Digital design students at West Nottinghamshire College made a monstrosity of a project to bring smiles to pupils at a Kirkby primary school.

Greenwood Primary youngsters were asked to draw their idea of a monster, considering where it lived, whether it had arms or legs, what its name was, whether the monster was bad or good, and maybe if it lived on another planet.

L3 Art and Design: Image Making students at the college lead the project, bringing the children’s ideas to the screen using both traditional media and software.

Greenwood pupils and their teachers were welcomed to the college’s Derby Road campus to watch the students’ showreel of their completed designs.

Students Reece Reddish and Jay Wilkinson-Standley presented to the group, explaining how they recreated the drawings using digital technology.

April Barlow presented Ava Tuckwood with her finished mermaid monster design.

Greenwood pupil Ava Tuckwood, who drew a monster mermaid, said: “The mermaid monster came from my imagination and her name is Lola Blood. She lives in a cave and is a bit naughty, but not that scary. April has done a really good job at bringing her to life.”

April Barlow and River Smith collaborated on the drawing. April said: “I drew the mermaid, the ghost and the cave in Adobe Illustrator and used 2D shapes, but used gradients and layering to look 3D. River drew the head and both of these were edited together for the finished look.”

Greenwood’s people premium champion Shelley Dixon, who accompanied the children to the college for the unveiling of the artwork project, said: “The children were so excited to come back and see the work that the students have done following their drawings.”

College visual arts and design teacher Kerry Bryant said: “The monster project allowed each student to unleash their creativity and the opportunity to explore new processes, media and materials, alternative illustration styles as well as explore vivid and bright colour palettes, due to the much younger audiences.

“Overall the project was a success and it was lovely to see the reaction of the school children to their re-imaged illustrations.”