Hi all! 

Today I am discussing my latest hyperfixation: adult colouring books. This craze has been sweeping the internet for some time now and it finally got ahold of me. The colouring books in question are from the Coco Wyo brand. They sell bright, cartoonish cosy editions, with bold graphics to make staying within the lines easier. All of their images are hand-drawn with love by a team of creative artists. They believe the art of colouring can heal and bring comfort. I can certainly attest to that! As somebody who struggles with coordination (read more here), I find this particular hobby very soothing. Even my daughter has become obsessed, having already completed multiple books. Without further ado, let’s get into it! 

1.) Where Do I Start? 

First, you want to purchase some Coco Wyo books. I bought mine from Amazon. If you’re a beginner, you can get actual practice guides. There is a lot more to this craze than just colouring – I’ll touch on that later. Next, you will need an assortment of markers. I bought a large pack from Temu for cheap. Having said that, you can use coloured pencils, crayons, gel pens etc. With markers like mine, make sure to use a thick piece of cardboard or card-stock underneath the pages, so the ink doesn’t bleed through. 

2.) How Do I Make It Look Good? 

If you’re new to colouring and don’t know how to make patterns/palettes that pop, copy someone else! For example, I found this sample page online from Coco Wyo and decided to replicate it as best as possible. The first image is the original, the second is my replication. It was really fun putting it together. Once you become more comfortable, you can attempt a creation of your own. Failing all that, just colour! There are no rules and certainly no expectations for perfection.  

3.) What Makes Coco Wyo Colouring Unique? 

The patterns. If you look at the picture below, you’ll notice I haven’t coloured everything uniform. For example, the frog in the top left corner has a blend of green and cream to make him stand out. The black and brown dog in the painting, matches the larger dog sleeping by the coffee table. The leaves on the right contain a marker called ‘colourless blender’, adding brighter highlights to the edges. Please keep in mind, I am a novice. There are skilled artists out there that can create 3D patterns on a page. It takes plenty of practice, some of which I’ll show below. 

4.) Patterns I’m Perfecting.

At the moment, I’m working on perfecting some of my patterns. To do that, I’m using the Coco Wyo practice book. I’ll share three examples below. 

1.) LIGHT SOURCES

The practice book allows you to record which colours you are using. This helps narrow down the best pattern you’re trying to achieve. I’m super proud of my fire (see bottom right). Using deeper red tones and working down to paler yellows, really makes the flame pop.

2.) BLANKET TEXTURES

There are no rules to blanket textures. You can use as many colours and patterns as you like. I am not quite where I want to be with them just yet, but as you can see, I’m playing around. I can’t wait to incorporate a design I’m happy with onto the page. 

3.) BRICK PATTERNS

Brick patterns are a lot trickier than they look. Finding a good colour combination is one thing. Making them stand-out to look almost 3D is another. Having said that, I feel like I’m starting to master them. They look good!

5.) Just Have Fun!

Lastly, I want to urge you to have fun. You can make your pages as simple or as detailed as you like. In the image below, I selected 8 random colours; tasking myself to complete the picture using only those markers. I really like how it came out! There are endless options and ideas like this. You only have to go online to discover countless sources of inspiration. As long as you’re enjoying yourself, you’re doing it right. 

Thank you so much for reading. Have you jumped on the Coco Wyo colouring bandwagon? 

Peace & Love xoxo