One-colour vs ordinary colouring books: which suits you?
By the Happily Drawn studio. Updated .
Ordinary colouring books let you pick any colour for every shape, which suits people who enjoy choosing. One-colour books mark the shapes to fill and ask for one pen, which suits people who would rather not choose. Both are good. Here is a plain side-by-side, and how One Pen Pages fit.
What is the short answer?
If you love picking colours and blending them, an ordinary colouring book is the better buy. If the choosing is what puts you off, or you want a page you can start without thinking, a one-colour book is. Neither is the better pastime. They are different ways to spend an evening on the same kind of page.
In a one-colour book such as One Pen Pages, small dots mark the shapes to fill and you use one dark pen. There are no decisions to make and no skill to find, only a picture that comes through as the dots disappear.
How do they compare side by side?
Ranges, not measurements: how long a page takes depends on you.
| Ordinary colouring book | One-colour book | |
|---|---|---|
| Choices on a page | Every shape, every colour | Which shape next. The pen is already chosen |
| What you need | A set of pencils or pens, often a lot of them | One dark pen |
| Time per page | From a short while to many evenings, depending on the picture and how much you blend | From a short while to an evening, depending on how busy the page is |
| The finished page | As colourful as you make it | Bold and graphic, like a print |
| Suits you if | You enjoy colour, shading and trying combinations | You want to start straight away and keep it simple |
| Clutter | Pencil shavings, a tin, a tray of pens | A book and a pen |
What should I check in any one-colour book?
Not every one-colour book is made the same way. Before you buy one, look at:
- The dots. Are they clear enough to see, and is it obvious which shapes to fill?
- The line. Is it dark and clean, or thin and grey?
- Shape size. Can your pen fill them comfortably, or are they too fiddly?
- Paper weight. Thick paper holds ink well. Thin paper may show it through.
- Single-sided pages. A scene on both sides of a sheet means one picture can mark another.
- Page count, and a mix of easy and busy pages.
- Binding. A spiral lies flat. Is there a left-handed copy, if you need one?
Our guide to the best pens for a one-colour colouring book goes through the pen side of that list.
How do One Pen Pages differ?
Facts, not a verdict. Each One Pen Pages book has 35 scenes in a theme such as a Christmas kitchen, garden birds or the seaside. Dots in the margin tell you how busy a page is, from one dot (easy) to three (detailed). The paper is 170 gsm, each scene is printed on one side only, and the book is 7 × 10 inches and spiral-bound so it lies flat.
You can choose a left-handed copy at the same price. A book is £20 in our launch offer against a full price of £26.99, and 10% less each when you buy 2 or more. Pens are not included.
When is an ordinary book the better buy?
When the choosing is the point. If you love a full set of pencils, enjoy shading, or want to match a colour to a memory, an ordinary book gives you room to do that and a one-colour book does not. The same goes for colouring with small children, who usually want every colour on the page.
Plenty of people keep both: a one-colour book for a quiet evening when they don't want to decide anything, and an ordinary book for a weekend of pencils. If you want to see how a one-colour page is done, start with what a one-colour colouring book is.
Questions
Are one-colour colouring books worth it?
They are if the choosing puts you off colouring, or you want a page you can start without a tin of pencils. If you love blending colours, an ordinary book is a better fit.
Is a one-colour book easier than an ordinary one?
It is simpler to start, because the pen is chosen and the dots show where it goes. A busy page can still take a while.
Is a one-colour book the same as a monochrome or single-colour book?
Yes. They are different names for the same idea. In the US and Canada it is often spelt one-color or coloring book.
Can I use a colour other than black?
Yes, any dark colour that stands well apart from white. Black gives the boldest picture.
More guides
What is a one-colour colouring book, and how does it work?
A one-colour colouring book has a dot in every shape to fill. You colour them all with one dark pen and a picture comes through. Here is how it works.Colouring with one pen. UpdatedColouring when you don't want to choose colours
If picking colours is what puts you off, a one-colour book does the choosing for you. How to start, which page first, and how to read the difficulty dots.Colouring with one pen. UpdatedThe best pens for a one-colour colouring book
What to look for in a pen for a one-colour colouring book: a dark fineliner or felt tip, 0.5 to 1 mm, and ink that won't soak through. Plus real pens to start with.Colouring with one pen. Updated