the Colouring Book Club

Two Weeks until the Book Launch!

2012-02-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

I hope you're as excited as we are! Only two weeks away before we release the Girls Who Can book on Saturday the 25th, and still plenty of things to do. My wife Katie is putting together the last details on the craft that children who visit will be able to try. Do you have any suggestions? We'd like to keep any crafts picked related to the concept of the colouring book, and something that is easy for kids to pick up and potentially complete off site.

With that in mind, we've some mini-colouring books we've completed and assembled for kids to play with, featuring bonus portraits of some of the girls and the careers featured in Girls Who Can.

More information (and much shorter posts) can be found at my fanpage at www.facebook.com/nickcsernak!

Book Launch date fixed in Kingston, Ontario

2012-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

We'll be having the Launch at the Minotaur Games and Gifts store February 25th from 2pm to 4pm at 165 princess street! We'll be putting up a link to download this awesome poster sometime this week!

Published Essential Dream Jobs for Girls!

2012-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

It's official! With a new eye-catching and dynamic cover design, the Essential Dream Jobs for Girls Who Can colouring book is finally available on lulu.com for purchase. It's update includes a fun labyrinth at the back of the book for intrepid girls to navigate.

We'll be having a book launch for the book tentatively pegged for late February, with fun foodstuffs and crafts at the Minotaur Games and Gifts. Return here for new news!

Girls Who Can book nearing publishing date!

2011-11-28T04:41:00.001-08:00

One of the colouring books I've been working on for much of the past year looks to be near completion. I received a sample copy of the Essential Dream Jobs for Girls Who Can on Friday from my manufacturer, and except for a few dabs of polish, it is ready for purchase. And it is totally worth it!

As a parent of two little girls inundated by pink-aisle toys and products, I felt a need for a book that presented the variety of futures my kids could aspire to, real or imagined. Do they want to be a doctor, an astronaut, or a dragon when they grow up? This book makes it feel like anything is possible for those who have the mindset to try.

Expect this new colouring book to be available sometime this week or the next. I'll post up a link to it's home online, and a list of all the dream jobs portrayed in the book.

An August/September update

2011-09-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

In July I mentioned a "Fun on the Farm" colouring book that was coming down the pipe. The good news is the new books will have a new format, still spiral-bound to open flat, and will be easily twice the size of the current books for approximately the same price. The bad news is the larger size has encouraged me to make new illustrations to take advantage of the larger format, which has in turn delayed the book's release. This has done nothing to reduce my enthusiasm for the new book.

The illustration above is from a colouring book that I should publish at near the same time as "Fun on the Farm", which'll promote Girl Power. Spefically, it will speak to every girl's ability to do and accomplish anything they put their minds and imaginations to- which has resulted in some real powerhouse images. I'm putting together some new illustrations to take advantage of the new colouring books' 6" by 9" format for this book as well (!!).

Under the Sea Pirates!

2011-07-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've a show coming up at the Minotaur Games and Gifts in downtown kingston. I can't seem to find a babysitter (!), so I've drawn some extra New colouring book pages to keep them occupado. Pretty cool pictures, huh? The show, as well as these colouring pages is undersea themed. If you'd like to colour these guys in, you might have to drop in, from 6pm to 9pm Wednesday the 20th of July.

The walrus above is doing his best Long John Silver impression, right down to the penguiny parrot on his shoulder.

Who says pirates can't have "sole"? Or fish beards? Not this guy!

In case your wondering, those tendril like things hanging from the fish-pirate in the centre are hanging from a catfish. A fighting-mad catfish.

Drawing those fish out of water inspired me to draw these odd ducks.

A little update on the Farm themed colouring book I announced back in May- I have some other books down the pipe that have to be completed before archive and librarians canada will allow me more isbn numbers, so they should still be printed, probably next month at the most. Then we can all have fun on the farm together!

Fun On The Farm

2011-05-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

I keep talking about working on new colouring books. Want to see some of them? Here are a few pages from the new Fun On The Farm I'm putting together. It's going to be good!

I like this one. To me, it says: "you're being so quiet down there, I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

I think these ducklings think their Daddy knows everything about being a duck. I hope so.

Fresh eggs are GREAT! We should have more.

I'm reading Mo Willems.

