Feel better with colour

With splatters of acrylic paint on clothes, crayon marks on the wall and ink stains on the palm, colour has always been associated with childhood. But that doesn't mean adults should refrain from it. Colouring as an activity has multiple benefits, including improving sleep and reducing stress - both of which we need right now. We tried three apps to get you on your way.

For the uninitiated

If haven't really given colouring books a shot since kindergarten or have never managed to do anything beyond scribbling, this app is for you. Colorfy comes with a variety of patterns ranging from a basic set of flowers, that we tried colouring ourselves to animals, messages, patterns, mandalas and even famous paintings like Edvard Munch's The Scream. But the trick on launching the app is to not tap on the ad that lets you sign up for a free trial of the premium version (which costs over '600 per week). After you choose a template to colour, all you need to do is tap on a section of the outline to fill in the colour. Our piece took us about five minutes to complete.

Log on to Colorfy on App Store or Play Store

For meditation

Mandalas, geometric symbolic diagrams, are a common sight; they can be spotted in both mehendi and meditation. We found the Mandala Coloring Pages app deeply relaxing - not only because of its simple interface with a few features but also the diverse mandala designs, some of which are premium. Colouring the template took us 15 minutes, but that can vary depending on how many colours you repeat. Again here, a bigger screen would be beneficial as the designs are intricate. So, you do not need to waste time by zooming in time and again or strain your eyes to fill in the colour.

Log on to Mandala Colouring Pages on Play Store

For a challenge

We have never been more excited to complete a colouring project. The basis of Pixel Art is essentially painting tiny blocks that are numbered and correspond to a colour. These blocks make up an image, in our case, a tiny sea castle. What we didn't know we were in for was an hour of dedicated colouring as over 80 shades had to be filled into each block. It was convenient to do this only because we were using the iPad, and would have been painstaking if it were a smaller screen. It's only later that we realise that there are simpler templates to choose from - like a panda with a heart that requires only eight colours. But we are nit-picking because the end result is cute.

Log on to Pixel Art on App Store or Play Store

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news