#EMGSketchFest came to an explosive end earlier this evening with a flurry of creative activity, leaving us with over 7 pages of art! We’re delighted, excited, and can’t wait to share some final featured illustrations and the names of all our winners with you tomorrow.
We’ll announce the dates for #EMGSketchFest 101 in tomorrow’s post as well!
For now, we’d like to close out the night with a shout-out to all our new Sketch Fest participants – you’ll each be receiving a small Sketch Fest Newbie prize from Ellen Million to commemorate your first round in our creative jam!
“The End of Mourning” by Regina Mailloux
Regina Mailloux gave us this captivating sketch inspired by Katerina Koukiotis’ prompt “The Yellow Dress.” This illustration, “The End of Mourning” is a graphite sketch with gouache washes on 9×12 Canson watercolor paper. Regina’s made the original available for only $40!
“Her Black Sunflower” by Ellen Wilberg
Ellen Wilberg drew this lovely freckled woman with her black sunflower and attendant butterfly – all inspired by Cindy Hill’s prompt – in ink on 4×6 watercolor paper.
“The Lost Fox” by J. Ryan Decker
This whimsical sketch from J. Ryan Decker drew a chuckle – we love the homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince and we do appreciate the humor in it!
And we’ve already featured a piece by our fourth newcomer – Ellen Moore’s sculpted “The Green Man” was featured in our last post.
Come back tomorrow for our full After Action Report, to find out who’s taking home prizes, and to put the dates of our next Sketch Fest on your calendars!
Wow. Our artists have just been blowing us away, helping us celebrate #EMGSketchFest 100 in true style! We can’t get over all the remarkable portraits, funny and whimsical illustrations, 3D art and so much more – there’s acrylic pouring in the gallery, everyone! It’s amazing!
You MUST check it out – and let us tease you into clicking over there.
“Sunshine” by Monika Holloway
The sheer amount of character Monika Holloway captures in “Sunshine” simply radiates off the page. Graphic pencil on 7×9 cotton paper.
“Bubbles” by Elisa Ferguson
Elisa Ferguson’s “Bubbles” captivates us with its vibrant colors! Here’s what Elisa said about this piece: “Bubbles float through all water, but they really like mermaids! This red haired beauty really likes her bubbles.”
“Koi Mermaid” by Becca “Boo” Moore
A “Koi Mermaid” gives a coy flick of her tail in this sketch by Becca “Boo” Moore. “I enjoy drawing mermaids and koi, so whenever I can combine them, I’m happy!” Becca commented. The colored version of this is available for only $25!
“Remembrance” by Mitzi Sato-Wiuff
Mitzi Sato-Wiuff’s “Remembrance” makes us pause at the wistfulness so artfully captured in the graceful line of her neck, her lowered eyelids, and her parted lips. Sakura Micron in sepia on 5×7 Bristol vellum.
“Seahorse” by Elma Bree
This “Seahorse” from Elma Bree looks like it’s rather been caught out of turn! Those bubbles and that eye look surprised. Elma said she’ll be finishing the 5×7 sketch on watercolor paper with watercolor markers. You can pick up the original for $8!
“A Green Man” by Ellen Moore
We love to see people playing with three-dimensional art, and this greenman from Sketch Fest newcomer Ellen Moore puts a smile on our faces! This fellow was made with Sculpey and measures 2×2.5. Ellen thinks it might end up being a brooch or a necklace.
“Moon Princess” by Mayumi Ogihara
Our last featured illustration for now is this gorgeous portrait from Mayumi Ogihara – this “Moon Princess” glows pensively under the lambent light of the moon. This illustration was done in Col-Erase brown, white charcoal, and white acrylic paint on 5×7 toned paper. You can purchase the original sketch for only $30!
What are you waiting for? Hop on over to the #EMGSketchFest 100 gallery and celebrate the rest of Sketch Fest with us! Leave comments for the artists, share your favorite pieces with your friends (makes sure to use our official hashtag on social media), and register now so you can participate in next Sketch Fest as well. There’s just over an hour to go!
We’re nearing 150 pieces posted in the #EMGSketchFest 100 gallery, which is stuffed full of amazement and enchantment – where else can you see fine examples of acrylic pouring mingling with bubbles and mermaids or green man sculpture hanging out with pencil sketches of pegasi and horned women? We’ve got it all!
Including some winners of our 100th Celebration prizes! Read on for their names and a sneak peek of great art you’ll encounter in the gallery.