2011-05-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

I've read two Cat the Cat books to my kids for bedtime thus far, "What's your sound, hound the hound?" and "Time to sleep, sheep the sheep". Both provided ample opportunity for them to chime in with the characters, and they easily recognize the prompts, letting me read without too much clamor (which is a godsend at night).

Extra kudos to Mo Willems for finding a tasteful way to portray amongst bed-prep activities like toothbrushing and bathing, going to the potty. Makes my kids giggle a bit at Cat the Cat's discomfiture.

Last days of winter

2011-04-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm busy working on two colouring books right now. One features farmers, horses, pigs, orchards, tractors and the like, and the other will have girls doing all the things girls can and should do, like pearl fishing, being prime minister, or doing karate. They'll be lots of fun, and the images would scream for more colours than just pink, which is best for everyone. While I haven't scanned in any of the images for you to look at here, I have a book that my kids and I have enjoyed that I think you might too.

Singing away the dark is a book I picked up when I was looking for some inspiration for the kids to stop turning on all the lights (which they have). I recommend it wholeheartedly. It is a beautiful book too. My youngest (age 3) has memorized every word.

Birthdays in March

2011-03-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter is going to a lot of birthday parties now that she's in junior kindergarten. And everyone knows, the best parties are those with fancy hats.

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in our cake-wearing kid, download the present holder for free, here!

I like layer cakes. Chocolate is my favourite, but I would totally dig into a slice of lime green cake if I knew it might be good.

Snow comes, and goes

2010-12-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

It wasn't that long ago that we were raking leaves. Sure there's a lot of snow falling around now, but it's better than yardwork, isn't it? At least that's what I expect is going through the mind of our friend here.

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in our hard worker, download the rake-wielder for free, here!

This is a bright time, with all the leaves. Break out your red, yellows, violets and browns and scribble, scribble, scribble.

Rain, rain, stay away!

2010-12-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

The ground outside is covered in a newly fallen blanket of snow, much to the delight of my kids. If we didn't have to think about the ice, the shovelling and so on, wouldn't it be nice to have the first snowfall last stick around, at least until January? That way we'd all be able to dodge the hounddog look of disappointment on our kids' faces when the rain washes their fun away.

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in our sad faced puppy, download the umbrella-bearing pup for free, here!

This is one time that gloomy colours might suit the artwork. Maybe some grey, or some heavy blues?

"Penguin on a pig!", a free download

2010-10-24T14:11:00.001-07:00

If you saw a penguin walking about, furiously flapping wings useless for flight, you might be tempted to think "when pigs fly". Now you can not only think it but colour the sentiment in, right or wrong, with the page above.

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in our pig riding penguin, download the whimisical creature for free, here!

Be traditional and cover the flying swine in brown and pink, or pick the wildest colour combination you can (this is a flying pig after all!).

Granny Gomez & Jigsaw, good read

2010-10-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Whenever I've a chance I take my eldest who's almost four to the library. I like to bring home new Children's books for them as often as I can, but you can't beat taking your kids to the source, giving them a sense of ownership to their reading experience. At least it seems that way, as Sophia definitely considers this gem, with kindly & hip granny and the pig who happens on her stoop one day in a basket. The highlight for the kids seem to be the big Piglet Reveal splash page, wherein they shout A PIG!

I love the different textures illustrator Scott Magoon has brought to the book's imagery, with what looks like some gouache for the backgrounds with some chalks for highlights (look at that handwritten cover)! Very cool! No one should feel limited to any one art media when bringing colour to art.

Big Sausage on the Links

2010-04-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted, but I have been busy, working on the new ABC themed colouring books and another one based on a poem writen by Kingston local Morgan Wade. Until those books are complete though, you can sink your teeth into this odd little drawing, of a sausage that has decided to take up golf (on the Links! It's a bad joke).

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in our swinging country-clubber, download the Link for free, here!

I well image this fellow is wearing tweed, much as the actor portraying Doctor Who has been known to sport. Try earthy colours, like browns and greens.

Spring show!

2010-04-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

That's right! The opening night for the Kingston Frameworks gallery show featuring my work alongside Geoff Smith and Lark Hutson is coming soon! There'll be finger foods, drink, lots and lots of people (Geoff's name attracts crowds) and fantastic art! I hope to see you there. If you'd like a copy of the postcard, download it here.

I've also put up a new t-shirt design, featuring a concept that everyone should love, "Save Money". If you'd like to have this tee, go and vote for it by clicking on the link below!

