Lorna Cowie – Ellen Million Graphics Blog

Saturday? More like SketcherDay!

We’re over 24 hours in to #EMGSketchFest 106! Have you been by the gallery yet? We’ve got 18 participants so far who’ve contributed over 40 creations to the gallery – including unicorns and mermaids and baby dragons. There’s even sculpture!

Check out our five featured creations below, then hop on over there – and, if you’re not registered, sign up! It’s free, and you can leave prompts for the participants and comment to encourage them. You can even get in on sketching or knitting or crafting or writing yourself.

First up, we have a sketch from the founder of our Sketch Fest feast, Ellen Million! Drawing on Nicole Madden’s wintry prompt of “Unicorn in a snowy scenery,” Ellen Million said about her ACEO pencil sketch: “Well, I didn’t get the snowy scenery in, but maybe it’s snowing really hard…” You can snap up the original drawing for only $5!

This sweet little bat was sketched by Jill Britt, inspired by Rosie Wells!

Linda Sayegh drew this gorgeous fox – or “Kitsune” – with colored pencils and sharpie paint pen on toned Canson Mi-Tientes acid-free paper. 5×7 inches.

Sarah Alden left the prompt “Little Hearts” and Maria Gonzalez spun that seed into this lovely and fanciful 4×6 inches sketch. Titled “Two of Hearts,” this drawing was done in colored pencils on toned paper and the original is available for $18!

Lorna Cowie, inspired by Sarah Alden’s prompt “Violet Flowers,” drew these violet flowers and amethyst crystals in the style of her coloring pages.

Loving these illustrations? Head over to the full gallery and enjoy some more! When you share on social media, make sure to use our official hashtag: #EMGSketchFest.

Your EMG Stories: Lorna Cowie

We continue celebrating 25 years in business with today’s entry in our EMG Story series. Wondering what we’re doing? Start here with our introduction.

Now, let’s listen to Lorna Cowie as she tells us her EMG Story:

“I can’t remember how I came across Ellen or EMG. It was either looking through things for Elf-Quest, or portraits for my RPG characters, but anyway, I clearly stumbled into the path of this 100% awesome woman who had loads of ideas and was willing to froth crazily about them at me!

I remember contributing to the fanzine a few times, as I do love to write. I was so proud of them being published, and still keep them so I can read. My one about LARP I still give to new players who have no idea what it is! And I am sad to say, I still do have a bag of unwashed seashells. I have had to keep them out of the house due to the cats.

Portrait adoption was and is (when I get back to having time) a huge thing to me, as well as EMG colouring books and pages. Thanks to Ellen I now know how to create my own colouring pages and I sell quite a few digitally and physically. It’s not a massive earner by any means, but I simply love creating the perfectly odd picture that someone can colour in.

Torn World became a huge jumping point for my writing, and I still have many a story to finish off there. The characters we have created are so unique and lovable (or hate, your choice!), and the world is massive.

Do I consider this woman who I have never met a friend? Yes, yes I do. It can be months before we talk, but when we do it is like no time has passed. I am sad my own personal time is lacking to keep me involved as much as I want to, and I hope to fix this soon. I HEART YOU ELLEN!”

We heart you right back, Lorna! Thank you, thank you for being our friend and partner across so many EMG adventures!

Would you like to share your EMG Story with us and perhaps see it featured on our blog? Email Deborah here.

Farewell EMGSketchFest 94… hello EMGSketchFest 95!

That’s it, folks! Another #EMGSketchFest weekend has passed in 48 hours of creativity and sharing. Archers and dancers, sea unicorns and Christmas mermaids all turned up in the gallery during this Sketch Fest. And there are tons of goodies for sale, as well – snatch an original or a print to give to a friend this holiday season!

How about some final featured illustrations?

Lorna Cowie created this delightful piece, which she later finished with an outline of Mystic Hare. “I’m always surprised at how blue winter is,” Lorna wrote. “There is a certain time of night, when it snows, that everything turns blue, with violet shadows. Windsor and Newton watercolours with salt detailing. Once dry, the salt is brushed free to reveal the textured pattern.”

Caitlin Woods, meanwhile, spent some time playing with crayons and drew this “Faerie Light.”

Edward Cammarota left the prompt “Christmas fairy in candy cane stockings” and that’s exactly what Heather Kilgore created! You can get the original drawing, 4″ x 6″, on cream drawing paper for $35.

Tricia Danby’s participation this Sketch Fest is manifesting as a beautiful “Winter Fae” – we can’t wait to see the finished creation!

Maria J. William snuck in at the end of the weekend, sharing several amazing illustrations – including this snow leopard with it’s stunning “Icy Blue” eyes. Snag a print for a cat-loving friend: get a semi-gloss print for $10 or an ACEO print for $5.

We may be done featuring illustrations from this Sketch Fest, but artists may still upload a drawing or two as they finish up their latest pieces – be sure to check back and don’t forget to shop!

We’d also love to announce #EMGSketchFest 95 – SURPRISE, it’s December 29-31! We’re getting in one last event before the end of 2017! Please join us, and create something warm and wonderful in the heart of the cold. We can’t wait to see you there!