Kindred Creatures: A Storytelling Illustration Collection About Humans and Animals

The Kindred Creatures illustration collection is built around storytelling, imagination, and the lively connections between humans and animals. This playful illustration series brings together people and wildlife in unexpected situations that feel energetic, curious, and full of momentum.

Humans stand underwater, glide through the air, and share moments with animals in ways that ignore everyday rules. These scenes are not about realism. They are about freedom, movement, and the stories that appear when imagination takes over.

This is art inspired by nature, but told through bold ideas and playful narrative rather than observation alone.

The Inspiration Behind the Kindred Creatures Collection

Kindred Creatures started with the idea that humans and animals share more than we often notice. A look held for a second too long. A pause that feels meaningful. A moment that sparks a story.

This collection turns those moments into illustrations that feel active and alive. Humans and animals exist on equal footing, sharing space, curiosity, and presence. Each piece is designed to feel like part of a bigger story rather than a single frozen scene.

Storytelling at the Centre of Every Illustration

Storytelling is the engine behind this illustration series. Every artwork suggests a narrative without spelling it out. Storytelling is central to contemporary creative work, and platforms like It’s Nice That highlight how artists use narrative in illustration and design to reveal personal and shared stories in bold, expressive ways.

 What happened just before the moment you see? What comes next?

The characters are open and expressive, giving viewers space to project their own ideas and interpretations. This makes the work engaging, personal, and easy to return to. The illustrations do not whisper. They invite you in and keep your attention.

 

Ignoring Gravity, Logic, and Expectations

Many scenes in the Kindred Creatures collection take place in spaces that reject everyday logic. People walk underwater with ease. Figures appear above treetops. Animals remain calm, alert, and completely at home in these situations.

These moments celebrate imagination, confidence, and play. They are about movement and possibility rather than stillness. The goal is to create artwork that feels energetic, uplifting, and slightly unexpected.

Colour Choices That Support the Story

The colour palette grounds the collection without dulling its energy. Warm autumn tones like ochres, browns, muted greens and blues, and soft terracotta give the illustrations a strong base while allowing the storytelling to lead.

The colours feel familiar and bold rather than decorative. They support the scenes without overpowering them, helping each story stand out clearly.

Why the Name Kindred Creatures?

Kindred Creatures reflects the idea that humans are deeply connected to the natural world. These illustrations focus on shared curiosity, emotion, and presence between people and animals.

This playful animal illustration collection is about recognising those shared traits and turning them into visual stories. It is confident, imaginative, and rooted in connection rather than separation.

 

The Kindred Creatures collection is bold, story-led, and designed to spark curiosity. It invites viewers to engage, imagine, and build their own narratives around the artwork.