Pint-sized t-shirt

2010-03-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

I coloured in the toddler milk carton cartoon, and sent it in to Threadless. If you'd like to have a sky blue tee proudly displaying a heartbreakingly regretful little pint with tiny white footprints tracked all over, let Threadless know!

Magic Carpet Cowboy

2010-03-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun sending in new t-shirt designs. Have a look at this one, featuring a Cowboy riding a nice magic throw rug, or shag carpetting, on the range. He couldn't be more comfortable, or stylish. Plus, no saddle-sores! If you think this design is the bee's knees, click on the link below and let Threadless know!

Bad Milk!

2010-03-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

This little carton of milk had been enjoying running about on this page until it realized it'd had a leak. Much like my own children, it quickly dissolved into tears (Aww!). Do you have any suggestions as to how it should be coloured in?

If you'd like to try your hand at giving this pint-sized cartoon some colour, download a copy here! Don't forget to mail me a photo of the finished art.

Gorilla's got the blues

2010-03-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

Some of the drawings that I've come up with for my upcoming Alphabet-themed colouring books are so cool I've coloured them in and submitted them to Threadless.com as t-shirt designs. The first one I'm putting up is "Gorilla's Got the Blues", wherein the ape in the portrait provided is showing more soul than all the footwear in Canada :) Check it out, and vote for it if you like it.

BIG NEWS!

2010-02-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated for awhile, but I've an excellent pair of excuses: first, I'm working on a new colouring book, featuring the letters of the alphabet, which'll be available on disc in English and French. Each illustration will be accompanied with a sentence describing the image, like the Karate-kickin' Kangaroo above, and the letter as it would be seen capitalized and small caps (tres cool!).

I'm also going to be a part of a three-person show called "Complimentary Colours", exhibited at Kingston Frameworks' Gallery, along with handmade doll maker Lark Hudson and Professor Emeritus and painter Geoff Smith. It'll be on the walls from the 9th of April until the 7th of May, with an opening night from 7-9pm on April 9th.

Clumsy Ox

2010-01-31T06:37:00.000-08:00

I produced this a little late to put it up on Illustration Friday, but it's nowhere near too late for you to download and colour in! Notice the Richard Simmons pinstripe shorts, headband and wristbands; clearly this is the uniform of one who has newly vowed to get fit this January. Start the new year right!

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in horned fitness friend, download the Ox for free, here!

Richard Simmons tends to wear almost candy-stripe themed clothing when he exhorts the public to excercise. Do you have a favorite candy flavour that you think the Ox should sport? Peppermint? Nougat? Licorice? Crack out your wax crayons and give the Ox some clothes to inspire him for the rest of the Spring.

the Modern Dog

2010-01-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

I did a freehand doodle of a dog wearing tons of different modern accroutrements; a radio collar, muzzle, ankle warmers, knit underwear, doggie booties, sunglasses and a few bells for added measure. Just the thing for any discerning canine living in a downtown metropolis, haha!

If you'd like to try your hand at colouring in this packaged up pooch, download the doggie for free, here!

Dogs for the most part, have coats that tend towards the earth tones; greys, umbers, tans, maybe some dingy whites. Let's give our pet here some colour, some bright lululemon shades in his pants and anklewarmers. Let him shine!

Santa Claus & Pere Fouettard

2010-01-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had some memorable holidays. During some free time here I poured myself a nice mug of eggnog, sat down before the dinner table and loosely sketched out these two seasonal personalities. The first downloadable drawing is of Santa Claus, with his jolly grin, downy beard and his bag full of toys for good girls and boys.

The second is his second-in-command, a reformed rascal by the name of Pere Fouettard or in english the "Whipping Father" (creepy!), who in parts of Europe is charged with giving bad girls and boys turnips, coal, or a crack of the whip (literally, not figuratively).

You can read more about Santa Claus and Pere Fouettard on their respective Wikipedia pages,

Or you can colour in these jolly and alternatively crusty characters by downloading Santa or Pere Fouettard.

