The illustrator creating colouring books from local flora and fauna
On a clear morning in Melbourne, a warbler might cross the path outside illustrator Edie Vale’s Brunswick home while a flowering gum sheds petals across the footpath. For Vale, this streetscape is both subject and starting point. She observes native plants, insects, reptiles and birds, then turns those encounters into colouring books. Her creatures occupy recognisably Australian settings: paperbarks beside a laneway, frogs in a Brisbane creek and orchids around Perth.
The illustrator who creates coloring books based on local flora and fauna may seem to work from a fixed formula. Vale’s process is less predictable: she follows a season, listens for changes in bird calls and revisits reserves when a species reaches a new stage. Each page begins in the field rather than with a trend, giving the books the feeling of shared habitat guides without making them rigid natural-history manuals.
Reading a place before drawing it
Most mornings begin with a short walk from home. Vale carries a pocket notebook, pencils and a small camera, but usually draws before taking a photograph. Leaves are checked from both sides, animal tracks are counted and background features are noted for scale. Her notes preserve posture, habitat and season rather than only a generic resemblance.
A possum curled around a branch differs from one stretched along it, and a banksia at bud, flower and seed stages can fill several pages. Vale removes nothing from habitats, keeps vulnerable animals’ locations private and leaves uncertain details open. The result respects both the organism and the limits of what she observed.
Turning field notes into colouring pages
Back in her shared Brunswick studio, Vale enlarges selected sketches and simplifies them into clear outlines. She tests every shape with water-based pens, checking that fine details survive being filled by children and adults. A gumnut carries one clean contour; possum fur becomes directional strokes rather than hundreds of tiny lines. Each design leaves room for individual colour choices.
She builds each publication around a place and a purpose. Under the Gums follows common eucalypts and dependent insects, while Brunswick Backyard maps birds and plants visible on one urban block. A Brisbane edition includes creek frogs and river plants, and a Perth wildflower book centres species found after winter rain. Teachers, families and fellow illustrators test sample pages for crowded compositions, unhelpful labels and wording that feels too formal for young readers.
Finding an audience in the local market
Self-publishing lets Vale retain the regional focus that larger projects often dilute. Her first print run is small, supported by pre-orders and sales at local markets, then expanded when demand is clear. Independent Australian bookshops value the connection between author, place and community, while libraries and community centres buy copies for holiday programmes. Packaging and postage are priced in Australian dollars, with simple shipping options for interstate buyers.
The work also follows familiar Australian consumer expectations. Books must be accurately described, delivered as promised and supported by a fair returns process under the Australian Consumer Law. Claims about recycled paper or responsible printing need evidence; otherwise they risk misleading customers. Vale keeps invoices, edition numbers and royalty statements because a creative microbusiness still needs an orderly financial trail.
Studio costs add another layer. Before signing a shared workspace agreement in Collingwood, she checks access hours, storage, insurance and repair obligations. A practical rental lease guide can help separate a formal lease from a looser informal arrangement, while unclear clauses deserve professional advice. This preparation protects both the business and the calm needed for detailed drawing.
Choosing a publishing format
The publishing format changes how a book reaches its audience and how much money remains tied up in stock. Vale balances three approaches rather than betting the whole series on one.
| Format | Best suited to | Main commitment | Biggest pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print colouring book | Bookstores, gifts and workshops | Print run and storage | Cash tied up in unsold stock |
| Downloadable activity pack | Teachers, families and travel | Design and platform setup | Files may be shared without a licence |
| Workshop kit | Libraries, meetups and events | Materials and facilitator time | Attendance depends on venue and dates |
A print book remains the strongest gift and bookstore format. Digital downloads support classroom use and travel, but files need watermarking or clear licences that make casual sharing inconvenient. Workshop kits create income through library events and creative meetups, although they require more preparation and reliable facilitators.
Her current model combines a modest print run with a downloadable extension and occasional workshops. Each format reinforces the same observational practice rather than splitting the brand into unrelated products. The choice is commercial, but the regional identity stays intact across every version.
Building a daily creative ritual
Colouring work can look playful, but the schedule behind it is disciplined. Vale draws from nine until midday, then edits pages or answers customers. A Mass Musings feature on painting through scent offers a useful parallel: limiting the senses can sharpen attention to qualities that are easy to overlook. For Vale, that quality is shape, texture and movement.
Her routine accommodates ordinary Australian life rather than fighting it. School holidays are busy, office days limit studio hours and summer heat makes outdoor sketching uncomfortable. She protects early mornings for observation, saves administration for rainy afternoons and takes the train when a field trip reaches beyond the local reserve. On a low-energy day, she reduces the task to one species and one page, restoring momentum without chasing perfection.
Respect for living places and cultural knowledge
Accuracy begins with responsible access. Vale checks identifications with field guides, naturalists and local wildlife groups, and avoids publishing exact locations of nests, roosts or rare plants. Collection and commercial photography can also be governed by state biodiversity laws and reserve rules; in Victoria, the Biodiversity Act 2013 and park regulations are relevant. When a site needs special access, she works from approved material instead.
Copyright protects the finished drawings, while contracts determine who owns commissioned artwork and how it may be reused. The Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) provides the national framework, but ownership terms should be written down before a commission begins. Where a project touches Aboriginal cultural knowledge, community-held stories or significant plant uses, Western copyright alone is insufficient. Vale seeks permission and follows the relevant cultural protocols rather than treating restricted knowledge as decoration.
Clear acknowledgements keep a regional book honest. Species names, observers, photographers and knowledge holders receive approved credits. If a design borrows culturally significant motifs, advice from the relevant Traditional Custodians guides collaboration and attribution. The slower process preserves trust and creates a better record for future editions.
Turning books into shared encounters
The colouring pages become most alive when people bring them into a room. Vale runs drawing sessions at Melbourne libraries, walks with participants through the Royal Botanic Gardens and tests images at community-centre workshops. A book launch combines a book sale, nature talk and collaborative drawing, without specialist vocabulary. Visitors compare colours, identify details and notice species they had walked past.
Collaborative projects extend the work. A wildlife-rescue organisation can suggest which animal appears most often in enquiries; a teacher can build activities around urban biodiversity; another illustrator can offer a different view of the same habitat. Each partner receives credit, and every collaboration starts with a defined purpose. Vale is now developing a field guide for outer-suburban gardens, where native corridors meet new housing estates. Pairing colouring pages with notes on water, shelter and planting turns close observation into practical knowledge, making an overlooked magpie, leaf or track the beginning of sustained creative practice.