British myths and legends inspire beautiful and ferocious new stamp artwork

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Postage stamps may be only a tiny canvas, but stamp art can have a lot of significance. Some stamp designs commemorate national or global events and occasions, some simply celebrate culture and art for the sake of it.

Stamps are sometimes described as ambassadors for their country, so I can totally get behind this new ‘myths and legends’ set from Royal Mail in the UK. The set of illustrations celebrates folklore, including some regional myths you may not know (see our pick of the best pencils to get sketching yourself).

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Illustrated by London-based artist Adam Simpson, each of the eight stamps focuses on a different myth or legend, from mischievous Cornish piskies to a grindylow from up north. A Scottish selkie slips off her sealskin, the Loch Ness Monster emerges from the deep and the East Anglian Black Shuck bares its fangs.

We also have Blodeuwedd, the Welsh maiden made from broom, meadowsweet and oak flowers, the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, while Beowulf fights Grendel from the epic Old English poem. Together they demonstrate the rich and varied mythological heritage of the British Isles, as powerful as any physical landmarks.

“I think it’s important to celebrate where these stories come from,” Adam says. “Each one is associated with a region, and each one has its own identity, and together they demonstrate our rich mythological heritage.”

Adam, who previously designed a Royal Mail stamp for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, says it can be challenging to find a composition that works at such small scale.

The Beowulf stamp was particularly difficult because it required multiple, with Beowulf, the monster Grendel and the mead hall, Heorot. He also had to avoid making it look too gruesome. “I wanted to give a sense that Beowulf is about to tear Grendel’s arm off without it being too gory!,” he says.

Adam used a mixed-media approach. He began with a separate sketchbook for each piece, which he filled with ideas, drawings and notes, immersing himself in each myth. From rough ideas for compositions, he created multiple iterations.

Once he’d decided on the direction for each piece, Adam scanned his work and made more edits using digital art software. He submitted working drafts to the Royal Mail Stamp Advisory Committee for regular feedback, refining things over the course of a year.

“Some of them are barely recognisable now,” he says. “I chose a handful of winning candidates for each stamp, then developed them further before I shared with anyone.”

The set of stamps comes amid a resurgence of interest in folklore. Adam hopes the artwork will create intrigue and prompt people to learn more about the origins of each myth. He’s since been working on a project around Norse mythology and has been illustrating Brothers Grimm tales.

For more inspiration, see inside the sketchbooks of picture book artist Valerya Milovanova and animator Jason Chan P.L. We also have a guide to How to paint Warhammer battles in traditional pen and ink.

Looking for tools for your own art and illustration? See our guides to the best drawing tablets and the best laptops for drawing.