Review: Birds by Georgie Woolridge

Birds is "A Mindful Colouring Book" by Georgie Woolridge. I have been enjoying the rise of adult colouring books - I've never stopped colouring, but it is lovely to have so many more options available than there ever have been. I have quite a few reviews of colouring books and colouring equipment planned for the coming weeks/months...

I received this particular book from my husband for Christmas, after he found it in a RSPB shop. I was immediately drawn to this robin image - well, it was the middle of winter! I decided to stick to a realistic colour scheme and fairly realistic shading, and assumed the background as mistletoe. The best thing about this book is that it's only printed on one side, so there's no worries about pens bleeding through, and each image can be removed and used as you wish. I can imagine a wall full of these images! Opposite each image is a small piece of information about the bird pictured, including it's name, which I really appreciated. It will be nice to learn about more birds as I wander through the book.

There are lots of small fiddly areas of colour in this book. Whilst I like some detail like this, these images are quite overwhelming. There is no need to colour each section individually though, and large areas can be shaded and still look great. I really appreciate the effort the artist has gone to to fit the patterns and details in with how the bird looks - the feet look scaly, the back looks feathery, and there is a clear definition where the robin's red breast begins. It's one thing to fill a shape with pattern, but it takes skill to do it this beautifully.

I have coloured this image using some (very old) WHSmith blendable colour pencils. These particular ones are unavailable, but I hope to review their latest offerings soon. I do have a confession to make though, I do not find colouring relaxing like many people seem to. My fatigue and pain issues mean that colouring is very taxing on my body, and can trigger migraines. I enjoy it as one of many creative activities, but it is a tiring activity for me, not a restful one. It takes me a long time to complete a piece as I can only do a few minutes at a time, but I love bringing magic to images with colour.

You can find Georgie Woolridge on Facebook here. This review is not sponsored and is my own personal opinion.