Target keyword: coloring books for beginners (12,100/mo), best adult coloring books (8,100/mo), easy coloring books for adults (5,400/mo)
Meta description: New to adult coloring? These are the best coloring books for beginners — big designs, thick paper, and zero pressure. Plus what to look for and what to skip.
Category: Beginner Guides
Tags: beginner, coloring books, recommendations, supplies, getting started
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What Makes a Coloring Book “Beginner-Friendly”
If you’ve ever opened a coloring book and immediately felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Some books are designed for people with 50+ hours of coloring experience — tiny spaces, intricate patterns, paper that bleeds if you look at it wrong.
A truly beginner-friendly coloring book has three things:
- Manageable detail. Larger spaces to fill in. Not 500 tiny petals on a single flower. You want designs where you can see progress quickly.
- Thick, single-sided paper. At least 60 lb weight. This means your markers and gel pens won’t bleed through to the next design. Single-sided printing means you can frame or gift your finished work.
- Perforated pages. Being able to tear out a page cleanly is underrated. You can color at a desk, on the couch, or even in bed without wrestling with the whole book.
We tested 8 books against these criteria. Here are the ones worth your money.
The Reviews
1. Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden — Best Overall for Beginners
Yes, it’s the book that started the adult coloring craze. And for good reason — Basford’s designs have a magical quality that makes even simple coloring look sophisticated.
Why it works for beginners: The mix of large and small spaces means you can start with the easy areas and challenge yourself as you gain confidence. The botanical theme is forgiving — leaves can be any shade of green, and flowers can be any color at all. There’s no “wrong” way to color a fantasy garden.
Paper quality: Thick, cream-colored pages that feel premium. Works well with colored pencils. Markers may shadow slightly on the back, but most won’t bleed through.
What to know: The designs are double-sided, so you can’t use heavy markers on every page. Colored pencils and gel pens work beautifully though.
2. Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford — Best for Immersive Coloring
Basford’s follow-up takes you deeper — literally. The book includes a “treasure hunt” with hidden objects throughout the pages, which adds a gamified element that keeps you engaged even when you’re not sure what colors to pick.
Why it works for beginners: The treasure hunt gives you a reason to keep going, which is exactly what beginners n#eed It turns coloring from “am I doing this right?” into “what’s behind that door?”
Paper quality: Same premium cream paper as Secret Garden. Perforated pages, which is a huge plus for beginners who want to display their work.
Get Enchanted Forest on Amazon
3. Creative Haven Creative Cats — Best for Cat Lovers
If you love cats, this book makes coloring incredibly approachable. The designs feature big, expressive cats in various poses — sleeping, playing, lounging — surrounded by simpler decorative elements.
Why it works for beginners: The cats themselves are large shapes that are satisfying to fill in. The surrounding patterns range from simple to moderate, so you can choose your challenge level on any given page.
Paper quality: Single-sided printing on bright white paper. This is the dream for beginners — use any medium without worry. Markers, gel pens, colored pencils, all work.
4. Mindfulness Coloring Book by Emma Farrarons — Best Pocket-Sized
Small enough to fit in your bag. This book is designed for quick 10-minute coloring sessions during lunch breaks or waiting rooms. The designs are simple but satisfying, and the compact size makes it incredibly approachable.
Why it works for beginners: No commitment required. You can finish a page in 15-20 minutes, which gives you a quick win every time. That’s the feedback loop beginners n#eed
Paper quality: Good quality, but double-si#ded Best with colored pencils.
Get Mindfulness Coloring Book on Amazon
5. Tropical World by Millie Marotta — Best for Bold Color Choices
Marotta’s designs feature tropical animals and plants with a distinctive, flowing style. The spaces are generally larger than Basford’s, making this a great “training wheels” book before you tackle more detailed work.
Why it works for beginners: Tropical colors are intuitive. Parrots are bright. Frogs are green. Flowers are vivid. You don’t have to overthink your palette — just go with what feels natural.
Paper quality: Medium-weight, double-si#ded Colored pencils are your best bet here.
6. Worlds of Wonder by Mythographic — Best for When You’re Ready to Level Up
This isn’t a “first coloring book” — it’s your second one. Once you’ve built some confidence with the books above and want more of a challenge, Mythographic’s designs are stunning. The spaces are smaller, but the results are gallery-worthy.
Paper quality: Single-sided, heavy paper. Great for any medium.
Get Worlds of Wonder on Amazon
Quick Comparison
- Secret Garden — Best overall, classic, great for building confidence
- Enchanted Forest — Best for keeping you engaged (treasure hunt!)
- Creative Cats — Best single-sided paper, great for markers
- Mindfulness Coloring Book — Best pocket-sized, quick sessions
- Tropical World — Best for intuitive color choices
- Worlds of Wonder — Best “level up” book for your second purchase
What to Avoid as a Beginner
Not every adult coloring book is beginner-friendly. Here’s what to skip until you have more experience:
- Books labeled “advanced” or “highly detailed.” These will frustrate you. Save them for later.
- Books printed on both sides of thin paper. Your markers will bleed through, ruining the next design. Check for “single-sided” in the description.
- Books with lots of tiny geometric patterns. Mandala-heavy books look beautiful on the cover but can be tedious for someone just starting out.
- Any book where the cover design looks intimidating. If the cover makes you think “I could never do that,” pick something else. This is supposed to be fun.
Recommended Supplies for Your First Coloring Book
You don’t need expensive supplies to start. Here’s a simple, affordable beginner setup:
- Colored pencils: Arteza Professional 72-Color Set — great quality for the price, more colors than you’ll ever need
- Gel pens: Sakura Gelly Roll set — smooth, vibrant, and beginner-friendly
- Sharpener: Kum Automatic Long Point — the only sharpener you’ll ever need
- Eraser: Kneaded eraser — lifts colored pencil without tearing paper
Total cost: around $35-45 for everything. That’s less than one session of most hobbies.
The Bottom Line
If you’re just starting, get Secret Garden and a set of Arteza colored pencils. That combination has launched more coloring hobbies than anything else, and for good reason — it’s approachable, forgiving, and genuinely fun.
Don’t overthink it. Don’t buy 6 books at once. Don’t invest in $100 pencil sets before you know if you enjoy coloring. Start simple, color a few pages, and see where it takes you.
The whole point of coloring is to relax. If your first book stresses you out, it’s the wrong book — not you.