by Annie Stegg Gerard
Published by Self Published Style: Digital PDF, Paper: Medium to Heavy
Format: Card cover
The Moonlit Vale Coloring Book Video Review
I hope you enjoyed the video review of  The Moonlit Vale by Annie Stegg Gerard.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and never miss a coloring book review.
The Moonlit Vale Coloring Book  Review
Well known artist, Annie Stegg Gerard, set the coloring world on fire when she announced the Kickstarter campaign for her first coloring book.
Many artists launch Kickstarter campaigns to create their coloring books so that they can control the quality of their book.  By taking control of the printing process, it allows artists to showcase the books in the way that they feel would best present their art; including sizing, cover and, of course, paper quality.  Artists have the opportunity to see if there is a market for their product without investing any capital. Colorists usually have the advantage of an artist coloring book that may never be released to the general public or, if it is, they have the early adopter advantage.
The sad fact is that most Kickstarter campaigns for coloring books barely reach the goal that the artist has set.  If the goal is not met with Kickstarter the campaign ends.  Colorists only pledge or promise to pay the amount if the goal is met.  Artists then have to reconsider whether they will continue with the book or abandon it. They could decide to self-publish with a print on demand provider or provide a digital download instead.
Kickstarter campaign for The Moonlit Vale (now closed)
Annie Stegg Gerard, of course, didn’t have to worry about her goal being met.  In one of the most successful campaigns on Kickstarter for a coloring book, her goal was reached as soon as colorists had wiped the sleep from their eyes and found their credit card.
I liked the previews of the coloring book so much ……….I bought three (which also included a digital download).  My other half actually enabled me in my purchase.  I was planning just to buy one for “art” and one for coloring. He convinced me that another wouldn’t go astray.  I think Annie’s artwork may have cast a bit of a spell on him .. I know it made money disappear like magic on my credit card 🙂
Cover & Layout
The Moonlit Vale is a coloring and art book.  Quite frankly, I feel that it will be an art book for me for a long time to come.  The artwork is just stunning but very detailed and intricate and will require this old girl to find her glasses and magnifying lamp before making a start.
Measuring in at 8.25 in x 8.25 in, The Moonlit Vale Coloring Book is smaller than most coloring books we may be used to.  It features a matte card cover with rich gold foiling on the butterflies and title details.  The cover resists grubby fingerprints making it easy to keep in mint condition.
Ancillary Pages
A loose page of vellum that has a decorative frame has been included with the book.  This is to be used between pages to avoid bleed-through.  It is this sort of attention to detail and thoughtfulness by the artist, that makes this a truly special coloring book.
The title page features part of the cover art, scaled down.  If purchased from the Kickstarter campaign it will be personally signed in gold by the artist. On the reverse, there is a dedication and copyright information. A beautiful introduction to the book by the artist follows which also features decorative elements to color.
These are the only pages that you could use to test out your mediums.  It is a shame that a little tester page hasn’t been included in an otherwise perfect, compact book.
Layout
Illustrations have been printed on 100lb perforated pages.  The paper is smooth, medium quality and a creamy white.
All of the illustrations have been well placed on the page to ensure they are not butting against the spine of the book.  The spine of the book is a little stiff and does not lay down perfectly flat for me. However, I am confident that if I flex my muscles I should be able to flatten it. If that fails, I can always remove the page that I want to color (as each page is perforated).
At the foot of each page, a line has been added for your name as colorist on the left. On the right, the name of the picture is included with copyright detail.  This makes it easy to share the picture on social media and tag it with the name of the drawing.
On the reverse of each image, there is a small element to color, if you wished.
Art Work
Annie Stegg Gerard’s artwork is breathtakingly beautiful.  You could lose yourself for hours in the detail and depth of her artwork.  Just looking at her art, you know she must have great eyesight ..how else could you draw such tiny tot details in with such precision!
The line art is a dull black with a fine to medium weight.  The elements are all clearly defined and easy to see individually, but there are a lot of elements on a small page.
Annie uses black very well throughout the pieces, either solidly to give a background or contrast to the drawing and to create fine detail on each element.
Beautiful women, animals, and landscapes feature in the pages of this book.  Each page features fine detail which may be challenging for colorists with a minor visual impairment. Due to the fine detail and the smaller size of the book, colorists with a motor skill impairment may be more content to browse the art rather than color it.
Detail Level
Where to buy The Moonlit Vale Coloring Book
| Artist – PDF | Artist Edition |
Happy coloring x
Lea
Leave a Comment