Building worlds, one pencil stroke at a time
Some artists discover coloring books first and become illustrators later.
For the creator behind The Whimsy Tales, the journey happened in reverse.
Long before publishing his first coloring book, Louis had already built a career around visual storytelling.
Thousands of illustrations filled his hard drives, each waiting for the right opportunity to be seen.
Coloring books simply became the perfect home for those forgotten drawings.
How did your journey into creating coloring books begin?
“It started as a way to breathe new life into thousands of digital drawings sitting dormant on my hard drives. It felt like the right way to let them finally be seen.”
Although coloring books became his chosen format, creativity itself was never in question.
Did you always see yourself as an artist, or did your creative path start somewhere unexpected?
“Yes — visual creativity has always been the one thing I can say, without hesitation, that I’m genuinely pretty decent at.”
Before entering the coloring book world, he graduated as a graphic designer, ran his own creative studio specializing in character design and game assets, and today works as Lead Digital Artist at Pixton Comics.
Building Worlds Instead of Pages
Anyone who has colored one of The Whimsy Tales books quickly notices that the pages don’t feel like isolated illustrations.
Every scene hints at a much larger story unfolding just beyond the borders of the paper.
That’s no coincidence.
What made you choose coloring books over other creative outlets?
“Honestly? Because I don’t have to color them. I’ve always loved drawing far more than coloring, so creating books that let other people do that part felt like the perfect arrangement.”
Rather than designing decorative pages, his focus has always been on storytelling.
What makes your coloring books unique?
“Probably the composition and perspective. I tend to draw scenes that have a story embedded in them — there’s always something happening. My approach is very visdev in nature, like I’m building a world rather than just filling a page.”
When asked to describe his artistic style in a single word, the answer comes quickly.
“Whimsical.”
The Creative Process
Every artist develops their own rhythm.
Some meticulously plan every detail, while others trust ideas to emerge naturally over time.
His process falls firmly into the second category.
What does your typical process look like when creating a page or book?
“A lot of mindless sketching and flipping through my art books. I let ideas surface rather than chase them.”
Characters and creatures continue to be his favourite subjects, and sketching remains the stage he enjoys the most.
Which part of the creation process do you enjoy the most?
“Sketching, without a doubt. I love the expressive, unfiltered nature of it — nothing is committed yet, and everything is possible.”
Ironically, the least enjoyable part comes later.
Which part do you enjoy the least?
“Coloring and finalizing — which is a little ironic given what I make. Ha.”
Beyond the Drawing Board
For some creators, art is a hobby.
For him, creativity extends into almost every part of life.
What role does creativity play in your life outside of coloring books?
“It’s everything. There isn’t really an ‘outside of creativity’ for me.”
Creating coloring books has also taught him something unexpected about himself.
Has creating coloring books taught you anything about yourself?
“That I am deeply, almost pathologically impatient when it comes to picking marker colors. I despise the process of choosing. That frustration is actually what sparked the idea for Hueforia.”
The Reality Behind Publishing
Publishing coloring books may look effortless from the outside, but every creator eventually learns that drawing is only one part of the job.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about creating coloring books?
“That the creating part is surprisingly easy. It’s the marketing that will humble you.”
Burnout, changing algorithms and social media have all been part of his journey.
Have you ever experienced creative burnout? How did you overcome it?
“Too many times to count. As a professional artist, burnout is just part of the landscape. The only thing that’s ever worked for me is stepping back and doing something else I enjoy — completely guilt-free.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the challenges, it’s obvious that his enthusiasm for creating hasn’t faded.
He’s currently working on Hueforia, a coloring companion app, while continuing to expand the whimsical worlds readers have come to love.
Before we wrapped up our conversation, we asked him what advice he’d offer someone dreaming of publishing their first coloring book.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start creating their own coloring books?
“Think seriously about distribution, marketing, and community building from day one. The creating part is the easy part — most people underestimate everything that comes after.”
Finally, we asked what he hopes people feel when they finish coloring one of his pages.
What do you hope people feel when they color your pages?
“Joy and nostalgia — the good kind. The kind that takes you somewhere ‘safe’.”
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the worlds he creates feel so warm and inviting.
Inspired by the cozy, looping town themes of classic JRPGs, his books are designed to offer readers the same sense of comfort and quiet adventure — a place that feels just a little magical, and above all, safe.
And when he’s not sketching whimsical creatures or dreaming up his next fantasy world, you’ll likely find him in another creative role altogether.
As the self-proclaimed head chef of the family, he enjoys bringing people together around the dinner table just as much as he enjoys bringing them together through art.
Whether it’s a home-cooked meal or a hand-drawn page, creating something others can enjoy is what continues to inspire everything he does.