“Fox Flower” by Jenny Heidewald
Smile at Jenny Heidewald’s “Fox Flower,” an enchanting piece that suggests a tale of whimsy and joy. Jenny is also the winner of our First Hurdle Artist prize for being the first participant to upload 5 pieces to the gallery!
“Shadows and Lace” by Katerina Koukiotis
“Shadows and Lace” by Katerina Koukiotis is an alluring portrait inspired by Jenny Heidewald’s prompt. Katerina had vintage and steampunk notions tumbling through her head when she read Jenny’s prompt! The original 5×7 graphite and charcoal powder sketch can be yours for only $25! You can also get an ACEO LE print for $6.
“Flowers in Her Hair” by Nathalie Reinholz
Inspired by Laura Macy’s “Putting Flowers in My Hair” prompt, Nathalie Reinholz painted this vibrant girl crowned with radiant flowers. Here’s what Natta said about her piece: “My version of ever after painting course. A bumble bee landed on the flowers while painting. I can be satisfied then!” Yes!
“Dashing Rake Sketch” by Kathryn Whiteford
Kathryn Whiteford knows how to draw a man too devilishly handsome for his own good! This rake also lived up to his reputation, even on paper, from what Kathryn had to say: “Augh, men! This guy was such a pain to draw and this is the second attempt of the sketch. Took the whole hour to get him to this point since I started and scrapped my first idea, then started again and finished here. As stubborn as he was, I do like how he ended up.” We do, too!
“Narwhal” by Afke van Herpt
Afke van Herpt sculpted this adorable narwhal from glittery polymer clay, inspired by Sarah Alden’s prompt. Afke explained, “The horn I made a couple of months ago (for a little unicorn workshop I gave). It will get a knitted body.” This narwhal was the first example of three-dimensional art uploaded to the gallery – so Ake wins our First 3D Artist prize!
Did you enjoy these featured pieces? There’s even more to admire in the complete #EMGSketchFest 100 gallery. Hop on over there and share your favorites on social media with our official hashtag.
Have you had a fantastic Sketch Fest Saturday? We have! We’ve been celebrating #EMGSketchFest 100 since yesterday, and we’ve had over 100 sketches (and other creations) submitted to our gallery!
Let’s whet your appetite with a few featured illustrations, then be sure to check the Sketch Fest gallery out! And invite your friends if they haven’t seen it yet – there are prizes to be won.
“Agate Queen” by SpringDragon
Anastasia Bisel sketched this remarkable “Agate Queen,” inspired by Jenny Heidewald.
“Triple Goddess” by Rowan Lewgalon
Rowan Lewgalon drew an enchanting start to a painting inspired by her own prompt, “Triple Goddess.”
“Demonic Butterfly” by Kathy Nutt
“Demonic Butterfly” is a compelling Micron pen sketch by Kathy Nutt, inspired by Anke Wehner’s prompt!
“Moon Princess” by Julie Rabischung
“Moon Princess” by Julie Rabischung is a lovely 4×6 ink, markers, and gel pens sketch. You can purchase the original drawing for $15!
“Spell Weaver” by Tara N Colna
This magical acrylic painting by Tara N Colna is titled “Spell Weaver.” It measures 4×4 and is acrylic paint on a canvas panel. Tara says, “It still may change a little bit depending on how it dries and shifts. All paintings will be for sale but have to dry and cure, and varnish which will take about a month.” Snag the original for only $25!
That’s it for our sneak peeks – you’ll have to visit the gallery to discover more. At least until we’re back this evening with more featured illustrations to share! See you then.
WELCOME TO #EMGSKETCHFEST 100, EVERYONE! We are so incredibly excited to have hit this milestone, and we’re blown away by the response we’ve had from our fantastic Sketch Fest community. So far this Sketch Fest Friday eve, we’ve got 21 participating artists and 47 pieces of art already uploaded in the gallery!
If you haven’t hopped over there yet, TREAT YO’SELF and do it. We also recommend sharing our event with all your friends – there are prizes to be won by artists, prompters, and commenters alike! Check it out:
PRIZES WITH CATEGORIES:
Comments Keep Us Going – 5 people who leave comments during the Sketch Fest will be randomly selected to receive prizes.
Most Popular Prompt – The person who left the prompt with the most uploads at the end of Sketch Fest will receive a prize!
Super Supporter of Sketch Fest #100 – The person who purchases the highest value of art this Sketch Fest will receive a selection of ACEO prints by Katerina Art (one of each she does this Sketch Fest).
