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!

Wrapping Up Sketch Fest #105

What a wonderful Sketch Fest we had last weekend! Twenty-one artists joined us and contributed 50 creations to the Sketch Fest gallery – we have thumbnails and watercolors and colored-pencil illustrations. We have a Christmas teddy bear, wonderland winter foxes, sweet Christmas mice, and polar bears, too – alongside Christmas tree cats and curious blops, folkloric illustrations and more.

And did we mention the art for sale? Snag originals and prints for all your friends this holiday season – just look for the red border in the gallery to discover what’s on offer.

Let’s have some final featured illustrations before we go.

“Mistletoad” by Nathalie Reinholz

The holiday spirit gets a little earthy in “Mistletoad” by Nathalie Reinholz – Nathalie was traveling this weekend but still managed to squeeze in this sketch!

“Kitten in Christmas Tree” by Tara N Colna

Tara N Colna uses photography with “Kitten in Christmas Tree” to demonstrate that the struggle is real when you have kittens and Christmas trees together: “Can’t keep the new kittens out of the tree. This is Oreo getting caught, her brother Beelzebub jumped out before I could get him.”

“Next Step of the Plot” by Kir Talmage

We love this super-quick sketch from Kir Talmage! “Next Step of the Plot” captures the raccoon’s hopeful deviousness as he dons a disguise to steal Santa’s sleigh… “The plans were ready. The diagrams were complete. All he needed now was his disguise.”

“Christmas Mermaid” by Sarah Alden

Sarah Alden created this beautiful “Christmas Mermaid” and she has a question for us all: Sarah will be coloring her soon and asks, “Do you think I should keep the shell crown or go with more of a holly wreath crown instead?”

“Silent Night” by Erich Heidewald

Feel the warmth of joy in your heart with this “Silent Night” landscape featuring a family of rabbits in scarves around a cheerful campfire.

“I put it on a gear” by Charlie Galvin

This charming Christmas tree from Charlie Galvin made us grin! Here’s what Charlie said about it: “It counts as steampunk because I put the tree on a gear, right? The tree is also decked out in Edison bulbs. 🐙” We think it counts, too!

We hope you enjoyed this, and we hope you’ll participate in our next Sketch Fest in February! Enjoy the holidays and follow us on Facebook for the latest #EMGSketchFest updates.

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.

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.

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!

Saturdays are for Sketch Fest

We’re back with the first installment of our Saturday highlights from #EMGSketchFest 97! Have you been creating today? We’d love to create with you! Just head on over to the full gallery – explore the art, leave some prompts, and create art (sketches, jewelry, whatever you make) of your own!

Let’s take a sneak peek at what’s hanging out in the gallery, shall we?

“Mermaid Fashions” by ElmaBree

ElmaBree, inspired by Mayumi Ogihara’s prompt “Mermaid dress decorated with the most beautiful mermaid scales,” drew this well-dressed mermaid. She adds that this is an unfinished sketch to be completed later.

“Miss Fuzzy Sweater” by Heather Kilgore

It may not be sweater weather anymore, but Heather Kilgore sketched the fabulous “Miss Fuzzy Sweater.” You can almost feel that fuzzy sweater! You can purchase the original graphite drawing on cream drawing paper for just $25.

“Shy Fairy” by Tricia Danby

Tricia Danby’s “Shy Fairy” promises to be a lush illustration in all the fresh colors of spring. We can’t wait to see her completed!

“Chain of Daisies” by Janna Prosvirina

Janna Prosvirina drew this fresh-face fairy crafting a “Chain of Daisies,” and it’s soon to be a coloring page! Here’s what she said: “For those who enjoy coloring I will make this image available as a digital stamp /coloring page. It will be available through my Etsy.” You can pick up the original ink drawing on office paper for $12!

“Jellyfishie” by Nathalie Reinholz

Our last highlight for this afternoon is “Jellyfishie” by Nathalie Reinholz! This gorgeous watercolor of a jellyfish absolutely glows. “No ideas how these are fish,” Nathalie wrote, “but I took this as an opportunity to follow Stephanie Law’s instructional video on patreon on how to paint jellyfish.” If you fancy snagging the original watercolor painting on Hahnemühle Cornwall paper, it’s only $35!

