Adult coloring books have been popular for some time now, but they can be frustrating, since they rarely end up as pretty as the samples.
But hold on, here’s new option.
How about a coloring app for a tablet or iPad?
It is similar to paint-by-number. You choose a picture and then use the provided colors to fill in by number. You can print them out on a color printer or just save them as a picture.
One new type of color-by-number picture puts authentic, original paintings into a colorable format. As you tap each numbered section, the textures and blended colors appear so that, at the end, you have reproduced an actual painting. It requires some attention, but not concentration, so they are fun to do while watching a television show or listening to an audio book. While you aren’t using your own creativity, it is fascinating to see how the original artist used color and texture.
You can also find apps that let you choose your own colors, though there is typically an extra charge to use the entire available color palette.