March 2018 – Ellen Million Graphics Blog

Thanks for a Successful #EMGSketchFest 96!

Did you attend #EMGSketchFest 96? Our 96th Sketch Fest took place over this past weekend, starting at noon AKT on Friday and concluding at noon on Sunday – and it was an exciting, vital weekend of creativity! 27 participating artists contributed nearly 100 sketches of swamp mermaids, hairy unicorns, dragons with flowers and riders, and so much more!

“The Witch of Rose Quartz” by Sachiko Mili

We also had several new members join us for the first time – including Sachiko Mili, the artist of this elegant, esoteric witch. “The Witch of Rose Quartz” creates love potions and is famous for helping lovers – she always uses rose quartz since its energy is pure. Her loyal crow Edward is always at her side. Sachiko used ink, watercolors, and colored pencils.

This handsomely ridiculous and ridiculously handsome “Hairy Unicorn” is one of our favorite illustrated responses to Becca “Boo” Moore’s prompt, “very hairy unicorn.”

“My Favourite Highlander” by Francis Bax

Anyone recognize this hunk of Highlander? I’m sure a few of you do! Francis Bax drew this breathtaking graphite sketch (2B and 4B) over the course of a Sketch Fest hour.

“Spring Has Sprung” by Katerina Koukiotis

About “Spring Has Sprung,” artist Katerina Koukiotis said “we can only hope because in NY [it] still feels like winter but crossing fingers soon enough. This illustration is colored pencils and pastels on 5 x 7 toned paper. (Model reference from FantasyStock.) You can grab an LE ACEO print for only $6!

Maria J. William created this beautifully atmospheric illustration of a swamp mermaid from Edward Cammarota’s popular and provocative “the swamp mermaid” prompt. “Swamp Flower” is colored pencils and white charcoal on 6 x 8 toned paper. You can purchase prints at $7 or $10.

#EMGSketchFest looks like fun, right? It is! If you missed participating in Sketch Fest 96, we hope you’ll join us for next month’s Sketch Fest – #EMGSketchFest 97 will take place from April 13 through April 15.

To participate, you need to register at the Sketch Fest site. You can just leave prompts to inspire others, or you can also participate by creating art yourself – and remember! We welcome artists of all skills levels and all sorts – you can create jewelry, knit or crochet, or even write something inspired by the prompts. The only rule is that you work for only 1 hour!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Sketch Fest 96! We look forward to seeing you next month as well.

Leisurely EMGSketchFest 96 Sunday

There’s only about 15 minutes left in #EMGSketchFest 96! There is so much fantastic art in our gallery of hairy unicorns, swamp mermaids, flower dreams and more – you must check it out! Let’s take a peek at some of these amazing illustrations.

Inspired by Julie Rabischung’s prompt “witch’s potion,” Janna Prosvirina dreamed up this lovestruck witch. “Or A Love Spell?” is ink on paper and you can purchase the original sketch for only $12.

This gorgeous in-progress sketch by Mayumi Ogihara is called “Diamond Queen.” Col-Erase brown and white charcoal on 5×7 toned paper.

Kathy Nutt took Tara N. Colna’s prompt of “Raven Moon” and gave us “Raven New Moon,” a complete Micron pen line drawing on bristol.

Jenny Heidewald celebrated St. Patrick’s Day through “Shamrock,” a clover-bedecked redheaded elf in Micron pen on 2.5 x 3.5 inch Bristol paper. She’s also offering a limited time special price of $6 instead of $10 on the original drawing!

Our last featured illustration for now is a “very hairy unicorn” by Heather Kilgore. This has been one of our favorite prompts this Sketch Fest! (Thanks, Becca!) Heather’s offering original drawing, graphite on 4×6 cream drawing paper, for just $25.

Hurry on over to the #EMGSketchFest 96 gallery! There’s still time to inspire or be inspired.

Saturday Night Sketch Fever

The #EMGSketchFest 96 gallery is thriving! Thanks to everyone who’s gotten creative with us this weeked – 18 of you have uploaded over 50 illustrations to the gallery so far! We can’t wait to see what Sunday brings. For now, we’re sharing a few more featured sketches:

Elisa Ferguson drew and inked this playful mermaid bedecked with “Necklaces.”

Milkycat’s impatient elf in “Spring Flower Crown” looks like she’s really over whatever she’s listening to.

Inspired by Tara N. Colna’s prompt, Tricia Danby created these captivating “Emerald Eyes.”

Jools62, joining us for their first Sketch Fest, drew this fierce dragon taking time to smell the flowers in “Flower and Dragon.”

Who doesn’t feel the spring breeze invoked by Eimiel’s “Spring Dress” illustration?

That’s it for our Saturday featured illustrations! Join us again tomorrow for the last day of our Sketch Fest – and don’t forget to visit the full gallery.

#EMGSketchFest 96 Saturday!

Welcome to Sketch Fest Saturday afternoon, everyone! We hope you’ve enjoyed a leisurely morning and found some time for creativity. To entice you to join our creative weekend, I’ve got some sketches from the gallery to feature for you! Let’s get to it.

We start with this piece by the founder of the Sketch Fest feast, Ellen Million! Ellen created “Highlander,” a cheeky hunk of the shapeshifter persuasion. She’s selling the final inked version of this sketch as well!

Kir Talmage, inspired by “the swamp mermaid” gave us this fantastic mermaid in her mangrove grotto, joined by nanatee. “Mangrovians” is pencil on ACEO-sized sketchpaper.

This is MrsFriSco’s first Sketch Fest, and she’s given us a finely behatted mermaid! “Just a coral reef mermaid finding steampunk flotsam and jetsam – she is trying her best to mimic the fascinating air-breathers’ fashion with her ocean finds, some of them even genuine articles!” This sketch is titled “Steampunk Mermaid” is 12×24 pencil on 140lb cold press paper.

Shell’s very keen daughter Willow took Amy Sue Stirland’s prompt of “garden landscape” and drew this pretty landscape of flowers and fish! “Garden of the City.”

“Tonight We Ride” is a fantastic dragonrider inked sketch shared by Becca “Boo” Moore! Look at that armor, and those faces – this pair means business. I wouldn’t get in their way!

Our last featured illustration this afternoon is “Fantasy Violinist” by Amy Sue Stirland! Inspired by Julie Rabischung’s prompt, Amy comments that she thinks her fantasy violinist is reminiscent of Lindsey Stirling! We have to agree. This illustration is gouache on 5×7 toned tan paper.

We hope you enjoyed this set of featured illustrations! Don’t forget to click through to the full gallery for even more mermaids and dragons along with hummingbirds and fairies and more. We hope you’ll stay a while, submit a prompt, and maybe even create a little with us. See you there!

Welcome to #EMGSketchFest 96!

Welcome to #EMGSketchFest 96, everyone – the first SketchFest of 2018! This is your Friday night sneak peek at the gallery to get you excited and lure you on in: spend some time with us this weekend. Admire the art, submit a prompt, and maybe even join in and create something yourself! It doesn’t have to be a drawing – any kind of creation from textiles to jewelry to photographs and more qualify for SketchFest.

On to the peek!

The very first work submitted to #EMGSketchFest 96 is from Sally Gilroy, with this expressive deer “Among the flowers.”

There are over a dozen sketches in the gallery already, featuring fairies riding hummingbirds, dragonriders, mermaids, a fantasy fiddler and more! We’ll have another round of featured illustrations tomorrow so check back then – or go explore on your own now.

That’s it from us tonight. See you tomorrow!