Reverse Coloring Books: How They Work and How to Start

How reverse coloring works

In a standard coloring book, the lines tell you where color goes. In a reverse book the color is already placed, and your pen decides what it becomes. A blue patch might turn into a fish, a cloud or a field of patterned scales. There is no correct answer, which is the main appeal and, for some people, the main drawback.

• Outline the largest color shapes first, then add details inside them.
• Patterns such as dots, stripes, scallops and leaves fill a shape without needing a subject.
• Leave some areas open. White space and untouched color are part of the look.
• If no picture comes to mind, treat the page as abstract and add pattern only.

Who it suits

Reverse coloring tends to suit adults and older children who like to draw but freeze in front of blank paper. The color fields remove the blank-page problem while still leaving room for personal marks. It suits people less well if they want clear boundaries and a finished image they can predict, or a quiet session with no decisions to make. For that, a traditional line-art page is the better choice.

Reverse and traditional coloring compared

• Order: traditional pages give you lines and you add color; reverse pages give you color and you add lines.
• Tools: traditional pages work with crayons, pencils or markers; reverse pages need a pen that shows up on top of color.
• Decisions: a traditional page asks which colors to use; a reverse page asks what the shapes should become.
• Result: a traditional page ends as the picture the artist drew; a reverse page ends as something only you would draw.

Pens and paper

• A black fineliner is the usual tool. Pigment-ink pens give crisp, dark lines over most color.
• A white gel pen adds highlights on darker patches.
• Colored and metallic gel pens add accents once the outlines are in.
• Test any pen in a corner first. Some pens smudge or skip on glossy or heavily inked areas.
• Let painted or freshly printed pages dry completely before drawing on them.

Making your own reverse pages

Because the format is mostly color, you can make pages at home without a special book.

• Paint loose watercolor shapes on watercolor paper and let them dry flat. It handles water with less buckling than printer paper.
• Lay down a few overlapping blobs with water-based markers or watercolor pencils, then soften them with a damp brush.
• Make a digital wash in a drawing app and print it. Large color areas use a lot of ink, so print one test sheet and check that the paper does not curl.
• Keep the shapes varied. A page with three or four distinct color areas gives more ideas than a single flat wash.

If you go the printed route, the how-to-print guide covers paper choice and printer settings.

A first session, step by step

• Pick a page with a few clear color areas and look at it for a minute before drawing.
• Outline one shape that suggests something, even loosely.
• Outline the neighboring shapes so the picture connects.
• Add pattern and small marks inside the shapes.
• Stop before every space is filled.

If you prefer lines first

Coloring Nest books are the opposite experience: the drawing is done and the color is yours. The book pictured above, the Spring Tea Time Cottagecore Coloring Book, has floral tea-time pages with cottagecore tables, treats, books and flowers. Every book has five free sample pages on its product page, and the free coloring pages hub gathers samples in one place, so you can try a traditional page alongside your reverse experiments.

Reverse coloring FAQ

Is reverse coloring good for beginners?

Yes, especially for people who enjoy doodling. The color gives a starting point, and there is no wrong way to finish a page.

Can I turn a printable line-art page into a reverse page?

Not directly, because the lines are already there. You can paint or print color washes on blank paper and draw over them instead, which is the same idea.

What pen works best for reverse coloring?

A black fineliner for outlines, plus a white gel pen for highlights on darker color. Test both in a corner of the page first.