There’s something uniquely magical about bringing a beloved Disney character to life with color. If you love princess themes, explore these free princess coloring printables and craft ideas. For many, it’s a nostalgic trip back to childhood. For others, it’s a relaxing escape from a busy day. The world of disney color by number combines this magic with the simple, satisfying process of painting by numbers. Whether you prefer a physical book, a handy mobile app, or a high tech digital canvas, there’s a perfect way for you to unwind and create a masterpiece.
This guide explores everything you need to know, from the famous French mystery books to creating your very own custom pages.
The French Phenomenon: Coloriages Mystère Disney
It all started with a series of books from France. Coloriages mystère Disney, which translates to Disney mystery coloring, are incredibly popular color by number books published by Hachette Heroes. Since 2015, these disney color by number books have captivated adult coloring enthusiasts and Disney fans alike.
Each volume contains around 100 intricate illustrations of classic and modern Disney and Pixar characters. The pages are filled with tiny numbered sections. As you follow the color key, a detailed scene of a character like Simba or Elsa from Frozen slowly appears. The publisher markets the series as an essential blend of stress relief and creativity, and its success is clear. Dozens of themed volumes have been released over the years, including a special edition in 2023 that compiled 300 Disney coloring pages into a single book.
Digital Magic: The Best Disney Color by Number Apps
If you prefer coloring on a tablet or phone, you’re in luck. A disney color by number app brings the same relaxing fun to your fingertips, without any mess.
While Disney has official apps like Disney Coloring World for kids, which allows for more freeform creativity, many adults turn to third party apps for a true paint by number experience. A fantastic example is Happy Color®, a top ranked app with over 100 million downloads on Android alone. It offers a massive library of more than 40,000 free images, including exclusive licensed content from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars. The gameplay is simple and soothing. You just tap to fill each numbered area with the correct color. If you’re choosing between printables and apps, see our guide to color by number for adults (free printables + best apps).
These apps became massively popular during the adult coloring craze, a trend that saw 12 million adult coloring books sold in the U.S. in 2015. For why this hobby helps with stress and focus, explore the therapeutic benefits of coloring for adults. Digital coloring provides an endless supply of new pictures and the convenience of coloring anywhere, anytime.
For the Digital Artist: Procreate Color by Number
For those who use an iPad for digital art, Procreate offers a powerful and flexible way to enjoy coloring. While Procreate is a professional illustration app and doesn’t have a built in color by number feature, thousands of artists use it as a digital coloring book. You can easily find Procreate color by number kits on sites like Etsy, which provide a numbered outline and a matching color palette.
Using Procreate for a disney color by number project is straightforward:
- Import Your Page: You can import any coloring page as an image or even a multi page PDF.
- Set Up Layers: Place the line art on its own layer and set its blend mode to Multiply. This makes the white parts of the layer transparent, so the black lines always stay on top.
- Color Underneath: Create a new layer beneath the line art layer. This is where you will add your colors.
- Fill and Finish: Use Procreate’s brushes or the quick ColorDrop tool to fill in the sections according to your number key. A cool bonus is that Procreate automatically records your process, creating a time lapse video you can share online.
The Thrill of the Reveal: Identifying Characters
One of the most exciting parts of a disney color by number activity is the mystery. Many pages are designed to hide the final image until it’s nearly complete. At first, you only see a jumble of abstract shapes and numbers. As you begin to fill them in, a recognizable character slowly emerges from the page.
Can you guess the character early? Sometimes, a signature detail like Mickey Mouse’s ears or a unique color pattern might give it away. But often, the designs are clever enough to keep you guessing. This element of surprise makes the activity a fun puzzle. It’s also a popular educational tool. On the marketplace TeachersPayTeachers, educators can find over 50 different Disney themed color by number worksheets to help students practice numbers and colors while having fun. Teachers can also use these quick tips for creating unique coloring activities for your classroom.
Create Without Limits: Importing and Making Your Own Pages
What if you can’t find a coloring page of your favorite obscure character or a specific scene you love? The solution is to make your own disney color by number page. This can be done in a few ways.
You can import an existing black and white outline into an app like Procreate to color it digitally. Or, you can use an app that converts your personal photos into a numbered pixel art template.
But for true creative freedom, nothing beats generating a completely new coloring page from scratch. This is where modern AI tools shine. See how AI crafts custom coloring pages in seconds. Instead of searching for hours, you can create the exact page you want in seconds.
- From an Idea: Have a fun idea, like “Goofy learning to surf” or “a Disney style castle with fireworks”? You can simply type that into an AI generator and get a unique, ready to print outline. For a fast and free option, check out a tool like CustomColoringPages.com.
- From a Photo: Imagine turning a favorite family photo from a Disney trip into a personal coloring page. You can easily upload your photo and have it converted into clean line art that’s perfect for coloring. Here’s how to transform your photos into fun coloring pages in seconds.
These tools give you endless possibilities, letting you and your family bring any idea to life. For seasonal inspiration and ready‑to‑print ideas, celebrate every season with personalized coloring pages.
Frequently Asked Questions about Disney Color by Number
What is the best disney color by number app?
Happy Color® is one of the most popular choices. It’s free and features a huge library of images, including officially licensed Disney and Star Wars art.
Can I do disney color by number for free?
Yes. Many mobile apps like Happy Color® are free with ads. You can also find free printable pages online or generate your own unique pages for free using a service like CustomColoringPages.com.
What are Coloriages mystère Disney books?
They are a bestselling series of “mystery” color by number books from France. Each book contains about 100 pages where you slowly reveal a detailed Disney character or scene as you color.
How can I make my own Disney style coloring page?
The easiest way is to use an AI coloring page generator. A tool like CustomColoringPages.com lets you type a description of a scene or upload a photo to instantly create a custom, printable coloring page for personal use.
Is it possible to use Procreate for color by number?
Absolutely. While Procreate doesn’t have a specific color by number mode, you can easily import any coloring page outline, place it on its own layer, and color on a separate layer underneath it.
Are there disney color by number activities for adults?
Yes, very much so. The Coloriages mystère Disney books are primarily aimed at adults, and apps like Happy Color® are extremely popular with adult coloring enthusiasts for their relaxing and therapeutic benefits.
