Mystery Coloring Disney book - Great Classics Special Portraits : Review

Quick facts

• Title: Disney Mystery Coloring - Great Classics Special Portraits
• Illustrator: Jérémy Mariez
• Publisher: Hachette Héros
• Coloring pages: 100
• Total pages: 128 (solutions included)
• Format: A4
• Printing: Double-sided
• Style: Character portraits
• Difficulty: Easy to medium
• Paper: Premium

Who is this book for?

It's the ideal volume if you want to focus on characters without dealing with complicated backgrounds. The portrait format puts all the attention on faces, expressions, and outfits.

It works for both beginners and more experienced colorists looking for a more relaxing book. The zones are fewer and less tiny than in the classic Great Classics volumes - you make faster progress and the flow feels easier.

The portraits

The volume covers a nice variety of Disney characters. My personal favorites: Cinderella, Vanellope (from Wreck-It Ralph - a fairly rare appearance in coloring books) and Anna.

A fun detail I noticed while browsing the book: some portraits are designed to fit together. If you place certain pages side by side, you realize they connect - like a matching pair of cards. It's subtle, it's charming, and it makes you want to color them together to see the full result.

What tools to use?

In this volume I used a mix of materials depending on the page: my Prismacolor pencils for zones that needed softness and blending, and my Tooli Art acrylic markers where I wanted bolder, more vivid colors.

But my favorite technique in this book is what I did for Anna's portrait background: pastel chalks applied with a sponge. It creates a soft, blurred gradient effect - almost like watercolor - that contrasts beautifully with the more precise coloring in the portrait zones. The result is really original and delicate.

This volume lends itself well to that kind of experimentation, precisely because the zones are less cramped and give more freedom in how you apply color.

As always with double-sided books: avoid alcohol markers. And keep an opaque white marker handy - a few white zones have thin lines running through them.

What I loved

• Jérémy Mariez's style in a more accessible format
• White zones mostly solid - less need for a white marker
• Portrait format: focus on the characters, no overwhelming backgrounds
• Works for beginners and experienced colorists alike
• The fun detail of portraits that fit together side by side
• Good creative freedom to experiment with techniques (pastels, sponge...)

What to keep in mind

• A few white zones are not fully uniform on some pages - keep an opaque white marker handy
• Double-sided printing: alcohol markers are not suitable
• Some backgrounds are more detailed than others depending on the page
• A varied palette is recommended, though less demanding than other volumes

My final verdict

A pleasant, relaxing, and well-crafted book. You get Jérémy Mariez's quality without the complexity of his larger scene volumes. That's exactly what a "Special Portraits" book should deliver: beautifully drawn characters in an approachable format.

What I remember most is the creative freedom it gives. The pastel chalk and sponge technique for Anna's background is something I might not have dared to try on a more detailed book. The larger zones and simpler style here invite you to step outside your usual tools and techniques.

Highly recommended for Disney portrait fans and anyone looking for a Jérémy Mariez volume that feels less intimidating.