Santa's suit is made out of dense, warm wool. Use short, little lines with a pencil to mimic the hairs when filling in his clothes. Pere Fouttard however works alot with piles and piles of coal. If you've any in the house, use a block of charcoal or a willowstick to make him as messy as he'd be come Christmas Eve.

the Wild Turkey

2009-12-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

I thought featuring the Wild Turkey was more than fitting for this week, with Christmas around the corner and all. A roast turkey, with some stuffing, vegetables, mashed potatoes and squash, delicious! You don't have to be a fan of the season to appreciate the food, that's for sure, haha!

I do have a little anecdote about live Wild Turkeys. I was biking home from town one day, sun beating down, kinda spacing out and peripherally aware of the trees and farmers' fields on either side of the road. Suddenly, I saw this huge, hulking shape off to my left, crossing one of the paths the farmers'll use their four-wheelers on to check the fences. It was really dark, almost black. I did a double-take, but by then my momentum on the bike had carried me past the farmer's path down the road. I did a quick u-turn to try and get another look, but it had already made it's way into the brush.

I've seen several Wild Turkeys since, the last one actually this summer, crossing the road repeatedly on a weekday. The commuters driving in, at least, stopped to give the Turkey time to decide which side was greenest after all. It was there all morning.

You can read more about the Turkeyin this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Turkey in the Animals of North America colouring book.

I've been thinking, I've been started giving colouring ideas for each of the colouring book profiles I've posted on this blogsite, but if you haven't bought one of my books already, you're really missing out on a lot. Hence, every week I'll be making another colouring book page available for download free to go with the colouring book club entry; just look for the download the Wild Turkey link, like here! Note: the colouring book downloads will only be available for the week, so hurry up and download this for your kids already!

The Wild Turkey I saw was mostly dark browns and greys, to better hide in the woods, but maybe this Turkey is a little flamboyant than the others. Why don't you break out your fluroescent pencil crayons, and give him a beautiful, loud coat of feathers?

the Kettlecat

2009-12-16T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Kettlecat, or Teakettler is a very amiable but secretive creature of the forest. It likes to walk up near campers at their campfires, making a sound much a like a kettle's whistle, but walks backwards to fool anyone who'd like to catch a glimpse of it in daylight. It looks like a dog, but has cat ears, which lends the Kettlecat it's name. It lives in the United States, and will frequent gourmet tea houses on a whim.

You can read more about the Kettlecat in this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Kettlecat in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

The Kettlecat is very shy. Why don't you colour him in with lots of greens? Better yet, you can paste some green paper or blade of grass around him, to help him hide in the forest.

the Cyclops

2009-12-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'd like to make one thing clear here, at the onset, talking about Cyclops. I think they've had a bad rap. Sure, they've eating a few sheep, some cows, some wanderers on hillsides, but for the most part they're pretty nice guys and would prefer to be left alone. They were even reknowned artisans and for the most part were shepherds. Now Polyphemus, the giant that Odysseus ends up shish-kabobbing in the eye when he starts threatening the sailors in Odysseus' crew, should be considered the exception to the rule. When you lock someone in your cave with a big rock, you're virtually asking for your captives to take offense. And after someone takes out your orb with a stake, you're functionably blind, right? Which makes the whole matter moot. Plus the X-men rock.

You can read more about the Cyclops in this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Baku in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

Bring some attention to this big lug's baby blues with some striations of blue, green and red. This guy in particular (you have to see the full illustration in the Mythological Monsters book, as he's holding an ice cream cone and a Hawaiian shirt, perfect for the beach), should be well tanned, or at least well burnt, from his time under the sun.

Visit the Toymaker!

2009-12-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was searching for alternate ways of using up paper waste (as invariably pages from colouring books seem to become), when I found the Toymaker's website. Full of downloadable pages of full-colour toys you can print and assemble out of paper, it's just fantastic! If you've only a few bucks in your change purse, I greatly suggest picking one of her projects to delight your children with this Christmas season.

the Baku

2009-12-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

A Japanese creature, Baku are dream-devouring spirits, usually depicted with elephant’s head, tusks, and trunk, with horns and tiger’s claws. In this case, the Baku is digging into a nice slice of dreamcake, which I imagine would be the best ever, regardless of your preferred flavour.

Much like Flamingos are pink because they eat so much shrimp (it's true), being a creature that sustains itself on dreamstuff the Baku should be filled with swirls of colour, slightly indistinct. I'd suggest that you rip off the paper from your wax crayons for this one, and use the flat of the crayon to provide blurry, soft swaths of hue.

