Explore the enchanting secrets of the sea in this watery coloring wonderland by Johanna Basford. The illustrator continues her much beloved series of pen and ink illustrations for adult colorists with “Lost Ocean”.
There are exotic fish and underwater inhabitants like seahorses and octopuses. Find them hiding among beautiful the coral reefs, intricate shipwrecks, pirate treasure and finely detailed shells. As with her earlier books, there is a wonderful fold-out “mural” illustration.
If you loved Johanna’s Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest you will be pleased with this volume as well. If you’re new to the series, be sure to try one out. You’ll be back for more
The book is produced with a smooth, crisp ivory-toned paper that works well with any color palette and give warmth and depth to the undersea world. It works well with pens, and allows blending and gradient techniques with colored pencils. (Note: I’ve read reports that there are two printings of the book — one with thinner paper. But there is no way I know of to insure which you will receive. I would think that an author this successful will home in on the best production process/paper and be sure to use that going forward.)
This illustrations offer a mix of detail plus larger spaces that allow room for more sophisticated coloring techniques. However, there are more of the tiny intricate areas than in the earlier books. It’s hard for an illustrator to find the perfect balance that suits everyone, but I think she did a good job here. Still, plan on using some fine (0.5mm) pens if you want to color the highly detailed spaces individually.