12 Mythical Creatures To Paint On Your Next T-Shirt or Tote Bag
We get it. Sometimes painting can be boring. Fruits, nature, landscapes- you've painted all of that. You want to try out something new, something like…mythical creatures. We got you. Here are 12 mythical creatures to inspire your next painting session!
1) Pegasus
No, Pegasus is not a unicorn. Rather, it is a mythical winged divine stallion that is prominent in Greek mythology. Usually depicted as pure white, they are the symbols of wisdom and are meant to provide inspiration and power to artists. If you are out of ideas, why not try painting Pegasus? You might just find yourself inspired painting after painting!
2) Dragon
The Dragon is a global cultural icon that is found in folktales and legends across continents. Depending on where you come from, the Dragon is either a symbol of might and prestige, or just a pure malevolent beast to humans.
3) Mermaid
Living a life under the sea! A mermaid is a humanoid creature with the upper body of a female, and a tail instead of legs. Known for their exceptional beauty, they are usually benevolent or beneficent, and often appear in times of perilous sea events such as shipwrecks.
4) Werewolf
This one is for all the Taylor Lautner fans- the werewolf (man-wolf), is a human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf, usually during a full moon. Depicted as strong, masculine and mysterious, the werewolf is a mythical creature that is popular with the girls. #teamjacob
5) Nian
A creature associated with the Traditional Lunar New Year, Nian is a beast that lives in the mountains, and regularly comes out of its hiding place during the new year to feed. As food is sparse during the winter, he would go to villages and feed on villagers, especially children. Thus in order to scare the Nian off, the colour red is used together with the noise from drums and fireworks. Bet you don't know that Nian is scared of red!
6) Pixie Fairy
A pixie is a mythical creature that is considered to be particualrly plentiful in the Bristish Isles. Usually childlike, they are known to be benign and mischievous, often trying to make fun of trallevers by leading them astray in the woods. Pixies can be a choice for you to paint, if you have a child-like personality like them!
7) Elves
The elves hail from medival Germanic cultures, where they are human shaped beings with magical powers. Thought to be ambivalent towards people, they have been part of our history through the ages. Remember, Santa's little helpers? That's right, they are Christmas elves! Why not paint some of them and you might just end up in Santa's good list for the years to come.
8) Phoenix
The symbol of rebirth, the phoenix is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates itself by first dying in a show of flames and rising again from the ashes. It is believed that a phoenix looks like a peacock, but even more colourful and vibrant, with a blazing halo above the head. If you are tired of your same old routine and you hope for a new beginning, why not paint this legendary bird?
9) Griffin
Remember Buckbeak from Harry Potter? Unfortunately, that is not a Griffin. That is a Hippogriff, the child of a Griffin. The Griffin is a mythical creature with the body and tails of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The Griffon is considered an especially powerful and majestic creature as it is the combination of the king of beasts and the king of birds. As such, the Griffon is usually found in many coat of arms.
10) Kraken
The legendary monster of the sea, the Kraken is a giant-sized sea monster that is known to terrorize sailors off the coasts of Norway and Greenland. Scandinavian folklore states that the Kraken is the largest monster in the sea, with the ability to swallow men, ships and even whales within its reach.
11) Unicorn
You've seen this coming right? The legendary white horse with a single large, pointy spiralling horn that protrudes from the forehead, usually accompanied with rainbows. And if you are lucky, a double rainbow. Fun fact: the unicorn is an extremely wild woodland creature, that can only be captured by a virgin due to its symbol of purity and grace.
12) Merlion
Okay, we are cheating here. Technically, the Merlion isn't a mythical creature. It was created by Alec Fraser-Brunner, who designed the Merlion to be the logo of Singapore's Tourism Board. 'Mer' refers to the sea, which is represented by the fish tail and a representation of Singapore's origin as a fishing village. The lion head is a reflection of SIngapore's legacy as a lion city. But hey, wouldn't you want to draw a Merlion?