You can read more about the Baku in this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Baku in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Fly

2009-12-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've read the basis for all "the Fly" science fiction that've been filmed was a short story by George Langelaan, the synopsis of which I've read and it is very creepy; instead, I based my illustration on a sort of campy, boiled-down, pop culture concept of the 1950s films, and a little Treehouse of Horror for good measure.

Flies come in all sort of different colours. Some of them are a shiny green, or blue. Others have yellow and black stripes, like a bee. I'd cover this Fly in a hodgepodge of browns, purples, and greens, just a whole mishmash. Have fun!

You can read about the Fly films in this Wikipedia page (it's scary stuff),

Or you can colour in the Fly in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Cheshire Cat

2009-11-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

Watching Disney's Alice in Wonderland as a kid, I found a lot of the characters portrayed absurd, frustrating, and the film inexpressibly short. It's only after I'd kids of my own and found the scene where the Dodo suggests burning down the house to evict Alice and Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum's tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter that I realised some clever editing with the vcr on my parents' part had removed some potentially inflammatory material. The Cheshire Cat in particular, oddly charismatic, only mildly helpful and completely mad (which would lead to me to wonder as a child, "what is he so angry about?"), drew a lot of my attention. He still, as the illustration shows above, inspires my imagination as well.

The Disney version of the Cheshire Cat was covered in pink and purple bars, like a prisoner from a different world; I think that colour scheme would still be (un)fashionably appropriate.

You can read about the Cheschire Cat in this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Dahu in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

My Studio

2009-11-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

When you have kids, I mean young, young kids, you tend to draw whenever and wherever you can. For me, that means when my daughter Talia would get drowsy, cry disconsolately for what could sometimes appear to be an interminable period of time then fall asleep and adrool on my shoulder, it's time to get out your pen and paper and get to work. This picture is from last spring, from one such snoozefest. If I'd hike up her bottom with one arm, I could get a hand over to hold the sheet I was drawing on fast; I'd usually use any one of the children's hardcovers as a portable desk.

the Zebra

2009-11-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

While visually, it's true that a Zebra is a very striking animal, with it's myriad stripes as unique to each wearer as the fingerprints we as humans bear, I've heard many of these beautiful creatures complain to me through the blogsite that they have no colour. Running together in a herd on the African plains, they all just sort of meld, one big roving carpet of black and white, with nothing to show the fierce exultation they feel when they outrun other more plain-jane herbivores.
For colour, don't feel yourself held back by any of the photos you might've seen of Zebras- these guys like hues, and a lot of them!

You can read all about the Zebra on it's Wikipedia page.

Or you can colour in the Zebra in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

Colouring Book gift pack

2009-11-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

We're coming up on the big Holiday season, which means there's going to be a lot of stockings for you to fill this year. I know from personal experience that one of my colouring books will fill a lot of stocking, and 3 books will just about stuff it up (perfect!). Check out the gift pack I have over on my "books" page on my website for a deal on my stocking stuffer-uppers.

And don't forget that the Minotaur Games and Gifts and the Novel Idea are carrying my books too!

the Dahu

2009-11-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

In parts of Europe include France and Switzerland, daring adventurists are known to take up the chasse au dahu, or "Dahu Hunt". An odd animal with both legs short on one side, it is forced to remain on mountainsides until said adventurists, in the company of Dahu-certified cobblers, are able to fit them with platform shoes. This is no easy task, considering the heights the thin air which these animals are known to prefer. Hence, the preferred method is for one to yell up at the Dahu, startling it so it should fall off balance down the slope, and catch it up in a sack.

You can read about the Dahu in this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Dahu in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Troll

2009-11-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

There are many different types of Trolls, but the particular malcontent that I chose to illustrate in the Mythological Monsters colouring book comes from a Norwegian fairy tale called "Three Billy Goats Gruff", wherein three goats, brothers, attempt to cross a bridge to get to greener pastures, risking the wrath of the hungry Troll who lives beneath. Let me assure you that they all survive, much in the manner as the three little pigs survive the Wolf, with the eldest goat proving the most capable, using his wits to conquer the Troll.

