Last Sketch Fest of the Decade

Welcome to our last featured creations post of the decade, celebrating our last #EMGSketchFest of same; read on to admire some of the wonderful examples of creativity uploaded to the Sketch Fest #116 gallery.

“Egyptian Vulture” by Kathy Nutt

Vultures tend to be a massively misunderstood avian, so we’re delighted to see Kathy Nutt giving us such a regal “Egyptian Vulture” sketch this month. This 4.5″ x 6″ Micron pen drawing on watercolor paper is available for $30.

“Wild” by Katerina Romanova

This vital and mysterious sketch comes from Katerina Romanova, who writes, “I loved this prompt! Also, I’ve fallen back into my unicorn phase and can’t get back up.” Inspired by Skarbog’s prompt of “the wild unicorn,” “Wild” is a speedpaint done in 50 minutes using the Mixer Brush tool. You can pick up prints in a couple of sizes for for $14 or $18.

“Froggy Lady” by Nathalie Edelhirsch

We love the mischief captured in Nathalie Edelhirsch’s “Froggy Lady.” She said, “There probably is some magic in this” and we can’t disagree! You can take home the original mixed media painting on watercolor paper for $20.

“Fishy Cuddles” by Tallulah Cunningham

Winter may be cold, but you’ll feel warm and fuzzy after admiring this mermaid snuggling with a puffin. Tallulah Cunningham drew “Fishy Cuddles” upon the inspiration of Sarah Alden’s “Puffin Mermaid” prompt.

“Fairy Midwinter Night Star Gazing” by Linnea Holmström Ljung

Our last featured illustration of the decade is Linnea Holmström Ljung’s “Fairy Midwinter Night Star Gazing.” This fanciful and wonderful sketch is pencil on A6 paper, completed in forty minutes.

Now that you’ve seen these pretties, click over to the gallery and admire all the rest! Don’t forget to do a little shopping and commenting while you’re there.

We hope you’ll join us for the first #EMGSketchFest of 2020 – it’ll take place on the weekend of January 17-19. Tell your friends, and we’ll see you there!

Turn back your clocks and enjoy more Sketch Fest!

It’s Sketch Fest Saturday night – and also time to turn your clocks back if you live in the US! Enjoy an extra hour of creativity this weekend, make some art, and share some comments with all our Sketch Fest participants.

Let’s take a look at some featured illustrations:

“The Little Mouse and Her Toadstool House” by Julie Rabischung

Julie Rabischung submitted the first piece of art this weekend! Her charming illustration of “the little mouse and her toadstool house” was created with colored pencils and ink on 4″x6″ toned paper.

“Christmas Stag Bust” by Tam

Tam is getting into the winter holiday spirit early with this “Christmas Stag Bust,” described as “With candle like horns and a wreath of holly the stag uses the North Star to guide its way.”

“Leaf Fox” by Kathy Nutt

You can just feel the autumn wind this “Leaf Fox” is cavorting in! This illustration by Kathy Nutt is “metallic ink wash over coloured pencil and micron pen.” The colors also match her “Fallen Colours” piece, so those two pieces are now a set.

“Wolf and Dragon” by Julie Cooper

Julie Cooper sketched in the beginning of this matched and curious pair – check back for more work on it tomorrow!

“Crown of Moon and Stars” by Jenna Wing-hu

Crown of Moon and Stars” by Jenna Wing-hu is a “quick sketch on gessoed hardboard with graphite and white colored pencil.” Mysterious and radiant!

Have you enjoyed this preview? Don’t forget to click through to the full Sketch Fest gallery! Enjoy the art, and come back soon.

September Sketch Fest Sunday

Happy Sketch Fest Sunday! We’re welcoming in autumn the best way we know how, by spending a day celebrating with creativity in one-hour sprints.

#EMGSketchFest 113 has ended, but there’s still much to do – enjoy the art, leave comments for the artists, and maybe pick up a print or an original of your favorite pieces.

Let’s do some featured illustrations:

“Season of the Witch” by Linzi Fay

Season of the Witch” by Linzi Fay is her “first witch of the season yay!” You can snag this magical sketch for only $20.

“Luminous” by Maria J. William

This vibrant piece by Maria J. William was inspired by Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt of “Azure Blue and Pumpkin Orange.” You can pick up the original colored pencil sketch of “Luminous” on toned paper for $40.

“The Witch and the Owl” by Jenna Wing-hu

This contemplative witch is judging you! “The Witch and the Owl” by Jenna Wing-hu is on 5″ x 7″ MDF board.

“Hygge in a fairy home” by Katinka Sárvári

You can feel the comfort in Katinka Sárvári’s “Hygge in a fairy home,” which she describes as “Firay mums happiness with their little babies in their lilly of the valley home.” This is Katinka’s first Sketch Fest!

“Starry, starry night” by Rowan Lewgalon

This soft, sweet fox sleeps amidst lovely greenery in Rowan Lewgalon’s “Starry, starry night.” She admits she loved working on this one!

