Whimsical art is characteristically (but not necessarily) bright, colorful, and fun. It is the art of childhood and innocence. But it doesn't always have to be sugary sweet and deliciously darling! Art imbued with whimsicality can also include the cutely creepy, the oddly adorable, and the ugly munchkins. For example, Tim Burton's cast of characters in Nightmare Before Christmas are a bizarre bunch of mostly-loveable whimsical characters that emerge from the darker side of human psychology. Such characters express the shadowy side of whimsicality with an appealing visual style.
Kawaii is a cute aesthetic that originated in Japan and has spread around the world, because the style is so adorably infectious. Much more than just a visual art style, kawaii is often defined as a “culture of cute”. Kawaii art encompasses both sweet and charming imagery, as well as ugly or creepy imagery. In fact, creepy kawaii is extremely popular because it is both “cute” and “edgy” at the same time.
Kawaii Wizard Cat
Humans can also find, creep, tumble or crawl their way into whimsical art. When they do, whimsical art will usually depict them as odd humans who have something slightly strange about them. Maybe their eyes are too big, their mouths too small, their ears too close. Maybe their feet are bigger than their heads. Or else they are perfectly "normal" humans (at least on the outside), who find themselves in strange and unsettling scenarios... wandering amidst towering toadstools or swimming in underwater galaxies with mermaids and butterflyfish.
Whimsical creatures do not exist in "real life", or so they say. In the world of the whimsical, imagination rules supreme. Whimsical worlds envelop the realms of mystery and magic, where the surreal is more real than unreal. Such art has the power to take us to other places and to plumb the depths of our most hidden dreams.
There is an innocent poetry to whimsical art. They can tell tales, or they can leave the story-telling up to the viewer. Either way, whimsical art delights and enchants, weaving a charming and spirited path through our imaginations.
