Anybody Can Draw.
Colour Happy helps children turn imagination into creative work they can make, share and be proud of.
Drawing, comics and storytelling classes, including a Young Author Program that ends with a real, published book.
Real books, written and drawn by children.
A few of the young authors' books from the Colour Happy catalogue.
Swipe along the shelf to see more.
Creativity isn't reserved for the naturally talented.
Many children decide early that they "can't draw". We help them find out otherwise, and we protect the idea that is theirs while they do.
Every time a child new to drawing reaches for the eraser, a thought goes in: that was wrong, and it has to be redone. In our Anybody Can Draw classes we start by putting the erasers away, so children learn to trust their lines, keep going and finish.
The idea comes first
Children choose what they draw and write. We teach them how to show what they imagine, never swap it for an adult's version.
Progress over perfection
Wobbly lines, drafts and revisions are proof of learning. We celebrate them instead of correcting them away.
The work stays theirs
We guide composition, clarity and craft. The concept, the choices and the creative voice stay recognisably the child's.
From imagination to published book.
Create. Illustrate. Publish. Launch. Your child develops a story of their own, draws it, and finishes with a printed book and a launch day to celebrate it.
- Weekly online classes
Engaging, fun and interactive sessions.
- A published book
Printed paperback copies, plus a digital listing on Amazon and other online platforms.
- An ISBN
Official registration, so the book is recognised as published and can be catalogued, distributed and referenced worldwide.
- Author profile and certificate
Featured on our platform, with an Author Certificate of Completion.
- 100% of the royalties
Authors keep the sales of their books.
- A launch celebration
In-person book launch, author showcase, author talk and book signing.
- A place in Canada's library catalogue
The book is submitted to the national library catalogue and becomes part of national collections.
How an idea becomes a book.
Eight stages, from the first spark to launch day. Tap a stage to see what children do in it.
- Idea
- Doodle
- Character
- Panels
- Dialogue & SFX
- Colour
- Finished book
- Book launch
Discover your story
- Generate story ideas
- Develop plot and settings
- Character interviews
- Story maps and outlines
- Beginning, middle and end
Learn to draw and visualize
- Shapes, forms and proportions
- Expressions and emotions
- Poses and movement
- Perspective and backgrounds
- Building confidence
Create characters
- Main and supporting characters
- Character looks and personalities
- Expressions and body language
- Creatures and fantasy worlds
- A complete character sheet
Comic and story layout
- Panels and page layouts
- Storyboard pacing and flow
- Camera angles
- Scene transitions
- Planning your comic
Dialogue and sound effects
- Speech and thought bubbles
- Narration boxes
- Sound effects (SFX)
- When to use words
- When pictures tell the story
Pencil, ink and colour
- Final pencil drawings
- Inking the artwork
- Colouring techniques
- Cover design
- Typography basics
Editing and publishing
- Editing and review
- Page formatting
- Book compilation
- ISBN registration
- Publishing your book
Book launch
- Published book in hand
- Author certificate
- Book launch event
- Author signing
- Recognition and celebration
Their work deserves more than a folder.
Their books and comics get printed, launched, read and celebrated. Our young authors give talks, sign books and meet readers.
Sell
On Amazon, at school fairs and community events, keeping 100% of royalties.
Speak
Author talks at schools, sharing their creative journey.
Meet readers
At literary festivals such as Word on the Street.
Give back
Return as authors, mentors and volunteers for the next young creators.
From a class of six in 2019 to more than 3,000 children.
- 3,000+children have benefited from our art program
- 50+young illustrators
- 30+comic books made by these young illustrators
- 2019Drawing classes begin with six children.
- May 2020Anybody Can Draw goes online, with free sessions for over 2,000 children worldwide during the pandemic.
- April 2022Our first book launch, with one book: A Joke Book.
- June 2022First time at Word on the Street, Toronto Book and Magazine Festival.
- Sept 2024Colour Happy Picnic, book launch and art ramp walk, plus Word on the Street with multiple young authors.
- April 2026Book launch with 10 young authors in Scarborough.
- Aug 2026First book launch in India, with 9 young authors.
See what one bootcamp can make.
15 young creators each made their own comic, and you can read every one. Flip through the zine and see for yourself.
- 15young creators
- 8 to 14years old
- 3 to 5pages each
How each comic was made
- A simple idea
- A story
- Characters
- Storyboarding
- A hand-drawn comic
Start where your child is.
Not sure which fits? Tell us your child's age and interests and we'll point you to the right first step.
Anybody Can Draw
A gentle start for children who say they can't draw. No erasers, no single right way, just doodling, drawing and colour built through practice.
Ask about this programYoung Author Program
For children with stories to tell. Develop it, draw it, publish it and launch it, from first idea to finished book.
Ask about this programCamps and family workshops
Camps, paint parties and Mom and Me creative workshops through the year.
Ask what's coming up
Meet Swathika Anandan.
Swathika is the founder of Colour Happy. With degrees in Architecture, Design with Digital Media and Urban Planning from India, the US and Canada, she brings creative expertise into teaching art.
She believes Anybody Can Draw, and she's passionate about taking art beyond paper. She keeps finding new ways to nurture each child's creativity and to give them the exposure they need.
Your child's ideas will be taken seriously.
- Encouragement without empty praise.
- Teaching without over-correcting.
- Ambition without pressure to be perfect.
- Celebration without constant competition.
Register your interest.
Tell us about your child and we'll reply with the next start dates and how to join.
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Questions parents ask.
Does my child need drawing experience?
No. We believe drawing is learnable and creativity isn't reserved for a gifted few. Children start with shapes, forms and proportions and build confidence from there.
Why no erasers?
Erasing tells a young child that a line was wrong. Without erasers, children learn to keep going, work with what's on the page and finish. It's part of our Anybody Can Draw classes.
What does "published" actually mean?
Young authors receive printed paperback copies, a digital listing on Amazon and other online platforms, an ISBN, and a submission to the national library catalogue in Canada.
Who keeps the royalties?
The author. Children keep 100% of the royalties from sales of their books, whether sold on Amazon, at school fairs or at community events.
Are classes online or in person?
Young Author Program classes run weekly online, and the book launch is an in-person event. For our other programs, message us and we'll share the current in-person and online options.
What ages do you teach?
Anybody Can Draw was created for children aged 4 to 16. For the Young Author Program and workshops, send us your child's age and we'll suggest the right starting point.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the program. Register your interest and we'll send current dates and fees.