“Acorn Princess” by Milkycat

This curious “Acorn Princess” looks ready for autumn to unfold. You can snag the original 5″ x 7″ illustration by Milkycat for $10.

“Dangerous Beauty” by Kathy Nutt

Feel the fear of this “Dangerous Beauty” coming for you! This rough pencil sketch by Kathy Nutt was inspired by Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt of “Dangerous and beautiful mermaid witch.”

We hope you enjoyed our featured illustrations – explore the full gallery, and keep checking back as artists may still add sketches that were in progress when #EMGSketchFest ended.

Come back tomorrow to discover October’s Sketch Fest dates!

Tempestuousness and Whimsy

Our eleventy-first Sketch Fest has come to an end! But that doesn’t mean the gallery’s locked – some additional illustrations may be added as our artists finish uploading the creations inspired by their claimed prompts.

You should definitely swing by the full gallery – in a bit. Let us whet your appetite with some featured illustrations first.

“Lily” by Maigan Lynn

Inspired by Julie Rabischung’s prompt of “lotus flower mermaid,” Maigan Lynn drew this pale and long-lashed fish-tailed beauty. “Lily” is drawn with colored pencils on 5.5″ x 8.5″ on toned paper. Pick up the original for $35.

“The Blue Fox Carried by a Balloon” by Erich Heidewald

Erich Heidewald drew this delightful blue fox who’s “[f]loating, floating away!” with a whimsical grin on their muzzle. This illustration is colored pencils on 3.5″ x 5.25″ on 60 lb sketch paper.

“Little Red Hen” by Kathy Nutt

There’s a sublime watchfulness in Kathy Nutt’s line drawing of a “Little Red Hen.” We can just see this chicken giving a mischievously loud bacaw before shimmying her feathers and looking for feed.

“Queen of Shadows” by Mayumi Ogihara

Mayumi Ogihara sketched this “Queen of Shadows” with her vulnerable yet piercing gaze and perhaps a hint of a raven-feather collar and a truly impressive crown. This is an unfinished digital sketch inspired by Maigan Lynn’s “the darkest dark” prompt, and Mayumi may finish it after some more brainstorming time.

“Storm Fairy” by Katherine Rose Barber

Storm Fairy” by Katherine Rose Barber is a breathtaking sketch of tempestuous beauty. She also did a speed-sketch of this, which will be up on her YouTube later – be sure to check it out.

“Just Wondering” by Peter C.M. van Herpt

This majestic gorilla by Peter C. M. van Herpt was created in pencil and pastel pencil and inspired by Nathalie Edelhirsch’s prompt of “just wondering.”

That’s it for tonight – click over to the full gallery for more, and join us here tomorrow when we announce the dates of the next Sketch Fest!

Sketch Fest Saturday with EMGSketchFest 105

Welcome to #EMGSketchFest Saturday! It’s bitter cold and/or rainy in the multilocational EMG offices, so we’re looking forward to staying warm and getting creative with all of you. Let’s take a look at some featured sketches from the gallery so far.

“Winter Forest Guardian” by Kathy Nutt

Kathy Nutt got the first sketch in this Sketch Fest with her imposing “Winter Forest Guardian,” which she describes as “Ent sketch with Micron pen.”

“itsapolarbear!” by blopdotink

blopdotink has joined us for another Sketch Fest, sharing “itsapolarbear!” from her blopmess Christmas calendar: “It’s a continuous story with an ink illustration per day until Christmas and I am excited to base it (partly) on sketchfest prompts again. Let’s find out what mischief my blops are up to and what role their newly discovered ‘polar bear’ plays.” We can’t wait to find out!

“Cats in a Christmas Tree” by Julie Cooper

I laughed out loud when I saw Julie Cooper’s “Cats in a Christmas Tree.” I feel like this is exactly what would happen with enough cats around sparkling lights, shiny tinsel, and something to climb.

“Beary Christmas” by Linda Sayegh

This adorably fluffy bear was created by Linda Sayegh: “A cute little Teddy Bear getting ready for Christmas. Colored pencils and a bit of Sharpie paint pen on toned Canson Mi-Tientes acid free paper. 5 x 7 inches.” You can actually purchase the original sketch of this piece!

“Red in Snow” by Harkalya Reveur

Our final sketch – for now! – is “Red in Snow” by Harkalya Reveur and we really hope she does more work on it! She said she spent 20 minutes rough sketching here to create a concept sketch.

Head over to the full gallery to check out more illustrations – register for free and leave some prompts for our participants! And don’t forget to use our official hashtag of #EMGSketchFest when sharing your favorites on social media.

EMG Sketch Fest #104

Welcome to our November #EMGSketchFest Saturday! Our 104th Sketch Fest began yesterday – let’s take a peek at some of the work done so far.

“Galaxy” by Linda Sayegh

Linda Sayegh had the honor of first illustration this month with her colored pencils illustration of a baby panda. She also drew the sublime “Galaxy,” inspired by Julie Cooper’s prompt “A black animal silhouette on a galaxy of bright stars.” The original 5×7 illustration, colored pencil on black Canson Ph-balanced paper, may be available for purchase later – check back!

