Between the Lines

Adult colouring-in books were all the rage a few years ago, but traditionally they’re fun things for kids to do. And it was with kids in mind that we recently held a workshop for Eurochild at the Comic Art Museum in Brussels to help their Children’s Council co-create a simple document to summarise their Child Protection Policy in a child-friendly format.

The final artwork was created based on these discussions, using Eurochild’s existing characters, Laura and Max.

Photo: Eurochild

Photo: Eurochild

And whilst the final artwork was big and colourful, the Council expressed an interest in having a colouring-in version too:

This isn’t the first colouring-in image Drawnalism has created - here’s one for Basel Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH) in Switzerland from a year or two back which was designed to help encourage young minds to consider working in child health when they grow up.

And here’s a bit more about that in a report from a Spotlight Day we drew for BRCCH back in 2020, when they were still called the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health.

Black and white and for colouring in

And finally, a mention for abrilliant colouring-in project - The Great British Colouring Book. This was created by the UK Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation to give to unaccompanied children arriving in the UK who are escaping war zones, oppressive regimes, persecution and poverty.

The book was created in response to an incident where the then government immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, ordered cartoon murals appearing on the walls of a immigration reception centre to be painted white because they might appear “too welcoming” to young children. 

Over 100 British cartoonists submitted artwork for inclusion - which ultimately ran to two volumes. I’m also in the book, with this image here celebrating my home city of Birmingham’s recently adopted animated sculpture of Ozzy the Bull.

You can read the whole story of the colouring in book at this link: https://procartoonists.org/the-great-british-colouring-book/.

We will see you out and bout with the colouring in pencils soon!