Johanna Basford is an illustrator who prefers pencil and pens to create incredible black and white drawings. She now has 3 books out and a number of postcards and note cards series based on her books.
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book was her first book and one of the most amazing sets of illustrations for coloring. In addition to the wonderful drawings, there are hidden animals to be found in each drawing with the answers in the back. The publishers of the book listened to the complaints of the buyers who pointed out that the pages were too lightweight for markers, and changed the paper to a heavier card stock in all the new editions of the book.
Enchanted Garden: An Inky Quest and Coloring Book, also has hidden creatures and mazes to find. There are 82 illustrations and the last two pages fold out for more coloring. The whimsical drawings include castles and treasure chests as well. All the new editions are also printed on the heavier paper.
Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure and Coloring Book is her newest book (October, 2015) and has the most intricate drawings. It may be harder for people who have to use reading glasses to be able to see all the finer parts of each drawing. The book is shorter than Secret Garden, but has the same wonderful drawings that include sailing ships, mermaids, fish, sea mammals, jellyfish, shipwrecks, and lots of the fish and flora of the sea. Unfortunately, it is not the same publisher, and so the paper is thin and tends to allow bleed-through if you use markers.
Finally, a large scale format edition of Secret Garden has been released. Secret Garden Artist’s Edition: 20 Drawings to Color and Frame (September 2015)s features 20 beautiful, one-sided pull-out art prints for coloring. The book itself is 10 x 13 inches, and the drawings are on one side. In addition, the finished pictures are easy to pull out of the book in order to frame them.
