FunSchool Murals

Educational Illustration · 2023, Russia/ Cyprus

A series of five classroom murals designed for FunSchool — a network of bilingual schools, built on the belief that learning should be fun (and cool!).
I had just two months to develop a cast of original characters and create full-scale scenes tailored to five themed classrooms: Sports, Informatics, Art, Literature, and Math. The goal was to foster imagination, curiosity, and visual learning through playful storytelling.

Sketches & Character Design

Each character was designed from scratch to reflect unique personalities and reappear across the different scenes, creating a subtle side-narrative that connects the classrooms.

II designed 10 (+1*) characters: 3 pairs of kids (targeted to primary, middle, and high school age accordingly), and 4 “supportive adults” (mother-like character, a couple of young scientists, and a nice monster). And a frog! Because frogs are cool.

I didn't have much time to spare on designing the characters, so I wanted them to be easy enough for future developing, and useful in the long run - for the website, apps and merch. I went for nice simple shapes, yet keeping away from corporate vector style.

I went for bright and colourful palette, featuring the brand's colours: 
yellow, turquoise and beige (is it beige? maybe brownishly-grey)

*FUN fact: After sharing the sketches, the client felt that we need one more character - Trickster (how fitting to his role that he had to appear the last and unplanned for!) After some searching, I ended up with a wingless bat in boots. 

In the sketches it could also shift its shape. I love the potential of this little guy!

Printing Process

Due to tight deadlines, I worked remotely while collaborating closely with the client and the printing team.

We used vertical wall printers — a first for me — which required converting vector-based designs into a compatible format.

Classroom Highlights

 Sports Classroom

The first mural — and my personal favorite — introduces the main characters through dynamic sports roles.

I developed their final designs alongside the scene itself, assigning sports based on character traits.

Informatics Classroom

Two children work on building a bike for a frog — a STEM-inspired subplot that connects to other murals.

The same bike appears later in the Art Class drawing and in action in the Sports scene.

Art Classroom

This mural was designed around a fixed whiteboard area. The scene shows students mid-creation — with a little mystery too (who spilled the paint?)

Literature Classroom

A rich, whimsical scene transporting the characters into the magical world of books. The most complex of all five, designed to show that literature is anything but boring.

Math Classroom

Set around physical plug sockets, this mural features the Trickster character using the plug as a seat. Not everyone likes math, but almost everyone likes a pie! (chart that is)