A Behind the Scenes Look at Piccalio's Art Coloring Pages
When we decided to create Coloring Pages, we knew that we wanted to work with an artist to create original illustrations. Eliza Williams, also known as Doolittle Illustrations, was the perfect match. An Australian-based artist and illustrator, Williams is known for her playful depictions of people and animals and for creating imaginative and engaging worlds.
The Artist Behind Piccalio's Coloring Pages
Eliza Williams worked with our Art Director, Cait Goodman, to create five beautiful art coloring pages. The Large Coloring Pages feature different themes, including: birthday party, dinosaurs, flowers, horses, and a safari. Each page is a unique and original piece of artwork that inspires children (or adults) to explore their creative side while scribbling, coloring, and adding their own details.
Q&A with Eliza Williams, Illustrator and Artist
We recently interviewed Eliza Williams to learn about her artistic process while creating our beautiful Coloring Pages. See the interview, lightly edited for readability, below:
Piccalio: What inspires you while drawing? Tell us a little bit about what happens behind the scenes.
Williams: I have various rituals for when I sit down to create something, and I tend to mix them up to keep things fresh! I do, however, always start with music. It is a core step in my creative process. I find listening to certain songs helps me create different feelings and moods in my illustrative work.
While working on the Piccalio illustrations, I listened to the album The Point by Harry Nilsson, which I think helped bring in some extra whimsy to the illustrations!
Piccalio: How does your artistic process change when you create illustrations for children versus adults?
Williams: When I am drawing for children, I try to imagine my younger self and draw much looser. I try to be less of a perfectionist (which I find hard !) But I don't think my younger self would care if a line wasn’t perfect, so I try to lean into that.
Details become more simplified, and I try to think less about what actually makes sense. When I am drawing for a more adult audience, I draw from my daily experiences and allow myself to really work on the finer details of things. However, I do feel like sometimes my more childlike style comes through in my work that isn't specifically for children.
We all have an inner child that loves silly, cute visuals!
Piccalio: Each of the illustrations has a bit of whimsy, like a shooting star or a child riding a bird. How do you come up with these ideas?
Williams: I love adding unexpected details to an illustration. Whether it's an elephant with a baseball hat or a rabbit with shoes on. Adding these less realistic elements to my work comes quite naturally to me.
I often find faces in inanimate everyday objects and create silly stories in my head when I daydream. I think finding playful elements in my everyday life helps inspire me to bring them into my work. And who doesn't love an animal with a party hat on!
Piccalio: Tell us about your artistic process for creating the coloring pages.
Williams: For the Piccalio coloring pages, I started with a brainstorm, as I usually do for all my work. Then, I started to sketch out certain elements to piece worlds and scenery together. I find it much easier to create a detailed world by starting with one element and adding to it bit by bit.
For example, for the dinosaur page, I started with the mountains and the giant explorer; starting with the focal point made it easier to build around it, really playing with the scale and creating a story around what the explorer might be looking at.
I loved how collaborative this coloring page project was with the Piccalio Art Director and team! Projects where I really get to play, I find, are the most inspiring to work on.
Piccalio: Can you tell us a little about your childhood and journey to becoming an artist? Did you enjoy drawing/art as a child?
Williams: I have always loved creating art ever since I could hold a paintbrush. I spent all of my time creating as a kid. My parents often found me crafting up crazy creations from old cardboard boxes or drawing characters and creating stories for them.
I had an easel, paint, and pencils in my bedroom growing up. There was always something for me to create with, a blank canvas or crazy idea to iterate on. I grew up being encouraged to explore my creativity, which I think not only helped me to discover my artistic style, but also the ability to allow myself to play and not stick to one medium.
Discover Piccalio's Large Coloring Pages
Color Eliza Williams' beautiful illustrations with your little artist when you purchase our Large Coloring Pages. Each set includes 2 copies of each of the 5 pretty coloring page designs. Measuring 18.50 by 15.75 inches, these giant coloring sheets are big enough for a family art project or playdate.
We recommend using our vibrant Beeswax Crayons to color. Finished coloring pages can turn into gorgeous wall hangings or take center stage on your refrigerator. We hope your little artist has a wonderful time turning each page into a world of their own!
About Eliza Williams
Eliza Williams (a.k.a Doolittle Illustrations) is a multi-disciplinary creative based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, whose practice takes on many forms with a focus on illustration and animation. Known for her vibrant and illustrative storytelling Eliza’s work creates playful worlds through her work that transport you into her colorful universe.
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