Finding calm, community through coloring
Alumna’s coloring page designs feature tiger statue, Stephens Hall
By Rebecca Kirkman on July 16, 2020
To help keep the Tiger community engaged and connected during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Deepika Chauhan ’20 designed coloring pages based on popular images of Towson University for download on the #TUtogether webpage.
A graphic design major, Chauhan interned at Creative Services within the Division of University Marketing & Communication from May 2019 until her recent graduation. It was through this internship the idea to create the designs was born.
Tasked with making a design or activity that would engage the community, Chauhan decided to make coloring pages of campus. In them, she combines iconic TU imagery with her own personal style.
She began with the tiger head design, which is loosely based on a photograph of a tiger statue on campus. Using the image as a reference, Chauhan sketched the face then used a fine-tip marker to add intricate geometric patterns.
While she had never designed coloring pages before, Chauhan often finds herself making patterns. “I used to make patterns whenever I was in art classes or Core classes; it helps me concentrate better.”
In the coloring page depicting Stephens Hall, Chauhan combined an architectural-style rendering of the building made in Adobe Illustrator with intricate patterns created using a stylus on an iPad.
Chauhan also created a coloring page design with less detail that would appeal to adults and children. Based on a photo taken by Alexander Wright ’18, assistant director of photographic services, of his dog, Carla, sitting in front of the TU sign at the intersection of Cross Campus and Osler drives.
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In addition to sharing her work with the TU community, Chauhan’s internship helped her gain the experience needed to land a full-time job.
After falling in love with coding in a web design course, Chauhan took every opportunity to improve her skills. “At Creative Services, I asked them for the projects that would be closest to coding, and I started coding emails for all the Towson community,” she says.
She was hired as a front-end developer at Tray, Inc., a printing company based in Glen Burnie, Maryland. “I told them everything I did at Creative Services, and they were really impressed by the work and experience it offered. I got hired right away.”
Download the coloring pages and share your creations on social with #TUtogether.