[Thorough Comparison] Why You Should Choose Adult Coloring Books by Paper Quality! The Secret to Easy Blending and Shading

I think I’ve written before about how much fun adult coloring books are!

They really are incredibly fun. I’ve received them as gifts, bought budget-friendly ones from the 100-yen shop, and generally just enjoyed coloring away. But recently, I noticed something important: Some coloring books have paper that is actually hard to color on.

How Paper Quality Changes the Coloring Experience: Smooth vs. Textured

The first one I bought was Graphic-sha’s “Enchanted Forest” (Nemureru Mori) coloring book.

This book is filled with incredibly detailed line art. For someone like me who finds an almost manic pleasure in filling in tiny spaces one by one, it was absolute perfection. However, it had one slight drawback…

It’s difficult to layer colors.

Yes, even if I wanted to create a nice gradient from blue to red using colored pencils, the first layer of color would stick to the paper and make the surface slick and glossy. This made adding another layer on top very difficult.

So, when working on this book, I stuck to flat coloring (solid fills) or had fun using brush pens to fill in the backgrounds instead.

I figured this was just how coloring books were, and I didn’t mind it much. But then, for my birthday, my husband gave me a Puzzle & Dragons coloring book! (Note: “Puzzle & Dragons”, or PAD, is a massively popular mobile RPG in Japan).

Some might think, “What kind of wife gets excited over a coloring book for her birthday?” But I’m the type of person who gets insanely hyped over receiving Silent Hill horror game figures. I prefer these kinds of geeky gifts way more than jewelry or designer bags—I guess it shows I’m highly compatible with an otaku lifestyle! (lol)

Anyway, that Puzzle & Dragons coloring book… the paper feels ridiculously good to color on!!

It’s actually smoother than the paper in the “Enchanted Forest” book—almost like Kent paper (a smooth Bristol board favored by manga artists). Yet, when I layer colored pencils, the colors grip beautifully, allowing me to create rich, deep shading.

I was using the exact same colored pencils, so this difference is definitely due to the paper quality.

I never realized that even within the “adult coloring book” category, the coloring experience could change so drastically depending on the paper.

The Conclusion

My theory is this: Adult coloring books featuring mandala-style patterns or flat designs are probably not made with heavy layering in mind. The paper is chosen because it’s suited for solid, flat fills.

On the other hand, coloring books featuring character art (like manga or game characters) assume that you will want to add shading and highlights. So, they use paper that allows colors to pop even when layered.

So, if you’re thinking about buying an adult coloring book, I highly recommend checking the paper quality and considering what kind of coloring (flat fills vs. heavy shading) you want to do before you buy!