Disney/Pixar - Great Classics: Beginners Special Vol. 2 : Review

Quick facts

• Title: Disney/Pixar - Great Classics: Beginners Special Vol. 2
• Illustrator: William Bal
• Publisher: Hachette Héros
• Coloring pages: 100
• Total pages: 128 (including 28 solution pages)
• Format: A4
• Printing: Double-sided
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Paper: Standard

Who is this book for?

It's the perfect book for anyone who has never tried mystery coloring and wants to start without being overwhelmed by tiny impossible zones. The lines are bold, the areas are wide, and backgrounds are often plain. You can make fast progress and understand the concept without getting discouraged.

If you've been coloring for a while, you'll find the level too simple - but like me, you can absolutely use it to experiment with techniques or try different palettes from the ones suggested.

The characters

The volume mixes Disney and Pixar with a selection that spans classics and very recent films. My personal favorites in this volume: Maleficent, Aurora, Belle, and Sisu (from Raya and the Last Dragon).

You'll also find Asha and Amaya from Wish, Anna and Elsa from Frozen, and the very first Mickey characters - giving a lovely range of Disney eras.

What tools to use?

I used my Caran d'Ache pencils and my Tooli Art acrylic markers. Both work well on this book - the wide zones give plenty of room to work comfortably.

As always with double-sided volumes: avoid alcohol markers. An opaque white marker is also useful, as some white zones have thin lines running through them.

Since this book is aimed at beginners, it doesn't require a huge palette. A few shades per color family is enough for a great result.

My main issue: the dark palettes

This is my biggest reservation about this volume. Some coloring pages have very dark palettes and unusually placed shadows. The result can look strange, especially when you're used to the bright, vibrant colors of other books in the collection.

For example, Elsa from Frozen is usually rendered with cold, sparkling, icy tones. Here she looks noticeably more muted and flat. And Anna's shadow placement on her face is just... off. Some characters look like they're being lit by a single candle in a dark room, which really clashes with how we know them.

Wish and Frozen are the most affected licenses in this book. If those characters are among your favorites, be ready to step away from the suggested palettes and make the pages your own.

The black and white pages

A few coloring pages are in black and white with gray shades. It's a change of pace, but personally it's not my favorite. The early Mickey pages in particular - the very vintage style may not appeal to everyone.

For a beginner, these pages can actually be a good exercise in working with contrast and value without worrying about color management.

What I liked

• Wide zones and bold visible lines - ideal for beginners
• Plain backgrounds on many pages - fast progress, no overwhelming detail
• Good variety of Disney and Pixar licenses, from classics to recent films
• Maleficent, Sisu, and Aurora are beautiful pages once colored
• Lots of freedom to adapt the colors to your own taste

What to keep in mind

• Some palettes are very dark and shadows are oddly placed on certain characters
• Not the bright, vivid style of Jérémy Mariez's volumes
• Vintage Mickey pages and B&W pages may not appeal to everyone
• Double-sided printing: alcohol markers are not suitable
• White marker recommended for non-uniform white zones

My final verdict

As a beginner's book, it does its job well. The zones are accessible, the concept is easy to grasp, and the variety of characters gives plenty of motivation to keep going.

But if you've been coloring for a while, some palettes will frustrate you. The oddly placed shadows on Elsa, Anna, and the Wish characters were genuinely distracting for me. It's not the most faithful to the Disney aesthetic we know and love.

My advice: don't feel bound to the suggested palettes. With the right colors, even the flattest pages can turn into something really beautiful.