The Illustrator's Notetaking Bible: NKJV Edition, Floral Canvas Over Board Hardcover – May 1, 2017

I have been looking forward to the release of the HCSB Illustrator's Notetaking Bible for several months now, so I was thrilled to receive a copy to review. However, I wasn't the only one who was thrilled with this new Bible, and the brown leather copy ended up being claimed by my husband. So after purchasing the purple linen covered version, I can finally write my review now that I've been able to use it myself.The thing I love the most about this Bible is that the illustrations are much more subtle, modern, architectural, and gender neutral than the Inspire Bible. As soon as my husband and I looked through the Illustrators Bible together, he immediately wanted to start reading and coloring. His positive reaction to the illustrations would definitely make me recommend this Bible to men and women alike.This Bible boosts over 600 illustrations, and they are peppered throughout the Old and New Testaments. There are several full page illustrations at the beginning of some books, mainly in the New Testament, but there are a few in the Old Testament as well. The front and back inside covers are fully illustrated, as well as some of the additional pages at the front.The only drawback to having over 600 illustrations is that several of the designs are repeated anywhere from 2-5 times, so it is not 600 unique illustrations. Over time once I begin to fill in more and more of the designs, it might become redundant to do the same one over and over again. However, I do like that if I were to mess up on a certain illustration, I would have a chance to redo it in another spot.Some of the details are rather small for colored pencils, but that doesn't bother me too much since I love to use watercolors as my main medium for illustrating in my Bible. If someone were to strictly want to use just colored pencils, I would suggest getting ones that have very sharp points or can be sharpened periodically to maintain a thin pencil for easier coloring.Because this is also a notetaking Bible, the pages without illustrations have lined margins. Some of the columns with smaller illustrations also incorporate lines as well, so there is plenty of opportunity to take notes and write out prayers and memory verses. The illustrations are also printed in gray to make them less dominant; you could easily write over top of an illustration of desired.Like all journaling Bibles, the HCSB Illustrator's Notetaking Bible has thin pages and small font, but I have grown accustomed to using these Bibles and find it easy to manage. I also like the fact that this Bible is single column. This Bible is larger than my ESV double column journaling Bible (my husband's HCSB is pictured above with my ESV), but it is comparable in size to other single column Bibles.Overall, I think the HCSB Illustrator's Notetaking Bible will quickly become a favorite for both my husband and myself. We are excited to study and illustrate God's Word together with these Bibles. I would highly recommend this Bible to anyone looking to creatively connect with scripture.I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I have found the HCSB to be an excellent translation for reading due to the modern English used, as well as a useful companion translation to better known Bibles like the KJV or ESV for studying purposes. While the HCSB can be read for free on apps like YouVersion and Blue Letter Bible, Holman Publishers seems to be phasing it out in favor of the CSB, and I wanted to purchase a good physical copy while they're still available.This particular edition has a very nice, flexible hardcover with a faux leather texture. The drawings are not as "cartoony" as I was concerned they might be, and add a nice asthetic. There are also some quite helpful features (see the photos) and color maps.There are several potential downsides to this edition: 1) many of the illustrations are artistically feminine, so this may not be the best Bible to give a man; 2) the illustrations are so prevalent that a less artsy person (like myself) may be frustrated by the lack of space available for regular note-taking; 3) the words of Jesus are not in red as they are in at least some digital editions of the HCSB.Taken altogether, this is a well-constructed edition of an accurate, modern translation.

We bought this lovely Bible for our seven-year old son. The translation is our favorite, providing an optimal balance between understandability and accuracy. I was pleasantly surprised at the handsome hardcover "leather" exterior. It's not girly at all; I wouldn't mind carrying this myself. The single-column text is small but a delight to read.Of course, most will buy this for the designs to color on the sides. They are tasteful and - for the most part - not too frilly. I encourage my son to color the pictures (which he loves) while also considering the meaning of the text. It provides something for him to do in church or for "quiet time" while still cultivating an interest in the Word.Three notes before you buy: 1.) This Bible is a bit big for our seven-year-old. He can carry it, but it's not a compact Bible. 2.) The text is fairly small - not more so than many Bibles, but if you are older, you might look for a larger text. I love my HCSB Minister's Bible, Black Genuine Leather - the text is large enough to easily preach from, and there are ample margins. Sadly (if you're into it!), no designs to color. 3.) The HCSB is going through a rebranding/renaming/revision in 2017, to become the Christians Standard Bible (CSB). This means that your text may be slightly obsolete. The changes are not significant, but it' worth keeping in mind.Buy this Bible if you like coloring as part of your devotions, or if you want a Bible that your children will find accessible. Everything - the design, translation, typesetting - are top notch.

I love this Bible! The illustrations are printed in a soft gray and are really fresh designs that I enjoy coloring. There are fewer word art designs in this Bible compared to other publications of "coloring Bibles" but the art that is included speaks to me so it is a trade-off I am willing to make. There are some really lovely full-page designs and lots of little bits of art tucked tastefully around the text and peppered into white spaces here and there. Just delightful to flip through. The deep purple fabric cover is beautiful and feels nice to hold. I'm considering painting my own designs on the cover eventually. The HCSB translation is new to me but I really like it so far. It feels relevant and modern and is very readable and easy to understand.