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!

“Ooops” by Elisa Ferguson

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” by Kathy Nutt

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.

“Toadstool Faerie” by Rosie Wells

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

“Fire fairy” by Amy Sue Stirland

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!

“Candy Corn” by Jill Britt

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.

“Meditating” by Nathalie Reinholz

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!

“Totoro” by Paola Zunico

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.

Happy Sketch Fest Saturday!

Saturday may be wending to a close, but we’re still sketch festing the night away! It’s our 101st Sketch Fest, and you’ll find the gallery full of playful cats and fairies, and pieces inspired by unicorns, Game of Thrones, and the Victorian era.

Enjoy our featured illustrations, then take a dip into the gallery!

“Rainbow Magic” by Elisa Ferguson

Becca “Boo” Moore’s prompt of “Rainbow Magic” inspired this rainbow-bedecked unicorn by Elisa Ferguson.

“Toadstool Fairy” by Becca “Boo” Moore

Becca broke out a brand new sketchbook for this “Toadstool Fairy,” and she commented: “Warming up with a steampunk fairy!” This toadstool-appreciating fairy is on 5.5″ x 8.5″ Canson Mixed Media paper. And you can snag the original for only $20!

“From the Depth of the Ocean” by Mayumi Ogihara

Inspired by another of Becca Moore’s prompts, “Spooky Mermaid,” Mayumi Ogihara drew “From the Depth of the Ocean” from the deeps of her own imagination and this reference. This illustration is Col-Erase brown and white charcoal on 5″ x 7″ toned paper – and could be yours for $30.

“Keeper of the Last Summer Light” by Kir Talmage

This warm and homey sketch that creator Kir Talmage titled “Keeper of the Last Summer Light” well-evokes the last lights of summer. She commented, “I need more anatomy/life drawing lessons! These arms are giving me so much trouble! But I like her expression.” We do, too!

“Luna” by Maria Gonzalez

Maria Gonzalez drew the wonderfully enchanting “Luna” as a play on Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt “luna moth fairy.” You can take home the original 4″ x 6″ sketch in colored pencils on an toned paper for $16!

We’re signing off for the night, so head on over to the full #EMGSketchFest gallery – it’s free to sign up and participate!

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!

“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!

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.

“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!

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.

“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.

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.

“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!

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.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

EMGSketchFest 99 – After Action Report!

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!

Enjoying Sketch Fest Sunday?

#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!