With the ongoing uncertainty of the covid-19 pandemic, Ian Hsieh, President of the UAL Taiwan Alumni Association, has been thinking a lot about how art can be a support to everyone. So he’s set up Colouring Bar, a not-for-profit art initiative to help children and grown-ups practice drawing and colouring.
The ongoing programme invites artists, including a number of UAL alumni, to provide original artwork, along with its line-drawn version. These are then made available on the Colouring Bar website, for everyone to download and practise the skill of colour drawing.
As well as being a mindful activity during the lockdown, Ian points out that “colouring offers a way for users to have an intimate time to explore and experience art, through the eyes of our invited artists. This process inspires and motivates our potential of creating art, as well as exploring the realm of collective art drawing.”
It’s completely free and so simple to use. Visit the Colouring Bar Facebook Group to browse through the available artworks. Use the links provided to download your artwork choice, print it out and start colouring. Once you’re done, you can share your interpretation of the artwork with the group.
Get involved
You can get share your work too. All you need to do is:
- Provide one illustration in two styles: full colour and as a black and white outline.
Format: JPG/PNG (hi-res)
Minimum size: 3,500 x 2,400 px - Your bio and a brief description of the work (200-300 words)
- A creative hashtag to describe the environment when the audience is drawing your work, e.g. #playasong
- Sign an authorisation letter to confirm the entry and the free use of the copyright of the image. You can download the letter here.
Send your work and any questions to: colouringbar@gmail.com
Helpful links:
- Discover our International Alumni Associations and Groups
- Find out more about volunteering opportunities at UAL and register your interest.
- Get in touch with the UAL Alumni Team: alumni@arts.ac.uk