It was a love for handmade Christmas gifts that lead me to pitch the idea behind Johanna’s Christmas to my publishers. I think it’s so special to give or receive a present that has been crafted with love so I wanted to make a colouring book that would allow Colourists to make beautiful gifts from their coloured masterpieces that they could then share with friends and family.
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The colouring community had been asking me for a while to do a single sided book with perforated pages and whilst that format just wasn’t right for my regular books, for Johanna’s Christmas it was perfect! I created a collection of illustrations inspired by my love of the holiday season; delicate tangles of holly, beautifully iced gingerbread houses, twinkling decorations and a happy little polar bear. Just as there were no gardeners in Secret Garden or Jungle explorers in Magical Jungle, you won’t find Santa or 3 Kings headed to Bethlehem in the pages of this book – instead there’s a collection of designs which I felt embodies the sprit and delight of the holiday season. Each page can be removed from the book once complete so you can frame the artwork or even use it in your Christmas Craft projects. I created this book in the height of summer, so to get me in the festive mood I wore knitted sweaters, listened to my Christmas playlist and ate lots of gingerbread men! I call this ‘immersion illustration’!
Unlike my regular books which all have a treasure hunt aspect to them, this book has a flock of 63 elusive little robins hidden within the pages for you to spot. So whether you need a little time out to de-stress amidst the chaos of cooking Christmas dinner or just fancy making someone a really special gift this year, Johanna’s Christmas might be the perfect addition to your wish list!
More info: amazon.com | johannabasford.com
Image credits: Johanna Basford
Image credits: dreams.colors
Image credits: gulsahkrm
Image credits: bragasacha
Image credits: Johanna Basford
Image credits: gulsahkrm
Image credits: Johanna Basford
Image credits: tpetina999
Image credits: gulsahkrm
My Top Christmas Colouring Tips:
1. It’s not all just about red and green! Consider some other festive colour palettes – maybe different shades of blue and silver to create a frosty effect or sumptuous warm berry reds and shades of plum?
2. Go Go Glitter! The best thing about single-sided printing is that it means you can use pens and techniques that are perhaps a bit too heavy for the regular books and may seep through the pages. Glitter and metallic gel pens can add a touch of shimmer without having to worry about running the image on the reverse.
3. Sparkle effects can be created with a white gel pen. Use it last to add small stars, dots and twinkle effects to your colouring creations.
4. SHARE the love! Colouring is the most fun when you share your results. Why not upload your creations to my colouring gallery, share them on social media or even better, pop the masterpiece in a frame and give it to someone you love.
5. Customise and Colour! I’ve created 2 downloads, one of Christmas Decorations and the other of Gift Tags that you can download and print for free! Perfect for practicing your colouring skills or making something unique for your tree of gift wrapping!
You can get this and my other books on Amazon
Exploring unconventional art forms is a delightful journey, particularly when it results in the creation of unique, handmade gifts. Creating art with distinctive mediums can spark inspiration, much like the transformative power of gel pens in artistic projects.
Delve deeper into Nico's inspiring story of colorful artistic journey to discover how such mediums can reshape our creativity.