Most Creative Use of Prompt – The artist with the most creative use of a prompt this Sketch Fest will receive a prize.
Sketch-crazy! – The artist who submits the most sketches before Sketch Fest ends will receive a prize.
Opening Bell Artist – The first artist to submit a sketch will win a prize!
First Hurdle Artist – The first artist to submit five sketches this Sketch Fest will receive a prize!
First 3D Artist – The first artist to submit a 3-dimensional sketch or other work, such as sculpture, jewelry, crocheted piece, etc. will win a wee dragon charm by Whimsical Dreams Art! (In the event no 3D art is submitted, it will be awarded to the first dragon art.)
Collaboration – The best collaborative work, as selected by our guest judge, will receive an ACEO by Afke van Herpt and Ronja.
Submission by Someone 12 or Under – The best submission from a young artist, as selected by our guest judge, will win an ACEO by Afke van Herpt and Ronja!
PRIZE POOL:
A copy of From The Deep coloring book by Ellen Million
A coloring book of your choice by Selina Fenech
A 6×8 print with matching magnet by Maria William
A customized original 4×6 character portrait by Julie Rabischung
2 mystery bags (3 ACEO prints each) by Mayumi Ogihara
A postcard of “Sea of Stars” and stickers by Nathalie Edelhirsch
A collection of 3 5×7 prints by Sarah Alden
3 prints by Cindy Hill
An original ACEO of your choice by Jenny Heidewald
A 11×17 print, a 8.5 x 11 print, and choice of coloring sheet or bookmark by Sheryl Abid
RULES
Anyone may enter to win these #EMGSketchFest 100 prizes! Sketch Fest submissions must be uploaded at the site, not here on Facebook. Sketches must be uploaded by the end of the Sketch Fest, which will close at 5PM Alaska Time (9 PM ET). Contact us with any questions!
OUR FIRST WINNER!
Our first winner is Milkycat, who won Opening Bell Artist with her 5×7 ink sketch WIP inspired by Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt, “Goddess stnading in a storm of petals.”
“Storm of Petals” by Milkycat
We can’t wait for her to finish “Storm of Petals!” The original will be available for purchase at $18!
That’s it for tonight, but remember – Sketch Fest doesn’t sleep! Check out the full gallery whenever you wish to see all the amazing art being shared, and don’t forget to leave comments for the artists! Also, when you share your faves on social media, make sure you use our official hashtag: #EMGSketchFest.
Welcome to Ellen Million Graphic’s Featured Artist of the Week! Each week, we select an EMG artist and share their work and history. We hope you enjoy getting to see incredible artists this way.
This week, the spotlight turns to Mayumi Ogihara! Originally from Japan, Mayumi now lives and creates in BC, Canada. While she began as primarily a portrait artist, she discovered a talent and love for creating fantasy art – which she’s been practicing with great skill and passion ever since. You can discover more about her, explore her a portfolio full of soulful and emotive illustrations, and even watch videos of her process at www.mayumiogihara.com.
“Star Bright”
Mayumi has been an excellent friend and supporter to Ellen Million Graphics for years – her Sketchfest gallery is especially impressive, since she’s been a regular participant for the last four years. She also provides portraits to the Portrait Adoption site, where she even now has several portraits available that are rife with story potential.
Each of the illustrations included in this feature gallery have products available, and we invite you to explore more at her pages over on EMG as linked below.
Welcome to Ellen Million Graphics’ Featured Artist of the Week! Each week (or so), we select an EMG artist and share their work and history. We hope you enjoy getting to see incredible artists this way.
This week, our spotlight picks out that artist of adorable whimsy and organic delight Kir Talmage! Kir joins us from a cabin in the woods of Vermont, where she lives among creek and fauna and forest.
She’s been creating art since she was a child drawing on the walls of her grandmother’s summer cottage, and kept up the practice for stress relief and “casual comfort” for many years as her focus stayed riveted on STEM studies. Now she embraces her art as a journey, part and parcel of the fabric of her life. She finds herself inspired by and learning from so many other illustrators, and also found her work grounded by excellent art teachers in high school and college. Some of her inspirations include the work of Trina Schart Hyman, John Bauer, Alan Lee, Brian Froud, Jill Barklem, Mary Jo Koch, and Stephanie Pui-Min Law. While she most often draws with pencil and pen, she adores watercolors, saying “I am astounded and amazed and delighted and befuddled by them.” They help her evolve as an artist. She doesn’t have much time for hobbies, but also doesn’t see a sharp delineation between her work and her play. There are always family relationships to nurture, books to read or create, hikes and outdoor activities to enjoy, and so much more as part of life. You can explore more at her website.
