Trying Viral Coloring Trends: Are They Actually Worth It?
For this video, I tested four viral coloring trends across four different coloring books to see which techniques were actually worth trying. I attempted the glitter effect, rainbow swirl effect, embroidery effect, and glow effect using alcohol markers, acrylic markers, gel pens, and fineliners.
Some of these coloring techniques were surprisingly easy and satisfying, while one took hours to finish. I wanted to see not only which trends looked the best, but also which ones were fun enough to try again. If you love adult coloring books, alcohol marker coloring, cozy coloring videos, or viral art techniques, this was such a fun way to experiment with new effects.
Trend 1: Glitter Effect in Just Add Sparkles
The first viral coloring trend I tried was the glitter effect in Just Add Sparkles by Anchored Art Designs. Since Kara is basically the sparkle queen, this felt like the perfect coloring book for a glittery page. I chose a cute ice cream design and colored the soft serve in pink and blue, giving it a cotton candy-inspired look.
To create the glitter effect, I started by adding dots in a slightly darker marker shade, making sure the paper was dry so the circles would stay crisp instead of blending out. Then I repeated the process with an even darker shade to build contrast. Once those dots dried, I added white dots and sparkles with a Posca marker and gel pen. That final white layer is where the glitter effect really came to life.
This trend was easy, satisfying, and gave a really fun result without taking too much time. It is definitely one of the viral coloring techniques I would try again, especially on sparkly objects, accessories, desserts, or anything that already feels cute and magical.
Trend 2: Rainbow Swirl Effect in It’s The Little Things
The second coloring trend I tested was the rainbow swirl effect in It’s The Little Things by Creative Paula. This book is special to me because it helped get both me and my mom back into coloring, so it felt fitting to try a fun rainbow coloring technique in it.
For this effect, I chose a page with cute bunnies and divided the image into rainbow sections. Each section used three shades of the same color, moving from lighter near the center to darker farther away. The goal was to create a swirling rainbow explosion across the page. Some colors blended better than others — the yellow section worked pretty well, while the blue blend gave me more trouble — but the overall effect still turned out bright and playful.
After the base colors were finished, I added colored acrylic marker dots along the edges where the colors met, then repeated the process with white dots and sparkles. I also left one bunny white because I imagined that all the other bunnies had already jumped into the rainbow puddle and gotten their colors, while she was just about to jump in. This trend was cheerful, colorful, and definitely one I would try again.
Trend 3: Embroidery Effect in Girl Moments
The third viral coloring trend was the embroidery effect in Girl Moments by Coco Wyo, and this one was easily the most time-consuming technique of the video. The goal was to make the coloring page look like it had been stitched with thread, almost like embroidery or fabric patches.
I started by adding guideline lines to the larger areas of the page. Then I used short marker strokes coming up from each line, making sure the strokes were not too uniform so they would look more hand-stitched. I tested the effect first on the water before committing to the entire page, then layered darker shades on top for extra dimension. After that, I added white gel pen highlights to mimic the shine and curve of thread.
The final step was using a black fineliner to add dashed stitch lines and organic outlines throughout the page. This is what really pulled the effect together and made the page look like sections had been stitched or patched into place. The result was really cool, but the process took hours. I would only recommend this coloring trend if you have plenty of time and want a challenge.
Trend 4: Glow Effect in Black It Out
The final coloring trend I tried was the glow effect in Black It Out by Ashleigh Monet. Since this book already has black backgrounds, it was perfect for testing a bright neon outline technique. I chose a dinosaur skull page because the shapes were clear and easy to outline.
To create the glow effect, I used bright acrylic markers to build a thick neon outline around each dinosaur skull. This took several coats because I wanted the colors to look as bright as possible against the black background. I tested the technique on one dinosaur first before committing to the full page, then adjusted my marker choices when one color was not glowing enough.
Once the neon outlines were finished, I added a thin white gel pen line through the center of the glow to make the edges look brighter. I do not think I mastered the glow effect completely, but the final page still looked bold, colorful, and really fun against the black background. This was one of the easier techniques compared to the embroidery effect, and I would definitely try it again with simpler shapes or brighter markers.
Final Thoughts
After trying all four viral coloring trends, I think the glitter effect was my favorite overall. It was simple, satisfying, and gave a really impressive result without taking too long. The rainbow swirl effect was also fun and colorful, especially once the dots and sparkles were added. The glow effect was a little harder to perfect, but it worked well with a black background and bright neon markers.
The embroidery effect looked really interesting in the end, but it took the most time by far. I would try it again only if I was in the mood for a slow, detailed coloring session. Overall, this was such a fun coloring challenge and a great way to experiment with new alcohol marker techniques, acrylic marker details, gel pen highlights, and viral coloring book trends.
