Picture Perfect Nostalgia- Colouring books for Adults
by Startacus Admin
Eoin from Startacus writes...
“I’m disheartened, but not ashamed to admit it has been many many years since I armed myself with box of crayons and embarked on an afternoon of colouring-in…that’s not something that adults do, right?
Of course I never was much good at it in my youth…colouring was the last resort of a rainy afternoon, and heaven knows we had enough of those in Ireland!
Since outgrowing these trappings of childhood, I haven't really given the matter much thought. Until, that is I came across a lady who has flipped my perception of colouring-in on its head, by establishing it as a genuine and realistic pastime for adults. Her work is so remarkable and surprising that I am compelled to share it with you.
Johanna Basford is an illustrator from Scotland who has created a colouring book designed for adults called Secret Garden. It features stunningly sketched images inspired by visits to her grandparents’ Ayrshire home, and has far and away exceeded the expectations of all involved.
As of January 2015 Johnna’s book had sold 1 million copies worldwide, which is staggeringly good considering the relative obscurity of the marketplace. She has just released her second colouring book ‘Enchanted Forest’ which has been flying off the shelves so fast that there has been real difficulties keeping it in stock.
Johanna attributes much of the success to the fact that the images within her books are hand drawn by herself, rather than created by a computer.
“For me, computer generated graphics can feel cold and soulless whereas hand drawing captures a sense of energy and character which no pixel can ever replicate”.
The success of her books is somewhat surprising, evident from the fact that she has garnered quite considerable media coverage in the past few months or so.
People seem to be truly surprised by her success and I think that this is because she has successfully made one of the most difficult of enterprise leaps; creating a product that plays to our sense of nostalgia, but doesn’t quickly fade in the cold light of ‘today’…and that is quite a remarkable feat.
Through accident or design, she has very efficiently turned something which is potentially niche into something with a much wider appeal…
Another happy and inspiring self-starter tale. Just what we like to see.
Check out some of Johanna’s work below and follow her on Twitter for some more.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Got a business in the manufacturing sector? These tips on how you can reduce energy costs while being more sustainable are well worth a read...
 Daniel Dierkes, David Schara, and Maximilian Geißinger 2.jpeg)
Innovative InsurTech startup SureIn announces a €4M Seed round to further its mission of making insurance easy, transparent and hassle-free for SMBs.
Nassia Skoulikariti, Director of IoT Programmes, Mobile Ecosystem Forum shares some insights on how IoT is having a significant impact on all our lives.
.jpg)
Roger James Hamilton, Founder and CEO of Genius Group, a world-leading entrepreneur Edtech and education group, discusses how introducing a globalized curriculum will help better prepare students.
SuperFi, the debt prevention platform, has announced a $1m pre-seed funding round to support people during the cost of living crisis.
41 startups from 13 countries, including the UK, have been selected for the 8th Kickstart Innovation program, one of Europe’s leading innovation platforms.
Personal training platform Another Round has secured £300k in its latest fundraise, including investment from angels and its community.
Thingtrax Secures £4.3M to Empower Manufacturers to Build the Factories of the Future
A measure of inflation relief for small firms sees transport costs fall but service price increases remain elevated
Bedfordshire-based HR tech startup HR DataHub has built a range of tools for HR departments
Published on: 10th April 2015
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- SureIn Secures €4M to Close the SMB Insurance Gap 15th Aug 2023 Innovative InsurTech startup SureIn announces a €4M Seed round to further its mission of making insurance easy, transparent and hassle-free for SMBs.
- SuperFi raises $1M pre-seed funding round 28th Jul 2023 SuperFi, the debt prevention platform, has announced a $1m pre-seed funding round to support people during the cost of living crisis.
- Startups rely on AI & sustainability for new partnerships 27th Jul 2023 41 startups from 13 countries, including the UK, have been selected for the 8th Kickstart Innovation program, one of Europe’s leading innovation platforms.
- Another Round closes £300k Seed round to revolutionise personal training 21st Jul 2023 Personal training platform Another Round has secured £300k in its latest fundraise, including investment from angels and its community.