“Rocking the Water”“Ocean Child”
Kir has been a friend to EMG for at least half a decade, participating in many Sketch Fests and contributing to the shared world and worldbuilding project that is Torn World. She has contributed over 100 sketches to her Sketch Fest gallery, depicting everything from a present-toting dragon and a behatted coffee-rower to a hookah-smoking unicorn and a rock-and-roll naiad. She’s also a prolific and creative prompter, leaving over 200 prompts from the simple “crab apples” to the involved “where Neverland, Neverwhere, Otherwhere and the Borderlands meet.” Over at Torn World, you can find an illustration of longfingers that she did and an article on the Dorruuyirv, a sort of polar seagoing mammal. We invite you to explore her work at EMG via the links below.
“The Song of the Twisted Tooth (a personal concert)”
The featured illustrations are:
“Ocean Child”
“Mage Rat”
“Rocking the Water”
“The Song of the Twisted Tooth (A Personal Concert)”
“Grandmother Fox Stitching up the Stories”
Another #EMGSketchFest has come and gone, and we had a grand creative weekend! We had 29 participating artists and 99 sketches – which, given it was Sketch Fest #99, we feel is rather apropos. And there are 19 pieces of art available for purchase, from original full-size and ACEO sketches to limited edition prints. You should really do yourself a favor and have a whirl through our gallery if you’re in the market for some art.
We also welcomed two new artists this month: RCoots and NickyWolf!
Let’s take a final turn through some featured illustrations before putting Sketch Fest #99 to bed:
“The Curator” by Maria J. William
Inspired by Tara N Colna’s prompt “coffee time,” Maria J. William creating this alluring sketch of “The Curator.” You can purchase the graphite and white charcoal original on 8×10 toned paper for $40 or pick up some prints for $7-$10.
“Fairy’s Big Pet” by NickyWolf
NickyWolf’s first Sketch Fest drawing is the adorable and fluffy “Fairy’s Big Pet“! Here’s what they had to say this about their digital drawing: “I rarely do quick sketches so this is good practice. I hope you like it!”
“Pig Fairy” by Amy Sue Stirland
We can’t help but grin when we see Amy Sue Stirland’s 5.5×8 watercolor of a “Pig Fairy!” This wonderful when-pigs-fly what-if was inspired by Heather Kilgore, and Amy says: “I’m tickled with how the flowers turned out.” You can grab the original for only $17!
“Amethyst and Pearl” by Kim Turner
Kim Turner’s woman wearing “Amethyst and Pearl” is effortlessly elegant! Here’s what Kim says about her: “This was really a quick one, but I can imagine going back to it as a painting and bring out the pearls and amethsyt sparkles…” We hope you do, Kim!
“Strawberry Fairy” by Tricia Danby
Even in it’s partially-sketched state, Tricia Danby’s “Strawberry Fairy” has out mouths watering for some fresh strawberries!
“Meeting” by Patricia Bowne
Patricia Bowne created this digital art sketch of a “Meeting” between water and air, inspired by Julie Rabischung’s “fairy and mermaid meeting on the beach.”
“The Littlest Mouse” by Nathalie Reinholz
This teeny tiny ACEO from Nathalie Reinholz is the cutest littlest mouse we’ve seen!
“Meditation” by Rowan Lewgalon
Rowan Lewgalon drew on Katta’s prompt of a “meditating nature sprite” to create this magical and provocative illustration. About “Meditation,” Rowan notes: “I took the background from one of my other paintings, so I could already finish this one.” You can purchase a print for just $15.
“Flowers Enchantment” by Linzi Fay
Our last featured illustration for this Sketch Fest is this lovely portrait from Linzi Fay, a delicate response to Julie Rabischung’s prompt, “Flower’s enchantment.” The original 5.5×8.5 drawing is available for purchase.
We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s set of features, and our #EMGSketchFest 99 weekend. We’re planning our 100th Sketch Fest right now and it’s going to be AMAZING – follow us on Facebook or Twitter so you don’t miss our upcoming announcement!
#EMGSketchFest 99 may be over, but that’s no reason to stop the party! If you wander over to the gallery, you may still find new art – and you’ll definitely find something fantastic! You may even find a piece of art to buy, and you should absolutely leave some comments for our participants!