“Is That Supposed to Be Blue?” by Kathy Nutt

Kathy Nutt’s droll “Is That Supposed to Be Blue?” depicts a “cardinal couple [who] are wondering about the egg that hatched in their nest.” The original painting measures 6×4.5 and is micron pen and metallic ink wash on watercolor paper. It may also be available for purchase later, so check back.

“The Lonely Heart of the Snow Queen” by Regina Mailloux

Regina Mailloux captured the evocative nature of fairy tales with “The Lonely Heart of the Snow Queen.” This pensive and yearning figure was created in graphite and acrylic washes on Canson watercolor paper. The original 7×10 illustration is available for $30!

“Winter Mermaid”by Eimiel

This pale and ethereal “Winter Mermaid” by Eimiel was drawn using colored pencils.

“Throwl” by Harkalya Reveur

Our last featured illustration for now is “Throwl” from Harkalya Reveur. Inspired by the prompt “the three eyed owl” from Julie Cooper, this graphite sketch depicts an otherworldly owl with a snack and far more than three eyes!

If you enjoyed this peek, make sure you check out the full gallery. We’ll share some more art later today! And when you share your favorites on social media, make sure you use our official hashtag: #EMGSketchFest.

Your EMG Stories: Kathy Nutt

October marks 25 years of business for Ellen Million Graphics – we’re honored and delighted to reach this milestone, and it’s very much a longevity we never could have hoped for without all of you! Every customer, contributor, and participant in Ellen Million Graphics is special. We thank you all, whether you’ve just submitted a few prompts in Sketch Fest or have a full Portrait Adoption gallery or have published a coloring book with us. You all make this business shine.

And so! We’ve asked all of you to share your EMG Story with us, and we’re sharing 23 of those stories here on the blog throughout the month. Would you like to submit yours? Email Deborah here.

“Raven Crescent Moon” by Kathy Nutt, $65

Today, we’re sharing Kathy Nutt‘s story:

“I wanted to just say that I always have so much fun during Sketch Fest, and that it’s always inspirational, so I went to see how long ago I began participating and it’s been since Sketch Fest #22 (January, 2012)! Even after all that time it is something I look forward to, even if it’s just reading all the prompts and making a wish list of what I would like to draw from that list. I have a small pile of wish list papers on my desk from several past Sketch Fests. Perhaps one day I will DRAW ALL THE THINGS!! or maybe just keep adding to the pile. : ) I do try to get 2 to 3 images drawn every event that I participate in, and sometimes I even finish one! Thank you Ellen for the support and work you put into your community. It’s very much a place I like to be a part of.”

Thank you, Kathy! We appreciate your art and your spirit and your participation.

#EMGSketchFest 103, our 25th Anniversary Sketch Fest, will take place this weekend from October 5-7, starting at 12 PM AKT.

Afternoon Tea and Creative Jam

Welcome to Sketch Fest Saturday, everyone! More than a dozen participants have thrown their works into the ring so far, and there’s some remarkable creativity and whimsy being revealed in the #EMGSketchFest 102 gallery – you’ve really got to see it.

Enjoy the featured illustrations below, then click through!

“Raven Moon” by Kathy Nutt

Kathy Nutt’s gorgeous “Raven Moon” may or may not have been drawn within the allotted hour – here’s what Kathy has to say about that: “I was merrily drawing away, listening to a pod cast and found I had not set the timer I was waiting for the alarm to go off. I figure it had to be pretty close to an hour but I wasn’t sure so I drew another raven and definitely saw the amount of detail was similar so I figured it was okay to post.” We’re glad you shared it – this raven’s lovely!

“Swan Song Trio” by Tallulah Cunningham

Tallulah’s been rocking the gallery out with some seriously creative responses to prompts today – one of our faves is “Swan Song Trio,” inspired by one of Regina Mailloux’s prompts. “The music they are singing is a line from the ballet,” Tallulah said. “The frog provides the percussion. I think the naiad and the swan have been going steady for a few years – they always rock up to events together.”

“Autumn Butterfly” by Amy Sue Stirland

Autumn Butterfly” by Amy Sue Stirland is a peaceful scene, inviting autumn along. This 5″ x 7″ watercolor painting can be yours for $15!

“Meditate” by Nathalie Reinholz

Meditate” is Nathalie Reinholz’s reply to Maria J. William’s prompt of “Keep calm and…” Here’s what Nathalie had to say: “On a leaf. Another mindfulness gnome in watercolour on Arches Hot Press paper.” This gnome joins a beautiful series of mindfulness started in our last Sketch Fest. This 25.9 cm x 12.3 cm watercolor painting can bring serenity into your life for $27.

“Mabon” by Rowan Lewgalon

Mabon” is definitely a work in progress from Rowan Lewgalon – but we love the quality of the empty robe open against the blue sky and waving fields of wheat. Check back for her completed painting as #EMGSketchFest goes on!

That’s it for our featured illustrations – jump over to the gallery and explore its fairies and ravens and witches – and even Jason Momoa! We’ll feature a few more later tonight.

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.

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.