Good episode as always. I think art challenges are a wonderful learning tool especially if you think of them as "challenges," not "competitions." Unlike a competition, a challenge allows for the bending of the rules to what is going to be most useful to you. I've been using Inktober to improve my line and wash techniques and while purists would say adding color is "against the rules," for me it's been great learning how to balance linework with watercolor: how much do I want the ink to depict the values, for example, and how much do I leave to the watercolor? I haven't gotten it yet but without Inktober, I wouldn't have spent this much time even trying it. I've also done Will Terry's "Draw 50 Things," and Lee White's "Slowvember," and learned something from each so keep the challenges coming!

Hi there! My Misunderstood Monster for this month´s contest: "Can I get a Hugh?

@evilrobot i like the way you think. Make an opportunity out of a tragedy.

@nasvikdraws you're maybe behind but you're making 4 pictures each time! and the quality is still there. Keep it up!

Color Study Any Thoughts?

@eli Thank you for your feedback Eli!

Day 20 Breakable.

Inktober 2018 day 20-breakable.

These are so great! I think i still love the worm and jack o lantern the best. Something about his own glow lighting up the pumpkin seems so clever. And he’s cute!

Bone breakable hugs. Day 20 #breakable #inktober2018 .

@lauraa I like this version a lot and kudos to your daughter for catching the physics of pulling on sausages!

The idea of this topic is to create a thread for SVS-lers to exchange info about conferences and workshops they plan to attend in 2019 - and maybe arrange to meet in person! It makes a world of a difference to have a friendly person to meet in a gathering of strangers - even somebody you`ve never met in person. And this community is so awesome I would gladly chat over a coffee or drinks with any of you. So, it looks like in 2019 I will be attending: SCBWI NY Conference (February 8-10) Bologna Children Book Fair (April 1-4) Europolitan SCBWI Conference in Zuerich (May 3-6) Anyone else going?

@missmushy looking good!

Love the emotion you’re striving to convey! There are a couple of things I would change, but the one that stands out more is that the kid looks too small compared to his surroundings. He is also in the dead center of the composition - it may look more dynamic if you shift him slightly off-center, ideally with his head on one of the thirds line. Your perspective is also a little off - the pavement and brick lines should be slightly converging to their off-page vanishing points, and the vertical lines would be converging towards the bottom, not towards the top, as you have them now. I love his expression!

@xin-li these are great. I especially love the one with the Legos!!

Everyone has given such deep, thoughtful answers so far... it has me thinking too (so thank you all). This topic is often on my mind, but I rarely take the time to distil thoughts into writing. I really like the analogy of humanity being like one human body, with each person being one cell. Each cell is deeply affected by the overall health of the body, and the body is consequently sick or healthy depending on the wellbeing of each cell. When it comes to art - a deeply impactful part of each cell's environment, affecting the inner-workings of this "body" - its general nature affects the health of humankind. For instance, today it seems that a lot of art promotes unhealthy ideas or substances, or is disunifying in some way. On the other hand, art can bring people together, promote better functioning societies, inspire virtue and good character, and glorify what is beautiful or pure. This bigger picture, which presents to me an idea of interconnectedness, makes me think that each person's art can have an impact on the functioning of the body of humankind. I personally really like the idea of bringing a feeling of reverence to art and depicting people in a way that shows their inner nobility, so that's what I'm trying to learn about these days. I love this topic and will, no doubt, be reflecting on it for as long as I'm able to make things. Certainly don't have it figured out yet...

Hi Gary, this is another tremendous piece. Your art is really inspirational to me. I really vascilated about adding a suggestion to your thread or not because you said you were finished, but I decided to write it here with the added note, "please totally disregard if not appropriate!" It seems that your piano lid could benefit from mimicking the curved shape of the piano so that it would close properly. I find it's hard to paint simple versions of technical objects because those familiar with them notice minute details. Thanks, as always, for sharing your process.

Inktober Day 16: Angular

Starting Point, 1979-1996 by Hayao Mayazaki is more of a collection of ramblings organized in chronological order, I'm in the middle of it and I find it really interesting.

I did a quick and dirty composite by taking the watercolor and laying it over the top of my digital version setting the watercolor layer to multiply. I don’t know if it preserved the texture (that’s the part I don’t understand) but it certainly makes it more vibrant.