Denisa Váňová
[ Public space Illustration & design Fine Art ] Workshops About me
collaborate denisavanova99@gmail.com fb ig CZ EN
The School Bestiary #illustration
Legends of Česká Třebová #illustration
Drawings for the village of Tržek #illustration
ArtUž Studio #graphic design
Dobrý kafe #graphic design
Bird #3D & character design
Paper puppets #illustration#3D & character design
ČD tea #illustration
The Librarian #3D & character design
Lithographs #illustration
Not just trains #illustration#graphic design
Molten doe #3D & character design
Black Peter #illustration
Tin mugs #illustration#graphic design
A Reading from St John #illustration
Figures #3D & character design

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© Denisa Váňová & Ondřej Havlíček 2026 fb ig denisavanova99@gmail.com CZ EN

Legends of Česká Třebová

an author’s colouring book

for the town of Česká Třebová
autumn 2025

This author’s colouring book is intended for children from around the age of ten and introduces them to the local legends of the town of Česká Třebová. I chose eight stories, which I retold in my own words from the original sources and accompanied with my own illustrations. The result is a publication that connects regional history with imagination and offers children a way to discover old stories about the various places around them.

The stories feature devils, thieves, heroes and animal characters. Some of the legends are funny and end well; others are mysterious or frightening. I wanted to keep their atmosphere while retelling them in language that today’s children will understand. The illustrations are drawn linearly in ink and pen. In some scenes there are grey shaded animals that help the main characters look for a lost seal or fight off soldiers. They give the illustrations greater depth and space, and so make the scene more believable.

I handled the colouring book completely, artistically and conceptually: from choosing and rewriting the legends, through making the illustrations, the cover, the layout and the typography, to preparing the print files. The aim was to make a colouring book that is both a creative activity and a way of getting to know the town’s history.

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