You can read about Trolls in this Wikipedia page,

Or you can colour in the Troll in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Hundred-Eyed One

2009-11-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

With literally a hundred eyes covering his body, the Hundred-Eyed One worked as a guard for Hera, Queen of the Greek Gods- until, that is, he ran into Hercules. In recognition for his service, she placed his eyes on the tail of the peacock, a bird that remains sacred to her. Kind of a nice tribute...
Just in case you're wondering, I didn't make up any of the creatures that fill the roster of the Mythological Monsters colouring book. I mean really, when the cultures of the world see fit to offer up such imaginative misfits as our poor multi-orbed sentry above, there isn't any need to pull your leg. In fact, a lot of the portraits I've drawn I've plucked from this list at Wiki; if you see one that floats your boat, comment here, or e-mail me!

You can colour in the Hundred-Eyed One in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

Harpies

2009-11-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

Considering how the Harpies figured into the ancient Greek Myth of Jason and the Argonauts, stealing and "befouling" the food of the blind seer Phineas, they must've been like our bird flu of today- people in fear of getting sick, wearing masks, suspecting everybody else of potentially befouling them, should they breathe the same air- it's really sad. For all we know, despite their fearsome reputation, all they might've wanted was some birdseed and some human companionship.
You can read more about the Harpy on it's Wikipedia page.
Or you can colour in the Harpy in the Mythological Monsters colouring book (I'd colour her like a pigeon).

the African Hoopoe

2009-11-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

Reading the Hoopoe's profile on Wiki, it quickly becomes obvious that besides being a positively beautiful bird, it suffers from interminable bouts of wanderlust as well. It's name might indicate that it lives on only one continent, but it also visits large swaths of Asia and of Europe as well (you should have a look at the photo gallery at the bottom of it's Wiki page)- a true carpet-bagger if I've ever seen one.

You can read the African Hoopoe's wikipedia page,
Or colour in the Hoopoe in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

the Water Gnome

2009-11-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

The Water Gnome in the above illustration is based on a short story by Horace L. Gold, in which a stressed man insults a watery denizen of the deep- or a lake, to be precise. The Gnome's description called for the large ears, which it used to tread water, and his pointy hat, which got caught on the stressed man's fishing line. I embellished a little on his appearance, but I thought the petulant look the catfish whiskers I'd graced him with provided him with some much needed dignity.
Colour in the Water Gnome in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Wolpertinger

2009-11-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

Pliny the Elder, a naturalist and historian from ancient Greece, wrote about a "winged rabbit" that inhabited the Alps. Nowadays the Wolpertingers, the descendents of these ravenous creatures, with their horns, wings, and sharp teeth, can be seen in the darker parts of Germany, waiting for the unwary to walk the forests at night.
You can read more on the Wolpertinger's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Wolpertinger in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Ibex

2009-11-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Ibex, being a type of goat has four stomachs, much like a cow does. Now let that thought simmer in your brain for a moment. Never mind the real physiology behind the organs or that Ibexes largely eat grasses, if you were an Ibex and you were out having a leisurely Holiday dinner with your family, trying vainly to leave place for dessert, you'd relax! You've three more stomachs to go! More relatives on your list to visit, with turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings? Of course you have room. Life would be fantastic as an Ibex. They have it easy.

You can read the Ibex's wikipedia page,
Or colour in the Ibex in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

Koschei the Deathless

2009-11-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

Grotesque in mind and body, this inexpressibly old man could only be dispatched using a method so convoluted as to render him functionally immortal (I've included a description of the quest here, lifted from Wiki to save time):
Koschei cannot be killed by conventional means targeting his body. His soul is hidden separate from his body inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a hare, which is in an iron chest (sometimes the chest is crystal and/or gold), which is buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of Buyan, in the ocean. As long as his soul is safe, he cannot die. If the chest is dug up and opened, the hare will bolt away. If it is killed, the duck will emerge and try to fly off. Anyone possessing the egg has Koschei in their power. He begins to weaken, becomes sick and immediately loses the use of his magic. If the egg is tossed about, he likewise is flung around against his will. If the egg or needle is broken (in some tales this must be done by specifically breaking it against Koschei's forehead), Koschei will die.

You can read more on Koschei the Deathless' wikipedia page.
Colour in Koschei in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

the Spotted Hyena

2009-11-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

A lot has been done to villify the Hyena in children's movies and theatre in recent years (I'm looking at you, Lion King!). I mean sure, it has vice-like jaws that can snap bones. Yeah, it's proportions are weird, with those outsized front legs, muscular neck, and a truncated muzzle. Okay! So what if it is a little creepy. Tell me how many other animals, bent on survival, bother to take a moment to laugh with their buddies? The Hyena, that's who! So the next time you decide not to invite our spotted friend over for Canasta because you're afraid he'll eat all the carrion in your fridge, remember the good times and pick up the phone.

