Starting a new hobby is exciting and with colouring becoming a huge hit on social media you might have seen colouring artists with their huge selection of markers, colouring pencils and colouring books, all colouring gorgeous pages in perfect lighting. No wonder we all want to give it a go! It's colourful and looks simultaniously relaxing and fun! But the pressure of having all the markers and all the most popular books can be daunting. I'm here to tell you not to let it stop you and instead, just take it slow.
Here are my five things to keep in mind as you start your colouring hobby journey.
Use What You've Got
Starting a new hobby can be expensive and sometimes overwhelming. Colouring doesn't have to be! Have you got some old colouring pencils, crayons or markers? Start by using what you have. There is no rule that says you have to have that one brand of markers or pencils to enjoy colouring and certainly not to start out. Start with what you have - if you don't have anything at all, why not check your local charity shop, facebook marketplace or ebay for second hand art supplies?
Give yourself time to grow your collection of both art supplies and colouring books. Many of the colouring artists we see on social media have beautiful setups with hundreds of markers, pencils, higlighters and colouring books, the perfect lighting and cute decor. Please remember they didn't start out with this sort of set up! I started colouring again as an adult with an old set of colouring pencils, my kids markers, printed colouring pages and my kitchen table. It wasn until months later that I moved on to a cheap set of 80 markers from tiktok shop. It's ok to start small!
Grab Printable Pages
Colouring books are so much fun! but once again, you don't have to have a huge colouring book budget to start colouring! Many colouring book artists offer affordable (and in some cases free) printable pages.
Printable pages not only give you a chance to get started with a lower budget but also allows you to create without worrying about ruining a page or a book while you practice colouring techniques and figuring out if this is actually a hobby you enjoy. Printing off pages at home is quick, it's easy and it means you can print as many copies of a colouring page as you want (this is especially helpful if you have kids who also want to colour).
Watch Others & Try Your Favourite Techniques
There are so many talented colouring artists sharing techniques and tutorials on social media for free! Follow some of your favourites, look out for techniques that excite you and then try them out. It doesn't have to be perfect (especially when you use printable pages). Learning comes from trying and making mistakes.
Remember Why You Started
We start new hobbies for a variety of reasons. People colour to relax, for an artistic outlet, to connect, to unwind. We absolutely did not start colouring to continually compare ourselves with others. It can be hard to not compare when we see so many colouring artists using techniques we haven't mastered yet. But that was never the point of colouring, and people in the colouring community will support you and cheer you on whether you are a beginner or a colouring expert who has built skills over time. Skip the comparison and continue enjoying the process.
Join The Community
Many hobbies have a built in community - a team, a place to gather. Colouring is different in that it's often a solo hobby. But there is a thriving online community of colouring artists around the world! You don't have to be an expert, have all the art supplies and colouring books before you join the colouring community. There are people all around the world who just love to colour and connecting through social media. The colouring community is one that welcomes with kindness, offers connection and encourages creativity of all kinds. Don't wait until you feel “good enough” to be part of the community. Come as you are! Share your work if you want to, if not, you are still always welcome to just be there with us!
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Until next time...
All the best,
Unnur Balla
The Given Garden
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