Now that your appetite has been whetted, head on over to the full gallery and wander through the marvelous works waiting for you. Don’t forget – share your thoughts and your artwork on social media with our official hashtag, #EMGSketchFest.

EMG Sketch Fest 93 is nearly done!

The clock is ticking down, my friends, to the time when #EMGSketchFest 93 is put to bed! But we’re not quite there yet, so there’s still time to participate – and so many wonders to appreciate. Join me for a sneak peek!

“Snow Leopard” by Nathalie Reinholz

Nathalie sketched this adorable little “Snow Leopard” that captures a bit of that Zootopia spirit quite nicely! You can pick up this postcard-sized original for only $30! Ink on watercolor paper.

“Winter Unicorn” by Ellen Million

This shaggy beauty appears courtesy of Ellen Million and her pencil! This shaggy “Winter Unicorn” is 5.5″ x 8.5″ and the original’s available (to be cleaned up and finished a little more) for $20.

“Moon Crown” by Mayumi Ogihara

Mayumi Ogihara depicted this “Moon Crown” and its lovely bearer with colored pencils, pastels, acrylic, and glitter on toned paper. “I added some glitters on her crown and the fur which you can’t see in the scanned image, but they’re quite sparkly,” she adds. She’s offering the original for only $27, and you can get various prints for $6 – $12.

“Mr. Tumnus and the Lamp Post” by Caitlin Woods

This last one is a winter classic! Caitlin Woods sketched Mr. Tumnus as we first met him in Narnia. It does remind one of a certain gifty time of year!

That’s it for now – head on over to the main #EMGSketchFest 93 gallery for more!

Farewell, Sketch Fest #92!

Ah, #EMGSketchFest 92, we hardly knew ye… but we had a heck of a time! We’re over the moon (literally, in some cases??) about the breadth of creativity in the gallery, and we can’t wait to see what our participating artists upload in the hours and days to come. (Did you know? Artists can upload finished versions of their works-in-progress!)

It’s time for our last sneak peek, this one celebrating Sketch Fest Sunday and autumn and Halloween.

“Krampus Santa” by Teri Sherman

Okay, okay, calm down. I know we’re all “You shall not pass!” at Christmas from our autumnal October shores, but Teri Sherman’s fantastically creepy illustration is totally Halloween-adjacent. Look at that Krampus!

“Selene” by Rowan Lewgalon

Deirde M. Murphy gave us the wonderful prompt “The Moon, wearing beautiful veils” and Rowan Lewgalon took it and ran with it beautifully. Her silvery-haired “Selene” can rule our glittering nights – and you can purchase a print for $15!

“Autumn Leaf Pixie” by Nathalie Reinholz

The joy of this little “Autumn Leaf Pixie” is contagious – fabulous work by artist Nathalie Reinholz! You can pick up this one-of-a-kind watercolor painting with colored pencils for only $20.

“Sugar Skull Stamp” by Afke van Herpt

Afke van Herpt decided to try something different this Sketch Fest, and made lovely and spooky little stamp! The stamp is inspired by a sugar skull, commonly associated with Dia de lost Muertos (which takes place at the end of October through the first couple days of November). You can pick up this 1.5″ stamp for $16.

“Autumn Tears” by Eimiel

Don’t cry, dryad! #EMGSketchFest 92 may be over, but there’s still tons of great art out there. Oh, wait, Eimiel’s dryad is crying “Autumn Tears” over the loss of her foliage in a lovely watercolor painting. No worries – they’ll be renewed!

We hope you enjoyed these sneak peeks during #EMGSketchFest weekend – now click over to the full gallery for more (a pouncing fox, a watchful King of the Forest, a spooky kitty)! And don’t forget to use our official hashtag of #EMGSketchFest when sharing on social media. See you next Sketch Fest!

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