Adult colouring the hottest new trend in Toronto

In the latest pastime helping city dwellers unwind, Torontonians are turning to pencil crayons for quick-fix stress relief. Forget splurging on cocktails or take-out, adult colouring classes are combating stress with a box of pencil crayons and a sketchbook to fill between the lines. Better yet, classes reward creativity with boozy drinks and prizes.

Kalpna Patel, an associate at Type Books on West Queen West, describes the trend that's taken over an entire bookshelf by the store entrance, "It's amazing how popular it has become. I think it's nice to see people doing things that require them to step away from computers and phones to zone out for a while."

With growing popularity, local illustrators are finding clever ways to get creative with adult-friendly designs. Canadian artist Steve McDonald published Fantastic Cities of the World featuring an aerial view colouring sheet of Toronto's skyscrapers.

Iris Glaser and Katrin Leblond are already on their second print run for their popular Colour Her book which allows adults to colour women in more than 2000 combinations.

Canadian painter Samara Shuter released a limited edition colouring book of her menswear painting series. There's even a colouring book with all 100 of Toronto's public libraries and United Colours of Kensington Market if you want to colour familiar territory.

Oh, and there's plenty of wellness benefits too. Adult colouring aids with motor function, Zen levels and general happiness. Not to mention, classes are considerably less expensive than drop-in yoga (usually free) and a convenient date night for couples looking to break away from the weekday routine of dinner and drinks.

If you're looking for an upcoming class you can find adults quietly colouring on tables of colouring sheets and art supplies at the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar every Thursday afternoon.

Toronto and Montreal-based artists Iris Glaser and Katrin Leblond will be hosting a Mermaids and Medusas colouring party on December 9th. You also can drop-in for a wellness colouring workshop at City Hall on December 14th.

These are some of the handfuls of adult colouring classes emerging in the city, welcoming anyone looking for an excuse to be a kid again. Take it or leave it, adult colouring classes are a light-hearted escape for those stressed out, over-worked and exhausted.

Do you know of a great adult colouring book or class? Let us know in the comments.

by Sarah Brown via blogTO