In 2011, Kaycie D. was working on her BFA at the Milwaukee Institute of Art. For her thesis she designed “Elements-Experiments in Character Design,” which centered on her creating a character and factoid for each element of the periodic table. In a word, they are… awesome!

Kaycie’s initial inspiration for this project came to her in high school while watching a video about the periodic table in which a narrator was acting out some of the elements. Instead of taking notes, she started drawing characters. “High school chemistry class used to be confusing at best. Then I imagined what the elements would be like as characters. Suddenly everything became a lot more interesting,” Kaycie said.

The illustrated elements were such a hit that Kaycie has since created flash cards, which are available on her Etsy shop where you can buy a complete set of printed cards or purchase a downloadable format that can be printed at home.

Continuing with this theme, the full-time artist is currently conceptualizing an entire world in which her Elements live, and a story to go with that world.

We love the art on these cards, especially the kick-ass female characters she has created. With 112 drawings in all, it was not easy to choose, but here are some of our favorites, and you can check out more here.

Images © Kaycie D.