The amazing dad who brings kids' drawings to life

Kids have vivid imaginations - and nowhere is this more obvious than in their artworks. Fridges across the country are adorned with scribbles and sketches of otherworldly monsters and surreal creatures that even Salvadore Dali would approve of.

Now, an American dad has gone one step further, using his artistic abilities to breathe life into children's masterpieces.

Dave DeVries, a comic artist based in New Jersey, uses acrylic paint, airbrushing and coloured pencil to transform the sketches into realistic (and somewhat scary) images.

In 2005 he launched an ongoing project called The Monster Engine, which showcases his collection of monster designs in a book, a demonstration, lecture and a gallery exhibition.

The idea for the project was sparked in 1998, when DeVries began experimenting with drawings by his 9-year-old niece. He writes:

"[M]y niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if colour, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn’t I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it... No research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life."

That curiosity certainly paid off - DeVries' works are absolutely fascinating. Check out some of our favourites here, and see more on the Monster Engine website.