Colouring books for adults? They’re selling like hotcakes
British illustrator, Johanna Basford, was working as a commercial illustrator for big brands when she had a novel idea: colouring books for adults. Basford who describes herself as an “inky illustrator” loves creating intricate black and white scenes.
“For years people have been telling me that they would like to colour my monochrome creations, so I pitched [Laurence King Publishing] a colouring book for grownups,” she said. “At that time colouring for adults wasn’t the global trend that it is now, so they were understandably a bit sceptical.”
However, once Basford sent them a few pages of her artwork, the editors were sold. Basford went on to create Secret Garden, an adult colouring book inspired by Scotland’s Brodick Castle Gardens, where her grandfather was the head gardener.
“The formal rose gardens of the castle, the Bavarian summer house and lily-studded ponds were wonderful places to play as a child; a great place to cultivate a wild imagination!” she said.
Basford’s intricate creations have plenty of tiny hidden detail to entertain adults and spark their creativity.
“I think everyone has a creative spark; they just need the opportunity to let it flourish,” she explained. “A blank sheet of paper can be daunting, but a colouring book has the outlines already there, making it easier to pick up a pencil and begin making your mark.”
Image credits: Johanna Basford