Mythical Beings and Magic - Not just for children!
Written by Annabelle Milligan and Bonnie Paul
We wanted to write this article to get several key points across, the first one being – magic is not just for babies, or children for that matter, and mythical beings should not be dismissed by older viewers.
Secondly, unicorns, dragons, mermaids and centaurs are often gender-stereotyped and disregarded by people depending on their preference.
We believe that magic and mythical beings are ignored because many people do not know the power and creativity behind them. If they were to explore further, we believe that people would change their minds.
For example, the Harry Potter franchise has drawn in many fans thanks to J.K.Rowling and the huge film crew who have put together a magical world full to the brim with magical beings. Thestrals, hippogriffs, phoenixes and dementors are just a few of the many creatures you can find in the world of Harry Potter but only a few people will understand the hard work that went behind turning these creatures from words to drawings. Concept artists have the job of reading the book and then drawing out what they see. Adam Brockbank and Andrew Williamson were two concept artists who worked for over 9 months drawing out mythical beings. Imagine being a concept artist and being able to bring the creatures in someone else's imagination to life - that's a skill and something you can try yourself, whatever your age.
You don’t even have to associate mythical beings with creatures that have already been created, you can make your own. Your creature can be graceful and beautiful or bloodthirsty and ferocious or even a combination of both aesthetics. If you enjoy drawing or writing, this is also a good calming activity as you are not restricted in anyway and you can even channel your emotions into your magical being. Gender-stereotypes are seen all the time in fairy stories and the classic, “unicorns for girls” and “dragons for boys” has been running for years - why don't you take the opportunity to create your own non-gender specific being from your own imagination, in words or in pictures. Trust us, it's a really relaxing pastime.
Written by Annabelle Milligan and Bonnie Paul
We wanted to write this article to get several key points across, the first one being – magic is not just for babies, or children for that matter, and mythical beings should not be dismissed by older viewers.
Secondly, unicorns, dragons, mermaids and centaurs are often gender-stereotyped and disregarded by people depending on their preference.
We believe that magic and mythical beings are ignored because many people do not know the power and creativity behind them. If they were to explore further, we believe that people would change their minds.
For example, the Harry Potter franchise has drawn in many fans thanks to J.K.Rowling and the huge film crew who have put together a magical world full to the brim with magical beings. Thestrals, hippogriffs, phoenixes and dementors are just a few of the many creatures you can find in the world of Harry Potter but only a few people will understand the hard work that went behind turning these creatures from words to drawings. Concept artists have the job of reading the book and then drawing out what they see. Adam Brockbank and Andrew Williamson were two concept artists who worked for over 9 months drawing out mythical beings. Imagine being a concept artist and being able to bring the creatures in someone else's imagination to life - that's a skill and something you can try yourself, whatever your age.
You don’t even have to associate mythical beings with creatures that have already been created, you can make your own. Your creature can be graceful and beautiful or bloodthirsty and ferocious or even a combination of both aesthetics. If you enjoy drawing or writing, this is also a good calming activity as you are not restricted in anyway and you can even channel your emotions into your magical being. Gender-stereotypes are seen all the time in fairy stories and the classic, “unicorns for girls” and “dragons for boys” has been running for years - why don't you take the opportunity to create your own non-gender specific being from your own imagination, in words or in pictures. Trust us, it's a really relaxing pastime.
