We all know someone who owns an adult coloring book (if you don’t own one yourself). Adult coloring books are marketed as a way to de-stress and have recently infiltrated bookstores everywhere.
In honor of National Coloring Book Day, here’s a brief history of how they got started.
Coloring books originated in the 17th century, according to art historian Anne Louise Avery. Artists would use coloring outlines to learn artistic skills, such as watercoloring. Robert Sayer, an 18th century British print seller and publisher, produced multiple books which were meant for adults to paint, such as The Florist.
Image courtesy of My Modern Met
Coloring books took off in the 20th century with the invention of wax crayons, and adult coloring books were popular by the 1960s. They recently experienced a resurgence, with an estimated 12 million books sold in the U.S. in 2015. Coloring books are now available in a wide variety of styles and themes, from unicorns to Breaking Bad.
Image courtesy of The Odyssey Online
In honor of National Coloring Book Day, there are coloring parties all around the U.S. to celebrate. Find the party closest to you here, and happy coloring!
Featured image courtesy of The Odyssey Online