12 Lunar Year Zodiacs Coloring Book
An educational coloring book where the 12 Zodiac Animals are represented by East Asian and Southeast Asian women in their cultural attire.
12 Lunar Year Zodiacs is a coloring book of 12 pages — 1 page per Lunar Year zodiac animal.
While originating from China (and often called the “Chinese Zodiac”), the Lunar Year Zodiac is widely followed by many East and Southeast Asian countries. Over centuries of cultural migration and evolution, the zodiac animals have been shared across borders, adapting into the regional customs and traditions of each nation.
This coloring book celebrates the history and diversity of these East and Southeast Asian countries through their connection in the Lunar Year Zodiac. Each page depicts a woman in the cultural attire of an East Asian or Southeast Asian country that follows the Lunar Year Calendar.
Where to Buy
Ingram Spark
- better quality
- best for colored pencil
- good for water-based markers
- US & UK only
Amazon KDP
- cheapest option
- good for colored pencil
- NOT recommended for markers
- for everywhere else
Original Edition
1st edition version (aka. the green cover) features thicker 148gsm paper that can withstand water-based markers and alcohol markers (note: bleed-through will still occur. That’s inevitable without specialized papers).
1st edition copies are only available through direct wholesale. If interested, you can reach out to me at theresa@theresaarzola.com.
Sample Pages
Illustration Series
I colored some of the images myself in colors meant to be a more modernized and bolder take on the traditional attire.
I intend to one day complete the set but these are the 4 that have been completed so far.
Additional Comments
The 12 Lunar Year Zodiacs project was a combination of several interests of mine:
- drawing line art
- drawing women in dresses
- and exploring cultural history
I wanted to go beyond the typical interpretation of the “Chinese Lunar Year Zodiac Animals” and understand how other Asian nations evolved to include the zodiac animals in their culture.
In my research, I found patterns of connectivity and cultural significance between different nations and the zodiac animals and learned a lot about the role of women in their societies and the cultural significance of their “national” or historical attire as well. All together, this inspired me to create a set of 12 illustrations, highlighting the pride and optimism of each nation. A coloring book allows the reader to engage in the culture in a small way as well.
There could be whole books written about each country and deeper research done into each region’s clothing and cultural history. This coloring book provides just a glimpse into the richness of that history in relaxing and interactive way.