Forest Song Coloring Book (R.J. Hampson Coloring Books)

Nice book, purchased for my mom and she loves it.

I love Mr Hampsons style of drawing. He delivers clean, definitive lines with no sketchiness to his work, so all of his books are a joy to color. I also love the imaginative whimsy of his work. His pictures are complex enough to be challenging without being overwhelming with tiny, intricate patterns.

I really like Hampson's art. It's so fresh, fun, and whimsical. His art looks like nothing else that's available. To be honest, I find it hard to believe other artists art trying to emulate RJ's style, in an attempt to cash in. I love that a lot of the images are so simple at heart, and don't take a week or more to color. And, yet, I often notice new details every time I look through each book. It's an odd juxtaposition, but it's part of what gives Hampson's work a unique charm of it's own. It just goes to show an artist doesn't have to add a billion tiny lines--just for the sake of intricacy--in order to make coloring images interesting. That's something I think some coloring book artists are often guilty of (eh hem, Mythographic, eh hem *cough*). Sometimes clean, well-balanced line work is just so much more interesting and fun. A refreshing break from the adult coloring book status quo. I think that's why RJ, (Mister) Morgan O'Brien, Joshua Dunbar, and a few other artists seem to be gaining in popularity. Something a lot of colorists only seem to be realizing recently is less complicated line art gives one more room to experiment with different techniques and media. It's really hard to experiment with adding textures to colored pencil coloring in tiny nooks and crannies, for instance. The same thing goes for using things like watercolor pencils, and other bendable media.The one bit of criticism I have is one of my biggest coloring pet peeves: unfinished patterns (The Lumberjack). Artists, if you're going to draw things like bricks, scales, stones, or tiles, or wooden boards, please draw all of them (like the brick in Sunday Morning). I'm not an artist; I'm not going to draw. I don't color images that have unfinished patterns. Please take the time to finish drawing these types of details.Personally, I like the second set of images in the paperbacks. I recently spilled water on one of my books. I think the first copies of some of the later images are ok, as are the second copies of the beginning images. I also like knowing if I royally mess up an image, I can start over. Without having to copy images on the scanner and reprint, or having to buy a new book. I'm on a fixed income, so I can't do that. Even the duplicates with a difference is good, too. Thanks, RJ, for the duplicates!

Im excited to add my first RJ Hampson book to my colorbook horde. The illustrations are awesome, detailed without being "busy" and no wallpaper pages! Plenty of space for custon backgrounds and adding details. My only niggle is the Amazon paper. I would love to have these pages on high quality paper, but i know the illustrator cannot control that. I will be purchasing more of RJH's books. Hope he puts one out with more animals!

R. J. Hampson is one of my favorite illustrators. He manages to inject humor and whimsy into his drawings. I just received this coloring book, but can't wait to start coloring. In all of his books thus far he generously includes a second copy of each picture to be colored differently or shared with a friend, but for me I like knowing that there is a back up just in case coloring goes all wrong. I appreciate his artistic talent, and have a lot of fun coloring his work.

ALL HAND DRAWN work. Just amazing creativity in all his books. I absoultly love him. Recommend ALL his books with out question.

Fantastically fun book to color. More detailed than I normally go for, but oh the art you can create with this one. Whimsy and magic combine to make a book that will please most everyone. Look online for the flip through and I am sure you will agree. Have fun coloring!!!

I watch alot of videos with reviews of coloring books. Many people love this artist. This was the first book I purchased by this author. Not overly impressed but we all have are likes and dislikes. There are so many books with better quality paper and not much more. When you are looking at coloring books Google the title and add flip thru. You will know if you like that books. Many many videos to view.

Que de belles illustrations! Dommage que ce soit sur du papier amazon...

pretty and nice to color

I was a little afraid that the pictures will be too easy (like pictures for kids), but once I colored my first two pictures these worries got lost. The pictures are not too easy, but also not too hard and not too much detailed.What I don't like is the cheap paper as usual (so there are only 4 stars), so it is harder to put down more layers, but Arteza pencils and soft pastel pencils work nice.

Hardcover Review: I've previously owned the Paperback version of "Forest Song", but recently purchased the hardcover version too. It is brilliant. I didn't mind the paper in the paperback version, however the paper quality in the hardcover is a massive step up. And there's something magical about opening a hardcover book, especially when it contains such a wonderland of imagination that R J Hampson has delivered, yet again. I don't know how he does it, but I really love it!Original Review: I bought my Forest Song colouring book to complete my set of R J Hampson works and I wasn't disappointed. What I enjoy about the illustrations is that the more that I look at them, the more fun things I see that he has included that I missed on first glance. It makes each illustration have a bit more visual depth. I don't know where he comes up with all the great ideas! I really love this and the other books in the range.

Ich hatte gehofft, dass sich die Papierqualität von der der Taschenbücher unterscheiden würde, aber das ist leider nicht der Fall. Es ist immer noch ganz dünnes Kopierpapier und obwohl ich ein neues Buch erhielt, sind die Seiten bereits verknickt und abgegriffen.Was noch schlimmer ist: man kann das Buch nicht komplett aufschlagen, da die Seiten aneinanderkleben - leider auch in Bereichen, die man eigentlich ausmalen wollen würde. Für diesen Preis ist die Qualität absolut ungenügend, was ich sehr schade finde, da es doch einige schöne Motive gibt. Leider eine Rücksendung, da ich nicht über den Qualitätsmangel hinwegsehen kann.