You can read the Spotted Hyena's wikipedia page.
Or colour in the Hyena in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

Free colouring page!

2009-11-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of fun making my Colouring Books, but every book has to have an end. Each one of my printed menageries contain 32 creatures, but I rarely stop there. I know there's a lot more animals and monsters for me to draw! Bosman's Potto is one of the animals that unfortunately did not make the cut into the published Animals of Africa colouring book, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get to brighten him up with your powder paints. Just click on the image above to download his pdf.

To learn more about Bosman's Potto, you can read his wikipedia page (he's a pretty cute little simian, isn't he?).

Jabberwocky

2009-11-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

The Jabberwocky, as described by Lewis Carroll, had wings, biting jaws, claws made for grasping at heroes and eyes blazing like fire. Most dangerously, it seems to have fed on and been created by the imaginations of those who'd read about it; the best defense is to carry a Vorpal (deadly) sword.

You can read more on the Jabberwocky's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Jabberwocky in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

Knob-billed Duck

2009-11-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

When I first saw a picture of the Knob-billed Duck I found, as I'm sure you have, the large growth on the duck's bill to be off-putting. So I did a little research. It turns out the Knob is actually a rice "hump". When the male of the species anticipates that his mate's eggs are about to hatch, he'll set out to find a suitable rice paddy, whereupon he'll stuff his beak full of rice, much like a chipmunk will with nuts. True story.

You can read Knob-billed Duck 's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Duck in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

The Wolfman

2009-11-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

As an actor, the Wolfman already had multiple counts against him- a limited vocabulary, a soft spot for rawhide bones, copious amounts of fur... But back in the near-utopic 1950s, it was only a matter of time before he'd had his name in bright lights at the marquee, and procured a lovely prefab doghouse near the woods. He still lives there now, with his mate of ten dog-years, and splits his time evenly between re-reading his collection of Cat Fancy and entertaining his grand-pups.

You can read the Wolfman's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Wolfman in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

Von der Decken's Hornbill

2009-11-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

The Hornbill is the bird that, after she's had her eggs, will seal herself inside a tree with the aid of her mate- I'm sure you've seen it, on Discovery or PBS or something. I can only imagine the cabin fever she must endure, sitting, waiting for her offspring to hatch. At least her husband has the decency to go and get delivery.

You can read Von der Decken 's Hornbill's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Hornbill in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

Post-Hallowe'en Post!

2009-11-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their Hallowe'en night- no excuse not to enjoy it, with it placed so fortuitously on Saturday with the end of Daylight Savings time that very night, giving an extra hour of rest (just the way it ought to be)! I've some photos of some really cool pumpkins I carved before receiving costumed visitors (with some gags lumped in, for good measure) that I'll be posting sometime this week, along with some pics from the gang at the Minotaur.
I've also started posting profiles for the monsters from the Mythological Monsters colouring book- so if you ever wonder what the Squonk, Kettlecat, or Jabberwocky came from, I didn't make them up! Look for them here, I'll get them all in.

The Minotaur

2009-11-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

There is only one Minotaur in existence and thus is considered to be very solitary in nature. That is not to say that he does not enjoy un petit verre de vin every once in a while. After Theseus crashed his Labyrinthine crib on the island of Crete, the Minotaur has been sighted in France, Spain and Prince Edward County, wondering why more people don't down VQA labels.

You can read the Minotaur's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Minotaur in the Mythological Monsters colouring book.

Fischer's Lovebird

2009-11-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Lovebirds are beautifully coloured, dressed in bright hues, and have so much love to give. That's why an anonymous avian reader of this blog thought it best to write to inform me that, despite being parrots, every bit of affection they choose to impart is completely genuine.

You can read the Fischer's Lovebird's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Lovebird in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

My Hallowe'en Press Release

2009-10-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

I sent this press release out to various local media, including CHUM radio, the Kingston-Whig Standard, Kingston this Week and the CBC. If you think you can use it to promote this site, by all means, copy and paste! It was intended to be short and sweet, just like the colouring books.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In addition to trick or treating with Ghouls and Goblins, your kids can collect those who go bump in the night and colour them in too this Hallowe'en. Local artist and cartoonist Nick Csernak has completed a new colouring book titled Mythological Monsters, featuring creatures and critters culled from a variety of cultures' folklore.

