Review: Color by Number - Disney Grand Classics Volume 2 (Aurélia Bertrand, Hachette Heroes)

Technical specs

Before my impressions, here's the essential at a glance:

• Publisher: Hachette Heroes
• Author: Aurélia Bertrand
• Number of designs: 100 (yes, one hundred)
• Number of pages: 128 (solutions included)
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Paper: Premium
• Print: Both sides (front and back)
• Format: 21.8 x 1.3 x 30 cm (A4 portrait format)

What I loved

1. The white zones are perfectly blank. This is rare and valuable. No need to invest in an opaque white marker to go over the lines, the finish is clean from the get-go. If you're starting out with mystery coloring, this is a huge comfort bonus.

2. The concept is original, even a little disorienting at first. And that's what hooked me. Instead of uncovering the drawing as you color it like most Disney mystery books, here you know from the start what you're going to color. The color codes are there to help you place the right shades in the right spots, but the drawing itself stays visible. It's a mix between a regular coloring book and a color-by-number, and it's a real pleasure to practice.

What disappointed me a bit

1. The double-sided printing rules out alcohol markers. This is the big bummer for alcohol marker purists (Promarker, Copic, and so on). If you color with alcohol markers on this book, you'll bleed through the page and ruin the design on the back. You'll either have to settle for using one side out of two (which is wasteful), or switch to colored pencils or acrylic markers that don't bleed through.

For reference: acrylic markers (like Tooli Art or Nicety) do not have this problem, because they dry on the surface and don't soak through the paper. Only alcohol-based markers cause issues here.

Worth noting (neither positive nor negative)

1. It's an excellent book for beginners. The Beginner level is well earned: the color codes are easy to read, the zones are nicely defined, and seeing the drawing right away is reassuring if you're not used to "true" mystery coloring. If you know someone who wants to try color-by-number but is afraid of the leap into the unknown, this is the perfect gift.

2. Quite a few shade variations for the same color. Even though it's marketed as Beginner, there are still multiple variations of each color (multiple blues, multiple browns, and so on). Plan for a decent palette, not a basic 12-marker box.

3. A small pitfall to anticipate on large zones. I could almost have put this in the negatives, but it's more of a usage tip than a flaw of the book. On very large single zones, if you start coloring and you cover up the color code with your pencil or marker, you may forget which exact color you were using. So always finish a zone you started before stopping, or write the color down on the side before diving in. Minor but it can be frustrating if it catches you off guard.

Blank design sample

To give you a concrete idea of the style and readability:

Preview of solution pages

And here are two pages from the solutions section of the book, to show you what the final result looks like:

My personal take

This volume is disorienting, but in the best way. It's not like the other Disney mystery volumes where you struggle to guess what you're going to draw without checking the solutions at the back of the book. Here, it's more like a regular coloring book (you know what you're going to color), but with help to place your colors correctly thanks to the numbered codes. It's a radical change from other volumes where you uncover the final result as you color.

That said, it does not mean it's less appealing to color or that much easier. Because here, you have large single zones with a specific color code, so it's easy to get lost if you're not paying attention. You'll need focus and good palette organization.

Aside from that quirk with the large zones, the artwork is beautiful. Okay, I'll admit it: it's rare for a Disney mystery to disappoint me, so I might be slightly biased. But the illustrations are nicely detailed, and all the classics we love are there. If you're a Disney fan, or you want to give someone a beautiful coloring book as a gift, this book is perfect.

Just plan for a fairly large palette of colors to do justice to the gradients. With a basic 12 or 24-color box, you'll quickly feel limited.

What materials to use with this book?

Given the book's characteristics (double-sided printing and Beginner level with plenty of shade variations), I have recommendations based on your budget and preferences. The double-sided printing rules out alcohol markers, but everything else works really well.

If you want markers (acrylic only, no alcohol)

Acrylic markers dry on the surface, don't soak through the paper, and give you a clean opaque finish. This is the perfect marker option for this double-sided book.

• Tooli Art (acrylic): my reference for value for money. The 60-color palette gives you all the shades you need for this book. My full review of the Tooli Art markers.
• Nicety (acrylic): another reliable option I tested on a Disney mystery coloring. My hands-on review of the Nicety markers.

If you prefer colored pencils

Colored pencils are an excellent option for this book, especially for solid zones that call for a soft, even finish. This is probably the best choice for beginners.

• Faber-Castell Black Edition (budget-friendly): a great entry-level option to get started without breaking the bank. Good finish, soft lead. My review of the Faber-Castell Black Edition.
• Faber-Castell Polychromos (premium): my favorites if you want pencils that truly last. The 120-color palette is perfect to cover every shade in this book. My detailed review of the Polychromos with photos.

My tip for getting started with this book: begin with either the Faber-Castell Black Edition pencils or the Tooli Art markers. You'll get a great finish without overspending, and it's more than enough for the 100 designs in the volume.

Who is this book for?

This book ticks a lot of different boxes, so here's who I recommend it to specifically:

• Color-by-number beginners, because seeing the design right away is reassuring and motivating.
• Disney fans, because all the classics are here and well represented.
• Anyone looking for a coloring gift, because the generous A4 format and the 100 designs make it a beautiful object to give.
• People who don't enjoy the surprise effect of classic mysteries and prefer to know what they're going to color.

If you're looking for a mystery coloring where the discovery is part of the fun, look at other volumes instead. For this particular Volume 2, the appeal is somewhere else: it's the beauty of the artwork and the comfort of the experience.

Conclusion

The Color by Number Grand Classics Volume 2 by Aurélia Bertrand is a real success from Hachette Heroes. The concept of seeing the drawing right from the start is refreshing, the finish is clean (with truly blank white zones), and the 100 designs are a serious argument for value for money. The only real downside is the double-sided printing for alcohol marker lovers, but you have plenty of alternatives that work very well (acrylics or pencils).

While you wait for your book, you can also try my free printable pixel mystery colorings, or color directly online in the PixelSecret gallery.