Art prints can be a fun and engaging way to decorate a child’s bedroom or playroom. The right prints can inspire creativity, imagination and a love of art. When designing art prints for children, whimsical and playful themes tend to work best. Prints featuring animals, vehicles, landscapes and familiar characters allow kids to relate to the art and make up stories about what they see.
Choose Themes That Appeal to Kids
Think about popular stories, movies, TV shows, animals, or activities your child enjoys. For example, prints featuring construction vehicles, unicorns, dinosaurs and ocean creatures often appeal to kids. Themes from popular books and films, like Harry Potter, Frozen or Paw Patrol, also make engaging print designs. When selecting themes, choose broad categories encompassing many ideas versus specific characters. A print with a dinosaur theme includes endless dinosaurs to discuss rather than just one character.
Use Bright, Vibrant Colours
Art prints for kids should utilise bright, vibrant shades that capture their attention. Children are naturally drawn to bold primary colours like red, blue, yellow and green. These hues incite excitement and energy when used in art prints. Softer pastels and neutral shades have their place in kids’ design but use them sparingly as accents. Allow the dominant colours to be strong primaries or rainbow brights. Not only will bold colours grab kids’ focus, but they also promote brain stimulation.
Check Out Optical Illusions
Get creative with visual trickery and optical illusions. Prints featuring optical illusions fascinate kids and adults alike. Images with distortions, disappearing elements, perspective tricks and other mind-bending motifs allow viewers to immerse themselves and make discoveries. Try finding prints showcasing clever uses of size, overlapping, colourplacement, shading and depth perception to achieve optical effects. Or make your own illusion art using the easy templates on Adobe Express.
Incorporate Whimsical Elements
Whimsy and playfulness are key when designing art prints for children. Include elements like floating balloons, quirky animals in hats and polka dot patterns to add a sense of childlike wonder. Cute creatures with exaggerated features, imaginative vehicles or landscapes and “out of place” details bring a print to life with personality. For example, a print may feature elephants picnicking on clouds or mice riding in hot air balloons. These whimsical touches allow a child to see the art from a magical viewpoint.
Try New Art Mediums and Methods
Kids love experimenting with art techniques. Exposing them to different mediums and art methods through prints helps expand their horizons. Consider prints made using mediums like watercolour, collage, acrylic and mixed media. Showcase art that incorporates methods like stamping, stencilling, dot painting and fabric collaging. The process used to create the art can be just as inspiring for kids as the end product. Displays of the materials and methods alongside the prints encourage children to try the techniques themselves.
Consider Interactive and Educational Elements
Look for prints that allow kids to interact and learn. Opt for conversation starter prints with “find the object” themes, alphabet or counting motifs, and seek and find elements or scenes with rich details to discover. These interactive prints let kids engage with the art on a deeper level. Educational art prints teach shapes, colours, letters and more through graphic illustrations. Displaying alphabet prints in a child’s room helps reinforce letter memorisation in a decorative way. Even simple pieces, like maps with icons to identify or a colourwheel print, can have an instructional function.
Frame Prints for Added Dimension
Framing prints gives them a polished, elevated look. But frames don’t have to break the bank. Discount stores offer affordable, ready-made frame options. Repurpose old frames for a recycled DIY vibe. Opt for solid wood frames over cheap composite versions, which can warp and peel over time. If you go the custom framing route, ask about child-friendly plexiglass to prevent shattering and harm. White or natural wood frames keep prints looking light and airy for kids. Have fun mixing up frame shapes, too. Square frames contain standard prints nicely, while unusual silhouettes like circles or curved frames add quirk.
Refresh Prints Over Time
As children grow and evolve, their print preferences often change. Look for prints and frames that allow for switching things up easily down the road. Opt for prints with universal themes that appeal beyond young childhood into the tween/teen years. Neutral-framed prints fit better in the longer term versus flashy cartoon prints. When your child matures past certain prints, put them in storage. Revisit them later for sentimental value or repurpose their frames. Having a plan to edit and refresh wall prints ensures they inspire your child through every phase.
With so many fun prints to choose from, let your child’s interests guide the selection. Bold colours, playful themes and whimsical details make prints kids want to view and engage with daily. Proper display and framing enhance prints further. Revisit your child’s print collection periodically to make sure it reflects their growth. With mindful curation, you can design an inspiring print gallery your kids will take joy in for years to come.
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