Sketch Fest – Page 2 – Ellen Million Graphics Blog

Sketch Fest Sunday with Pugicorn

Having a relaxing first Sunday in November? We hope you are! And if you’d like to enjoy some art, you should head over to our #EMGSkechFest gallery – it’s still going for another hour and we’ve got some fantastic art to share with all!

Let’s have some featured illustrations:

We’re entering the Snow Queen’s winter domain, and she’s watching us closely with something that looks a lot like delighted anticipation. Prompted by Edward Cammarota, Katerina Koukiotis drew her snow queen in pencil and pastels with white gel pen. You can get a LE ACEO print of this 5×7 original for $6.

When a sweet little dormouse offers you poppies, how can you say no? Sally Gilroy drew “Poppy” in pastels and markers, inspired by Julie Cooper’s prompt.

Elma Bree started this “Sugar Plum Fairy” inspired by Keira Knightley’s poster for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms using watercolor colors, pastels, and sparkles.

Inspired by Julie Cooper’s prompt, “the littlest dragon and fairy,” Amy Sue Stirland sketched this tiny dragon and their fairy friend. Amy commented: “Wonder if the fairy is trying out a growth spell?” This 8.5×5.5 drawing will be finished with watercolors and the completed original is up for sale!

And, at last, the promised pugicorn! Charlie Galvin painted “Pugicorn” from Julie Cooper’s whimsical prompt. “I took my sketch of the pugicorn and transferred to a 6×6 Fluid watercolor block,” Charlie explained. “I spent a few hours painting and adding detail. I’m very happy with how it turned out.”

Enjoyed these featured illustrations? Check out the rest of the #EMGSketchFest gallery!

Sketch Fest Saturday, October Edition

We’re a bit over 24 hours into #EMGSketchFest 103, and our participants have not been idle! We have dozens of illustrations in our gallery, ranging from a bevy of witches to a cuddle of cats to angels and elves and demons, oh my.

There are also A TON of prompts – if you’d like to join in, we’ve got plenty to inspire you! Just register on the site (free!) and get started.

Time for a few illustrations to get you excited:

This adorable orange octopus is ready to celebrate Halloween! Prompted by Jill Britt, Paola Zunico drew this “Kawaii Octopus inspired in Halloween theme.” You can pick up the original 5.5″ x 8.5″ illustration on Canson paper for $45.

Can you feel the wind of this mischievous “Magic Cat” darting by you? Jill Britt was inspired by Rosie Wells to draw this feline in motion.

This “Pangolin Witch” by Kir Talmage is the envy of her neighborhood! As she sketched, Kir spent her time looking up references, and “watching part of a variation of The Little Prince. (The starred fox is marvelous!)”

Caitlin Woods’ “Harpy Witch” is coming for you!

Maria J. William, prompted by Jenny Heidewald’s love of chickens and her “The Witch of the Chickens” prompt, created this gorgeous portrait titled “The Simple Life.” You can snag the original 6″ x 8″ ink drawing on Strathmore paper for only $40 or purchase prints for $10.

That’s it for this afternoon’s featured illustrations! Hop on over to the full gallery now for even more, and don’t forget to use our official hashtag of #EMGSketchFest when sharing on social media.

Sketch Fest 102: After Action Report

For our 102nd Sketch Fest, we had two dozen participating artists contribute more than 100 creations to our gallery! We were feeling the onset of fall with a bevy of autumnal faeries, fall-colored owls, candy corn-colored bats, and more. There are over 2 dozen illustrations you can buy – whether original or print – as well!

Check out these final featured illustrations, then wander through the full gallery and leave comments for our artists.

This was artist Linda Sayegh’s first Sketch Fest, and she drew several great sketches, including this “Flutter Kitty.” Here’s what Linda has to say: “Adorable little Fairy cat waiting for some snuggles and a new forever home. Thank you to Paola Zunico for the prompt.” This piece was done in colored pencils, Sharpie paint pen, and Signo gel pens on light grey Mi-Tientes acid-free paper. You can purchase the original 6″ x 8″ sketch for $45!

“Sanguine” by Maria J. William depicts the most curious and bright-eyed, shell-bedecked mermaid! Drawn in colored pencils, pastels, white charcoal, and white acrylic on toned paper, you can snag the original 6″ x 8″ portrait for $40 or two different sizes of open edition print for $7-$10!

Welcome back to Sketch Fest, Majen Jewel! “Going Somewhere” is one of her first illustrations for Sketch Fest in over two years and we’re loving it. As Majen said, “It is fun to both follow and lead.” This illustration is drawn in colored pencils and markers on 11″ x 4″ Bristol.

Paola Zunico drew gorgeous, luminous butterflies in “Monarchs in Autumn.” Her 5.5″ x 8.5″ illustration is on Canson paper and can go home with you for only $45!

Erika Harm drew this “Fae Cat” in all their implicit arrested mischief – invite this feline fairy into your home by picking up the original watercolor painting – 4.5″ x .25″ on watercolor paper, only $15!

Feel wild and free when you gaze at “Midnight Riders” by Peter C.M. van Herpt. These moonlit riders gallop across the page in pen and ink from Conté à Paris.

Perhaps we can feel the summer fading in Eimiel’s “Rain Song” – a gentle downpour of warm rain with the barest chill. This illustration is graphite and Polychromos colored pencils.

We hope you enjoyed these sneak peek’s at #EMGSketchFest 102’s gallery – click through now to enjoy the rest.

Go ahead and make plans to attend our next online Sketch Fest – #EMGSketchFest #103 will take place October 5-7, 2018 while we’re celebrating 25 years in business! Mark your calendars.

Closing Sketch Fest Sunday!

#EMGSketchFest 102 ended earlier this afternoon, but artists may still add pieces as we start the new week. Enjoy these evening featured illustrations, then explore the full gallery!

