How and Why I’m Making A Colouring Book For Adults

Desti from illustration studio, Collateral Damage Studios began working on and off on a colouring book for adults last year. She jumped into it fully when COVID-19 affected business and now intends to have the book completed by the end of this year. We asked her why and how she does it. 

Q: Hi Desti! Heard you’re working on a colouring book for adults now? Why is that and can you tell us more about this colouring book you’re doing? 

Sure! The colouring book is a series of various animals of Singapore as anthropomorphic girls; each animal gets an illustration and an information page. That way, you get to learn more about the various animals as you fill in the books. 

Why is it there’s this huge market for adult colouring books these days? Can you explain the appeal to someone who’s never tried doing a colouring book in adulthood?

There’s a fair number of studies that show that colouring books for adults benefit mental health. Even in the past, colouring books have been known to be prescribed by psychiatrists to patients to calm their minds.

It seems like the simple act of colouring seems to reduce anxiety and depression and can increase mindfulness by letting one focus on the moment and exhibit their creativity.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed, there’s also very little at stake to giving it a try, and you get tangible results of your work in the end as well.  

What’s the difference between a kids’ colouring book and an adult colouring book? 

Generally, the adult colouring book tends to have far more intricate designs and themes designed to appeal to adults rather then children. Of course, in the end, it’s a personal choice, so it’s more of a matter of getting what you like. 

Let’s talk about your process… What does it take to create a colouring book? Can you work us through the steps?

Decide who is your audience and what theme you want the colouring book to be. The theme was chosen as a result of brainstorming between my manager in CDS [Collateral Damage Studios] and I. We wanted to ride on the gijinka trend but also root it in a Singapore context.   

Of course, there is the actual drawing part, as well as getting the book printed and distributed.  The logistics will be handled by the manager.

What’s the most difficult part about creating a colouring book and what’s the easiest? 

The easiest part would be conceptualising the theme, since there was already something I wanted to do… The most difficult part? Taking the concept and making it into reality!

Which 3 objects/people are most useful for you when you are in the process of creating a colouring book?

My laptop and tablet would definitely count as important, since I need those to make the artwork! I use a Wacom Intuos Pro (medium size), and the laptop is from a local brand called Aftershock. I would generally also play music when drawing too!  

Which place is most useful?

The internet. You can communicate with others, look up various things, and the internet always has an answer for everything.  

What else do you do other than making colouring books? 

I also livestream my drawing process occasionally on either Picarto (picarto.tv/desti) or the CDS Facebook page (fb.com/cds.sg).

What advice do you have for those thinking of making their own colouring books too?

Choose a theme you like and work around that theme!  

Lastly, how often do you colour in adult colouring books yourself and why do you do it?

Well, since I can draw, I would colour my own images instead, is that cheating? Haha. After all, I can draw how I want for the picture to be coloured.  

Desti’s finished colouring book will be sold at the Collateral Damage Studios website, www.collateralds.com, when it comes out. If you want to know more about her and her work, you can follow her on Twitter. 

More interviews with people who’ve made stuff here.

Photographs courtesy and copyright of Desti. Interviewer: Sy
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