Make Art: Kawaii: 20+ Fun Drawing Activities and Projects

by Ellen Philpott, Ilaria Ranauro (Illustrator)

Overview

Make Art: Kawaii contains everything an aspiring kawaii artist needs to craft unique, adorable creations. From discovering the origins of kawaii style to practising character drawing skills, this comprehensive guide to kawaii is a must have for any lover of all things cute and creative!

This box kit is packed with sheets of art supplies, giving you everything you need for all the adorable projects in the book, including:

• 3 sheets of card stencils
• 9 sheets of press-out paper pieces
• 3 sheets of coloured tissue paper
• 4 sticker sheets
• 14 sheets of patterned printed paper
• 7 press-out model sheets

The kit also features a 48-page guide to all things kawaii along with step-by-step instructions for each creative project.  Explore every aspect of kawaii with topics including:

• What is kawaii art and where does it come from?
• Kawaii in popular culture – where is it most popular and why?
• How is kawaii different from other ‘cute’ art such as chibi?
• What makes a character kawaii?
• What colour palettes are used in kawaii art?

Discover the general principles of creating kawaii art with over 20 step-by-step projects helping you to create your own kawaii characters, decorations, models, stationery, and much more!

With everything you need to know about the world of kawaii and a treasure trove of art materials to experiment with, Make Art: Kawaii is sure to inspire mindful creativity in young artists aged 7 and up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781836005322
Publisher:	Design Eye
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	6.49(w) x 9.05(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ellen Philpott is a children's author and editor. She began her career as an editorial assistant for Parragon Books before moving to Penguin's Ladybird imprint as an editor. Since 2012, she has been freelance and her clients include Mattel, Ladybird Books and Quarto Publishing Group.

Kawaii illustrator Ilaria Ranauro (aka Ilariapops) sells stickers, washi tape, prints, and other products adorned with her fun images on her popular Etsy shop. She teaches a class on how to create kawaii characters on Domestika and has illustrated children’s books for Penguin Random House Mexico. A native of Italy, Ilaria is based in Berlin. To see more of her work, visit ilariaranauro.com and @ilariapops on Instagram, Etsy, and YouTube.

Table of Contents

• What is Kawaii art? Where does it come from?
• Kawaii in Popular Culture: what areas has it spread to – lifestyle, clothing etc. Where is it most popular and why?
• Kawaii Artists
• How is it different from other ‘cute’ art such as chibi?
• All in proportion!
• Get a Head! – A spread about classic shapes for Kawaii heads
• Express Yourself! – this spread includes general principles for drawing different expressions on your Kawaii characters
• Step by Step: People
• Walk on the Wild Side: Wild Animals
• Cute and Cuddly: Pets
• From Creepy to Cute: Bugs and Butterflies
• Fabulous and Funny Food
• Out and About: The Natural World
• The Everyday comes Alive
• Spooky and Sweet
• Making Characters and adding personality
• Backgrounds and backdrops
• Decorate! Learn about classic decorations and embellishments for your Kawaii drawings
• Colour Palettes: Need to look into this more
• Kawaii Creations: Make it Move!
• Kawaii Creations: Pop!
• Kawaii Creation: Peek-a-boo