Introduction: How to Make a Coloring Book Page

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About: Find me on Facebook! https:www.Facebook.com/DIYwithCaitlin I'm a passionate DIYer and especially enjoy projects involving bottle cutting, candles, soap, home improvements and succulents.

Watch the video above and learn how to make your own coloring book page! :)

Step 1: Draw an Image

Pick an image to draw. It doesn't have to be anything difficult. I recommend trying out the flower pattern shown here or tracing the silhouette of an animal and filling that in. Remember that you need to:

  • Keep the lines clean
  • Close off all lines
  • Keep the thickness the same for each line (aka if one petal is much thicker than the others, that will show up)
  • High contrast lines (use black pen on white paper)

Pro Tips: Once you have your shape start filling it in with patterns. Flowers, circles, waves, suns, lines, squiggles! It's all fair game. Take a look at some of my sketches below for ideas.

Step 2: Scan or Take a Photo of Your Image

Scanning is best, but a phone works just fine. Make sure the image is high contrast and in good lighting. If your scan or photo isn't high quality the project won't work.

Step 3: Using Photoshop

Clean up your image in photoshop. Here are some things to try.

-Rasterize the image by right clicking on the layer and selecting "Make Smart Object" then right clicking on the layer again and selecting rasterize. Use the wand tool to delete the background and any large patches on background.

-Increase the contrast and brightness so that the image lines show more clearly.

-Use the paint brush tool to fill in any lines that are too thin.

-Use the eraser to fix any mistakes.

PS: You can download my flower pattern here.

Step 4: Finish Your Coloring Book in Illustrator

Import your image by dragging it to the Illustrator icon.

Select your image.

Go to Object >> Make and Expand

Select your image.

Go to Object >> Live Paint

Now, each piece of your drawing is it's own segment! You can print it and color by hand, but I prefer to color digitally. Use the paint bucket and color swatches to fill in your masterpiece and impress all your friends!

If you liked this DIY tutorial please check out all my tutorials here.

Also -- I'd LOVE to see your coloring book pages!!! Please make my day and post them to my Facebook page.

PS: Download my flower pattern on my blog here.