Amazing Art: Create & Color

 From hair to fashion and even to food, mermaid and unicorn inspiration can be found almost everywhere! And now, artists of all ages can add these colorful and fantastical creatures to your creative practice with Walter Foster’s new Create & Color series, available this October: The Mermaid’s Book of Tails and Unique Horns and Unicorns!

I had a chance to see copies of these books, and they were fun. I loved the fantastical nature of the mythical creatures, and the way that it was so easy to mashup parts to create your own fun animals.

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

 

Why did you create these Create & Color books?

I was working with a group of young children who came from a community that promoted extremely rigid gender roles. I noticed that this stifled their creativity by stopping them from taking part in activities that they believed were 'for girls' or 'for boys'.

Mermaids were unanimously agreed to be 'for girls' so I drew a picture of a tail and asked them to draw a top half that would make the wildest, silliest mer-creature imaginable.

The least expected creation was a mer-bus. The most unintentionally subversive was a multi headed humanoid character that the artist dubbed 'mer-everybody'. It was such a fun and successful lesson that it sparked off my own imagination.

I hope my books can help expand the creative confidence of both reluctant and enthusiastic artists everywhere.

 

What makes magical creatures so appealing for artists?

Magical creatures offer an endless scope for creativity and exploration. No matter how you interpret a magical creature, you can never be wrong!  If you research most magical creatures from folklore, you'll find that there are different versions of the same creature. They're created from a collective consciousness that has developed and changed their appearance and backstory throughout history, passed on via word of mouth and the illustrations of artists of all abilities. 

 

How can young artists stretch their creativity and imagination?

 I think it's always easier to create when you have a starting point to build from. If you say to a child- 'draw a picture', the possibilities are overwhelming. We need to break it down into prompts- a subject, an action and a location is a great start. Embrace constraints!.  It's good to have rules, even if it's so you can break them. Telling yourself 'I can only use three colours', for example, is a useful creative constraint. Or 'I can only include triangles in your drawing'. Or 'I can only paint with objects that I've found out in the garden'. 

Another way to stretch creativity and imagination is via exposure and experimentation. Exposure to the work of numerous accomplished artists in formal and informal settings. Exposure to a multitude of artforms. Exposure and experimentation with as wide a variety of media as possible. Keep a sketchbook! Draw or write down anything that piques your interest. 

A very simple, low effort exercise if you're stuck for ideas is to gaze out the window of a moving train or car. Allow your mind to notice then let go of everything you pass. It's a great way to encourage your imagination to flit about and can send your mind down all kinds of unexpected paths.