an artist, you can expect ink drawings and patterns I am working on and sketching, some drawings inspired by photos I am collecting….

As colourist, I am not sure yet, but I’ll probably choose between Hanna Karlzonand Kerby Rosanes, Denise Klette, since I haven’t coloured any of their books yet.

Q: And last but not least, where can we find your artwork?

For now, I only show them on Instagram.
I have Pinterest account (same username as IG) where I pin everything I like and inspires me.

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/christinasmm/?etslf=1184&eq=christinasmm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinasmm/

 

 

 

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Interview with Francisca Paredes Martinez

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Interview with Nicole

Interview with Francisca Martinez Paredes

Hello, adult coloring book fans! Today we have interview with mandala artist from Spain! She has amazing mandala designs and runs a Youtube channel with tutorials on how to create mandalas! 

Q:First of all tell us little something about yourself. 
My name is Francisca Martinez Paredes, but everyone calls me Paqui, I live in a village on the coast of Murcia called Puerto de Mazarron in Spain.
I was born on February 14, 1975, Administrative study and work in a company dedicated to the export of fruits and vegetables. My hobbies hiking, make pies, drawing mandalas and coloring books.

Q:How did you start to color? When did this attraction begin?
Not much I started with this aficcion, just a few months ago was after the death of my brother who was in April, I needed to find something to keep the mind entertaining and I happened to unburden a drawing of mandala Internet. I bought some crayons and started coloring and the truth is I liked a lot and I relaxed a lot. Soon after I discovered the coloring books for adults and loved.

Decided to open an account in Instagram and started to upload photos of mandalas and coloring drawings, and I was watching the art of others in Instagram and so precious that made drawings, I especially liked much mandalas and thought that if these people could draw me. You could also, so look for some tutorials on youtube as draw and did it myself. I realized it was not so difficult and that with a little patience was achieved, although I still have much to learn, slowly, I do not rush.

Q:Do you use coloring as a small getaway from the real world?
When I’m drawing or coloring is my relaxing time, I feel good doing it, I forget about the problems and gives me a huge satisfaction I am able to do myself, and look at my drawings and think, that I have done and I feel great.

Q:Is coloring time-consuming? How often do you color on a weekly basis?
I try to take as long as possible to draw, but in the months that I have a lot of work can only weekends and housework not much time, 2 or 3 hours weekend. The months that do not work if I spend 3 or 4 hours a day.

Q:How do you prepare before coloring? 
It depends on the day, sometimes you just pick up a piece of paper and start without thinking  before, sometimes if I want to draw something more complicated and not very well as make it look as do internet first, and almost always with music that I love, although most of the time do not have much peace of mind because my place draw this in the living room and my partner is always there watching TV or the PC and it bothers me a little, but the house is small and I have no place to be myself quiet. Sometimes if I really bothers my partner making noise I wear headphones and is the only way to be a little quiet.

Q:What are your favorite supplies for coloring? Do you always use the same or you like to experiment with it?
The material I use is very varied, compass, rule, protractor, markers calibrated as Pigma Sakura Micron, Staedtler Pigment liner, Uni Pin Fine Line all them of various calibers (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.8, 1), pencils graphic H, HB, 2HB. Different types of erasers, crayons (Lyra, Faber Castell ….) markers Stabilo fine tip 88, Staedtler triplus fineliner, marker pens Koi coloring brush pen,brush pen Winsor and Newton, Sharpie markersof all colors, permanent markers Bic, Gel pens Uniball Sign, Pilot Choose, Edding markers 780, 751, 1200, Uni Posca. PapersCanson drawing sheets, cardboard of various colors, Spirograph and not if I open forgotten something, I really like the drawing material, although it is a bit expensive and I can not buy everything I wanted, but little by little ire buying more things, that moment is what I used, I wanted to try with watercolors and acrylic paint, but still am not daring to do so.

Q:Do you have special techniques and color mixes that you’d like to share with us? Any tips and tricks?
I have no special technique, drawing and coloring normally, even I have a lot to learn.

Q:Do you have a specific “signature” in your art?
I put watermark on the photos and videos you upload to Instagram with the name of my account coloreando.ando.yo

Q:Which books and patterns you find most enjoyable to color?
The mandalas is what I like, but the coloring books with flowers I also like very much likethe secret garden of Johanna Basford.

Q:Do you have a favorite coloring book author? How did he/she earn your admirations?
I really like Johanna Basford and his books The ocean lost, the secret garden, the enchanted forest ……

Q:And last but not least, where can we find your artwork?
So far my drawings are only in Instagram.And I have a Youtube channel with tutorials: link

So coloring book fans. What do you think? Will you follow Paqui and show her support. Let us know in the comments below…

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