"I've been burning the midnight oil to get these done," he says. "I think it's important that the kids have more to trade than just the candy. There's some cute drawings in there, some scary. Something for everyone."

A clawful of the monsters portrayed inside include North American creations, like the Wolfman, the Kettlecat and- the Squonk?

"Some of the pioneers appear to have had wild imaginations," laughs Nick. "That's partly what gave me the idea for the book, trawling through Wikipedia. I read some of the fanciful folktales that'd been contributed, and was inspired. My kids rarely allow reality to fetter their colour choices with run-of-the-mill images like horses or trees. What better then for them to subject to their wax crayons than our own collective make-believe?"

As an added feature, each book is printed on recycled paper and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that verifies the contents of Green products.

"It's to save Monster Habitat," he says.

Mythological Monsters, along with Nick's Animals of Africa colouring books, are now available at Minotaur Games and Gifts and the Novel Idea bookstore, or online at thekitschen.net. To download free samples, read creature profiles or to suggest new critter portraits, visit http:www.colouringbookclub.blogspot.com.

Thick-tailed Galago

2009-10-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Galago also goes by the name "Bushbaby", either due to it's appearance or it's cries, depending on who you believe. Now, I'm a father with a baby and a toddler. If anyone has a soundclip of the Bushbaby keening away at night, unconsolable, refusing to drink their milk or sleep alone in their crib, I'd be willing to accede that Galagos are as close to a bouncing baby girl as you'll find in Africa's forest canopy.

You can read the Galago's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Galago in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

the Hippopotamus

2009-10-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

After a raucous night playing Hungry Hungry Hippos and snacking on pumpkin seeds, I felt compelled to contact one of the large amphibious mammals whom I'd met on a previous trip to the Nile, should she be offended by mention of the marble-munching game. Despite the game's concept being far from complimentary, she assured me as I assure you that wouldn't prevent anyone from enjoying said game; far from! Apparently, a rather handsome amount of the royalties from each Hungry Hungry Hippo game sold goes to supplying her with the best and the freshest of greens.

You can read the Hippopotamus' wikipedia page.
Colour in the Hippo in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

the Lion

2009-10-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, male Lions do not in fact spend excessive amounts of time lounging under shade trees combing their carefully manicured manes. There's also shampooing, and the application of hair cream to lock in moisture. Should a lion be lucky enough to find some beeswax or some naturally occurring hair gel, they might seek out other members of their pride for some bonding, and styling, an invaluable skill for life in the Serengeti.
You can read the Lion's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Lion in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

Mythological Monsters Colouring Book

2009-10-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

I've just received the new shipment of Mythological Monsters colouring books! Featuring creatures from myths, legends and folktales from around the world, it has a little something for everyone in it, lovingly illustrated. After I've completed the tongue-in-cheek profiles I've been posting here for the Animals of Africa colouring book, I'll give you some backgrounds on the truly fantastic critters I've bound within this tome.

the Saddle-Billed Stork

2009-10-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

You'd be surprized how many people have the temerity to ask this beautiful marsh-dweller whether she colours her beak (the nerve!). "It is naturally brightly red and yellow," she would say, making a chattering sound with her bill with reproach.
You can read the Saddle-Billed Stork's wikipedia page.
Colour in the Stork in the Animals of Africa colouring book

Southern African Hedgehog

2009-10-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

This small, spiky southerner likes to take in the sun at the bottom of the dark continent, as well as many insect delicacies. Chocolate ants, anyone?

You can read the Southern African Hedgehog's Wikipedia page.

Colour in the Hedgehog in the Animals of Africa colouring book.

the Wildebeest

2009-10-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Also known as a Gnu, the Wildebeest is known to frequent the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya, playing cricket on sunny afternoons. Although his name is Dutch for "wild beast", nothing could be further from the truth for this urbane soul, more at home with a cup of Earl Grey (not the pre-packaged stuff) than fending off Lions and Crocodiles.
You can Read the Wildebeest's Wikipedia page.

Colour in the Wildebeest in Animal of Africa colouring book.