Altered Coloring Book Art #2 – Steampunk Aurora - Starlight Through The Storm

I’m enjoying playing around with reimagining and altering color book pages. It’s proving to be a fun way to get creative even though I’m very low on energy.

(Check out my first attempt and what sparked this idea here.)

I love coloring in general, and have found it even more fun to inject some originality. This is my way of keeping the creative juices flowing in spite of the limitations of chronic illness and chronic pain.

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This article from The Atlantic makes some great points about why coloring is so appealing. Part of it is the benefit of focusing our scattered brains on one thing instead of having tons of tabs open. (Those of us with fibro fog or brain fog completely understand!) Also, coloring books make artistic expression feel more accessible: “Coloring offers that relief and mindfulness without the paralysis that a blank page can cause. It’s easier in the way that ordering from a restaurant with a small menu is easier than deciding what you want at Denny’s, where you could eat almost anything.”

When I was flipping through my coloring book, the lace-up bodice on Aurora’s gown immediately made me think steampunk! (If you aren’t familiar with steampunk, think Victorian era meets futuristic technology. I’m kind of in love with the romanticism of steampunk, as my Steampunk Pinterest board will attest.)

Altered Coloring Book Art #2 Steampunk Aurora. A coloring idea for stress relief and sparking creativity. - cassiecreley.com — I actually remembered to take a before photo this time! Well, I started turning her headband into goggles already, but I was close!

I made the original neckline of her dress into a necklace made of clocks and gears. This allowed me to change the style of her dress. For fun, I gave her different eye and hair color.

I had fun adding small details, like giving Aurora just a bit of winged eyeliner. Also, she’s rocking silver eye shadow.

I’m really happy with how the satiny texture of her gown turned out.

I used my regular colored pencils along with this amazing set of colored pencils I was gifted. They color so smoothly and really allowed me to play around with shading. This new set is hands down the best I’ve ever used!

If you give altering coloring book pages a try, share a link to your alterations in the comments below. I think this could be a fun trend to start.