Colouring should be fun and relaxing. but there are times when it may not feel so good. There are different things that might make it less fun and it is good to be aware of some of them and try to make sure that they are not things that will get us down and spoil our relaxing hobby.
Comparing our work to others can make us feel that we are just not good enough and never will be. This is a picture I did which was in the style of the picture beneath it. I roughly replicated it but I could not make it look anything like it really. This could have got me down, but it is important to remember ‘inspiration not comparison’. Be inspired by amazing work but do not let it put you off. We will all improve in time, but we need practice, no one is born producing masterpieces, they all have to learn and grow and some take longer than others.
We need to accept that we will make mistakes. This picture is an example where I sprayed fixative on the finished picture and it was too wet and ran on the page creating a nasty streak – bottom left. I managed to erase it and put on more pastel so it did not look so bad but I will always know it is there. If we do not make mistakes we will not learn for next time. I can never stay in the lines, but if that put me off colouring I would not have even bought my first book. Try to be laid back and use mistakes as a learning experience.
I rarely leave a piece unfinished, because I like that completion before moving on to another. However, there is no point in persevering with something if it is not going right. That is not relaxing or fun! So do not be afraid to leave a picture for while, either put it aside for a day or so or just start a new picture and go back when you are ready.
When we see other people’s colouring books and materials it can be very tempting to buy some for ourselves. Although it is lovely to treat yourself, it is important to make sure that you only buy what you can afford. Lower budget items can be very good and you do not need huge sets of pencils etc to get good results. Do not create stress by spending too much money.
If you need inspiration then watching a video tutorial can help. I find that they give me ideas for different techniques I can use and new colour combinations too. They can be fun to watch and you will hopefully learn as well. I have hundreds of videos on my channel that you can look at! There are lots of other colourists with great YouTube channels too.