Let’s do some featured illustrations:
“Dragon and Sleeping Fairy” by Afke van Herpt’s Cousin Susan“Unicorn of the Sea” by Afke van Herpt and her Niece Ronja
First up, we have these great illustrations done by Afke van Herpt’s cousin and niece. “Dragon and Sleeping Fairy” by Afke’s cousin Susan is blamed on Ronja! For “Unicorn of the Sea,” Afke wrote: “My niece Ronja did another collaboration with me! I sketched the horse part, and she did all the rest.”
“Blue and Orange Stockings and the Green Dress” by Heather Kilgore
Heather Kilgore created this dancing beauty, the evocation of a summer breeze in her green dress with sand-and-sea stockings below!
“Nurse!!” by Monika Holloway
Monika Holloway is putting us all in a vaudevillian frame of mind today with her fancy-free depiction of a nurse.
“#Junicorn 16” by Ellen Million
Founder of our Sketch Fest feast, Ellen Million took Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt “Unicorn of Shadows” and ran with it to create #Junicorn 16: “I loooooved this prompt. See more details about my #junicorn project here!”
“Earthdragon” by Katta
Katta went three dimensional and sculpted this adorable earth dragon, resplendent in green and showing their belly and holding on to a brown stone.
“Stardust” by Mayumi Ogihara
The glory of the night sky emerges in “Stardust” by Mayumi Ogihara. This illustration is mixed media on 7×5 toned paper, and you can even purchase the original! Just $27!
“Trinkets and Tentacles” by Natacha Chohra
Inspired by Selina Fenech’s great prompt, Natacha Chohra created this provocative and playful drawing: “Trinkets and Tentacles” is a 5×7 graphite sketch and you can purchase the original for only $40!
Untitled by Kir Talmage
Our last featured illustration for today is an untitled piece by Kir Talmage. Inspired by Edward Cammarota’s prompt, “Blue warrior women,” Kir commented that she’s “just drafting some idea” in this pencil and colored pencils sketch.
That’s it for a super-sized Sunday Sketch Fest featured set! Don’t forget to check out the full gallery, and come back here tomorrow for our After Action Report – completed with more features and our announcement for #EMGSketchFest 100!
Feeling a bit bored this Saturday night? Perfect reason to jump into #EMGSketchFest! Sign-up is free and you can choose either to inspire our artists, become one of those artists (create anything! it’s not just for drawing!), or both.
We’re having an amazing Saturday night, full up with a sword-wielding flower, a unicorn girl, a zero-g raygun-wielding scoundrel, colorful fairies and so much more – just check out our featured illustrations!
“Sword and Flower” by Selina Fenech
Selina Fenech spent 40 minutes creating this gorgeously atmospheric digital sketch – she used her Cintiq and Photoshop. Riffing on Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt “Sword and Flower” with this illustration, Selina commented, “I kinda forgot about the Rose part… I guess she could be the rose?” Sounds good to us! After all, a rose must have at least one thorn.
“Unicorn Girl Sketch” by Kathryn Whiteford
Kathryn Whiteford jumped in today after seeing Sarah Alden’s “Unicorngirl” prompt. Here’s what she wrote about her sketch: “After a week of writing very boring official documents, I needed some fun sketching time. Also, it’s been way too long since I took part in Sketch Fest, so here I am! 😀 This was the first prompt that really captured my attention. I’ll be adding some watercolour to this soon, but it may not be before SF ends. At least I did the sketch in time!” We’re so glad you had the time to join us, Kathryn!
“Space Girl” by Becca “Boo” Moore
We love the creative angle Becca “Boo” Moore took with her “Space Girl” illustration! Edward Cammarota prompted artists to create a “space girl doing a backflip shooting at an attacker” and this was Becca’s interpretation. “This was fun and challenging!” Becca noted. “I like the anti-gravity feel this ended up with!”
“Stone Dragon” by Jools62
We love this brief sketch of a “Stone Dragon” done by Jools62 today, inspired by Rebecca McCullough’s prompt.
“Red Stockings, Black Dress” by Milkycat
Milkycat drew “Red Stocking, Black Dress” inspired by Edward Cammarota’s prompt, and captured a magical moment full of possibility – a sparkling backdrop, a swanky party, and a pensive expression all make you wonder what the story is here.
That’s it for tonight’s features! Now that you’re excited, don’t forget to visit the full gallery and leave some comments for our participants. Encourage someone’s creativity! And don’t forget to use our official hashtag, #EMGSketchFest, when sharing your favorite Sketch Fest moments on social media.