Tricia Danby gave us this mysterious “Harvest Moon Witch,” silhouetted against the most gorgeous, enormous harvest moon. You can snag a large print of this one – 20 cm x 30 cm – for only $18!

This captivating “Autumn Owl” was created by Regina Mailloux with graphite and gouache washes on 7″ x 10″ Canson watercolor paper. You can take home the original piece for $30.

“The Mermaid’s Oyster” by Katerina Koukiotis

Katerina Koukiotis created this moving mermaid illustration with color pencils and pastels with no references. Her inspiration came from Camille Chandler, who wrote a poem for the prompt as well – click through to read the poem and admire “The Mermaid’s Oyster.” Snag a LE ACEO print for just $6!

“Witch’s Unusual Pet” by Julie Rabischung

We are beyond charmed at this “Witch’s Unusual Pet” as drawn by Julie Rabischung! Prompted by Mayumi Ogihara, here’s what Julie has to say, “A purple undefined octopus-creature is swimming in the little witch’s potion. It is her favorite and unusual familiar.” You can purchase the original black and purple ink sketch on 5″ x 7″ Bristol for $15!

There’s something eerie and poignant in “Bestowing” by Abi. Inspired by Tara N. Colna’s prompt “The Raven’s Stone,” she was pulled in many different directions before grabbing hold of one and pursuing it. She says, “In my interpretation the Raven’s stone is mounted in the circlet he carries. Here, for reasons that are bound to mystify and perplex, he is bestowing it upon one whom he deems suitable to carry it.” Abi mentioned she might work with this piece more – and we hope she does!

That’s it for our features tonight – hit the full gallery, and come back tomorrow for our wrap-up post. We’ll also be announcing next Sketch Fest’s dates, which will take place during our 25th Anniversary Celebrations!

Friday Night Hexin’ – We Mean, Sketchin’!

Welcome to #EMGSketchFest 102! We’re 10 hours into our creative jam this Friday night. Several artists have already submitted sketches to our gallery, so we’re rolling in curious characters, feathered friends, and a mischievous young witch.

New to Sketch Fest? Head over to the site and register for free – then you can participate! Create art of any type using prompts submitted by the community – the only rule is that you must work within 1-hour blocks and upload what you’ve finished at the end of that hour. If you don’t want to create, you can still leave comments cheering others on!

Our first submitted piece of artwork this Sketch Fest was the uncolored version of “Ooops” by Elisa Ferguson. She was inspired by Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt, “Oops, I didn’t meant to put hex on you!”

Check out the full gallery and leave some comments for our artists here.

Come back tomorrow for more art features! And if you share your favorites on social media, be sure to use our official hashtag: #EMGSketchFest.

We came, we saw, we sketched!

Thanks to everyone who turned out for our 101st Sketch Fest! We had 26 participating artists who collectively created 62 things over our 48-hour creative jam. If you’re just joining us and haven’t seen anything yet – you’re in for a treat!

Check out some final featured illustrations from #EMGSketchFest 101, then get over to the full gallery to enjoy some more and even do a little shopping.

“Golden Leaf Dragon” gives us an inscrutable gaze from a haze of golden light – this sketch by Kathy Nutt is done in sepia micron pen and metallic ink wash.

This adorable “Toadstool Faerie” by Rosie Wells – inspired by Sarah Alden’s prompt – is ready to be your friend.

Amy Sue Stirland’s “Fire fairy” evokes that feeling of August breezes… this piece is 4″ x 6″, soluble crayon on toned tan art paper. You can snag the original for only $15!

Anyone else longing for Halloween? This irrepressible unicorn by Jill Britt makes it harder to wait! “Candy Corn” is her version of a candy corn unicorn, as prompted by Rosie Wells.

When you’re ready to find a little serenity, Nathalie Reinholz’s “Meditating” makes a great visual companion! Prompted by Katta with “rainbow gnome,” this piece is the orange gnome of Natta’s series. This is watercolor on ARCHES hot pressed 300g. She says, “I am much into mindfulness and painting as practice counts.” We agree!

“The Last Summer Light” by Regina Mailloux

Regina Mailloux’s “The Last Summer Light” evocatively captures the feeling of a hot afternoon and floral-gazing pensiveness. This is a grahite and pastel sketch on 5″ x 8″ Strathmore toned paper – you can purchase the original sketch for $25!

Our last feature is from Paola Zunico, who drew this majestic and whimsical Totoro! Paola says, “I always loved the movies from studio Ghibli. Makes me feel so much love and peace. I did this Totoro like a tribute to this movies.” This sketch on Canson paper can be purchased for just $30, and measures 5.5″ x 8.5″.

That’s it for our features from #EMGSketchFest 101 – head to the gallery now for the rest! And don’t forget to mark your calendars for Sketch Fest #102, which will be held the weekend of September 7-9.

Sketch Fest 100 Ends with a Bang!

#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!

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.

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!

Sketching Away A Sunday Afternoon

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.

The sheer amount of character Monika Holloway captures in “Sunshine” simply radiates off the page. Graphic pencil on 7×9 cotton paper.

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.”

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

Saturday Night Sketch Fest with Prizes!

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.

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 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!

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.

Sketch Festin’ Saturday!

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.

Anastasia Bisel sketched this remarkable “Agate Queen,” inspired by Jenny Heidewald.

Rowan Lewgalon drew an enchanting start to a painting inspired by her own prompt, “Triple Goddess.”

“Demonic Butterfly” is a compelling Micron pen sketch by Kathy Nutt, inspired by Anke Wehner’s prompt!

“Moon Princess” by Julie Rabischung is a lovely 4×6 ink, markers, and gel pens sketch. You can purchase the original drawing for $15!

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.