by Alan Robert
Published by IDW Publishing on 17/07/2018
Style: double page printing, Interactive, Paper: medium quality
Pages: 64
Format: Dust Jacket, Glue & Stitched
I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the product or the content of my review.
Goodreads
Go globetrotting Ghouliana, as she shows off her favorite ghastly haunts from around the world in Volume 3 of the Beauty of Horror coloring book series!
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Beauty of Horror III – Coloring Book Video Review
I hope you enjoyed the video review of the third book in the Beauty of Horror series by Life of Agony musician and artist, – Alan Robert.
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Haunted Playgrounds Coloring Book Review
Alan Robert is responsible for giving me nightmares. His first coloring book, Beauty of Horror, gave me chills up the spine. Gone were my fairies and bunnies (at least as I know them) and in their place, I entered a world of creepiness and ghouls. As unexpected as it was for me, I fell for the book and in particular one character, Ghouliana.
The Evolution of Ghouliana
When Alan released the second Beauty of Horror series Ghouliana had woven her magic and was no longer a cameo but a starring role.
In Beauty of Horror III Ghouliana is the lead character as she takes us on a journey through her ghoulish playgrounds around the world. Setting this book in a variety of creepy carnival settings is an amazing concept. It merges the creepiness of Alan’s art with the freakiness of sideshows and fear and adrenalin rush that carnival experiences can bring.
As the books have evolved so has the character of Ghouliana. I have developed a real fondness for her and her cute and mischievous ways.
Cover & Layout
The Beauty of Horror series follows the same cover and layout in all three of the books. A glossy dust jacket protects the book and exudes luxury with red foil highlights. The inner lining of the dust jacket features a line art pattern for you to color in if you wished.
IDW produce beautiful coloring books. One of the things that they do is make a very sturdy card cover for the book which is beautifully designed. In the Beauty of Horror series, these all feature a black background with red text and spine making an elegant combination. The inside card cover features printing on a red background.
Ancillary Pages
There are a number of ancillary pages in this book including – an elaborate title page, copyright and nameplate page in a double page spread, page of missing monster parts to find in the book, an elaborate introduction page, two pages to create your own art using an elaborate frame border and mason jar inspiration, two pages to swatch out your color palettes, legend of missing parts and a super cute conclusion. Using any of these pages to test out your mediums before diving into the book would be a great spot to start.
Layout
Illustrations have been printed on both sides of the medium quality paper. The line art is a dull black and a medium weight making it easy to see.
There are 26 pages that comprise double-page scenes. Line art does run to the spine usually on these pages. However, since filming the review and opening and re-opening the book the spine now lays flat perfectly. Colorists should not have any difficulty coloring in the ditch area of the spine.
Art Work
In each book, Alan’s art and the composition and theme concept continue to improve. In my opinion, each new book is better than the last, but they are all addictive in a creepy way.
The Beauty of Horror series is great for colorists that love a bit of creepiness or want something for Halloween based color along. The imagery of skeletons, zombies and ghouls gives an opportunity to be very creative. Experienced colorists can use different techniques and skills to create zombie skin, blemishes and crazy eyes. The ornate frames that feature in many of the pictures are ideal for practising metallic tones.
There is a variety of illustrations in the book featuring carnival life ranging in complexity and detail. As the bulk of the art has large open areas of space colorists that have a minor visual impairment should not have difficulty.
There are some illustrations that have enough white space to add a background if the colorist wished.
Send in the clowns ..
Alan’s books always feature clowns and this one is no different. I haven’t counted, but I’m convinced that there are more clowns than in other books. There’s something about the way that Alan depicts clowns. I find clowns creepy to start with. The character is hidden behind makeup with exaggerated features and vibrant colors, that detract from who they really are. When Alan draws clowns it seems he reaches into their soul and inks what he finds. That’s scary stuff!
My other half, Mr Muscles, rarely shows an interest in my coloring book collection. However, that always changes when the Beauty of Horror arrives. Usually, I find him curled up in bed flipping through the pages and telling me how good the artwork is (lol I KNOW that!). When he saw Haunted Playgrounds all I heard from him was “I like that one” “I’d like to frame that one…and that one”. I do have to agree, the line art on its own would look fabulous framed.
I could never allow one of my coloring books to cut and framed (even for Mr Muscles). Fortunately, there is a selection of artwork from the Beauty of Horror series available as prints for framing. The promo video for it is fabulous!
Another option is Alan’s new book, Ghosts of Christmas which features pages that can be removed for framing and coloring. That should keep Mr Muscles happy 🙂
Detail Level
Where to buy
| Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Book Depository |
At the end of October ..just in time for Christmas the GOREgous Ghouliana will be back with the Ghosts of Christmas Coloring Book. Unlike the previous books, this one will feature single page illustrations that can be removed and framed. New decor for your haunted house or maybe a Christmas gift idea for the horror fan in your life.
Happy coloring x
Lea
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