@Tash What a fun concept! I guess I'm just repeating what @reberlik said: I am seeing the dog as the focal point of all 3 layouts, because of the gesture of its trainer and everyone looking at it. The griffin perhaps should be the one in the training hot seat or somehow attracting others' attention. Maybe like a middle school kid, it is clowning around during class so that the others aren't paying attention to the demonstration with the dog? Just an idea.
@Tash Hi there Tash! I love the story here so fun!
Love the designs of the characters also!
I agree with the others, somehow the attention needs to be more so on the griffin. Perhaps you can have the griffin be bigger the rest of the characters and the instructor is taking down the names on a clip board and is shocked at how big the griffin is. Perhaps the older ladies dog is barking at it? Everyone is just a little on edge/scared of the griffin.
Just an idea 
looking forward to seeing the finished illustration!
Hi fellow illustrators
Okay, this is my first time committing to a HTFYA challenge (it was one of my goals this year). Doing the research and backstory was probably my favorite part as a writer and history nerd, but I would say the story is more geared towards something like a middle school or young adult novel, but in terms of doing the art challenge and hopefully getting some feedback it fits the bill. I would love feedback.
I will be honest- i felt pretty intimidated when I looked on this thread this morning, but I really would like some feedback. I used graphite and watercolor, and I did a little editing in Procreate for the light.
story
The story takes place during the Williamite War in Ireland, at an Earl’s castle that lays on the edge of the rocky coastline of the North Atlantic. Our protagonist, Ian, lives a miserable existence as a servant in the kitchen. Just off the coast, a griffon dwells in a cave. Attracted by a sparkling gemstone that Ian hides in his cloak, he begins to visit the castle to get a glimpse of it.
One day, the rocky coast gives way, and the kitchen falls off the cliff taking everybody with it. The griffon, who has been watching Ian for some time, swoops in to save Ian (this will be the picture for April’s prompt). The griffon takes Ian to the seaside cave dwelling, where a horrified Ian assumes that the creature plans to eat him. He soon learns that the griffon is interested in the gem he has.
The griffon has no name (but Ian will later refer to him as Fergus). He is the size of a medium dog (I based him off my Boston Terrier, and included features and animals that have strong Celic and Irish ties such as the Northern Lapwing and celtic knots).
I haven’t quite figured out the backend of the griffon… probably something more cute looking.
Anyways, I might upload more thumbnails etc, but I was having a difficult time with sizing etc... so I just put up what I was able to. I hope I can make some improvements by the deadline.
@reberlik @jenn @zoejonesillustration
Thank you all so much for your feedback and ideas, I'm understanding that the consensus is the emphasis needs to be shifted away from the trainer in the hoodie to the Griffen to make it a stronger focal point, I will play with some new layouts!
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful feedback
@Katt really cool concept! When I look at your image of the Griffen on the roof, from his vantage point I don't think he'd be able to see into the window, maybe play with some layouts that move him lower into the window sneaking glances at the boy
@Tash Thank you oh, yes you are totally right- i think that when I made that particular illustration, it wasn't necessarily when the griffon was watching him, more just perched on the roof just to have him visible, but I can see how my description would have made it sound like that. I think in order for him to see the boy Ian, he would need to be on an adjacent wall, or I even did some thumbnails of the griffon from a cliff. I honestly have a very difficult time with perspective, and I can come up with ideas and thumbnails, but executing them in illustration frustrates me. I've taken the perspective classes on Svs, read Perspective for Dummies...lol but I am not fluent in it like I would like to be.
REFERENCE IMAGES
Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend. I thought I'd share some photo's I took recently while out and about in case anyone needs some reference. I noticed quite a few people have knights and castles in their illustrations so maybe these can be useful. Might be handy for next months prompt too.
For those that may be interested, the armour is from the Royal Armoury in Leeds, and the church, bridge and tower (actually an old windmill) are from Newcastle Upon Tyne.
GRYPHON SKETCHBOOK
I realised I never posted my sketches for this months prompt. I like to make notes and scribble all over the place before jumping into doing a final sketch in Photoshop. I then use that sketch to do a tight traditional drawing in pencil. I then scan that in and paint over it in Photoshop again. Convoluted? Definitely!
Lots of cool stuff in here, figured I would post a quick sketch on what I am thinking for mine. Also check out my sketchbook thread if you want to see some character stuff that I have been working on for this.
Love seeing everyone’s progress! Thought I’d add the sketches for my piece. Finished on is on the submission thread. Based off a house sparrow and a house cat!
Got the idea from my cat leaving me little unwanted gifts at the door haha!
@zoejonesillustration love seeing the process sketches. Great stuff.
I regret drawing it on a the back of a piece of copy paper I rescued from the recycling bin, but maybe someday I'll make a finished version. I probably wont get that done before the HTFYA, I'm ok with that. I am just starting out with illustration and taking the foundation courses, any feedback is welcome
The story concept is two different hybrid eagle/lion creatures getting married. It's supposed to be that moment after the kiss and right before they walk (or maybe fly) down the aisle as husband/wife (griffin/griffin?). The officiant is a minotaur. I didn't even know what a griffin or a minotaur was before I joined SVS a few weeks ago. 
@zoejonesillustration beautiful! I love the world you created with all the little houses sitting on top of a spiraling branch, especially the little props sitting on top of the lichen. The bird/cat character design is great too.
Thank you! And I love your concept you have here!
Very unique take on the prompt
I like your style going here, not sure if was cropped accidentally, but it would be good to see the rest of the “griffin husband”. Maybe also some creatures sitting in the aisle.
I think that’s the whole point as well to create pieces weather they are finished in time or not doesn’t matter we always learn something from doing them. Great stuff.
@zoejonesillustration Hi Zoe, thank you so much for the feedback. I was actually wondering if I needed to show more of the groom griffin, so I'm going to work on that. I tried the off-center composition to see if it would be more interesting than a centered composition, but I agree with you, it's cropped too close on groom griffin's side.
I like your idea of adding some creatures in the aisle too. The foreground shapes that are super dark are supposed to be the back of the heads of some wedding guests, not sure if that's coming across. Thank you again!!!
The concept is that both characters are each missing a wing. The other gryphons are abandoning the injured one. The moth girl is a re-occurring character from last month's HTFYA, but I need to get her on model.
Question: What should I do with the background? Just keep it simple and moody? Or try to add more story?
Some possible stories:
-This gryphon is different from the others; it has peacock feathers and the others are jealous so they rip its wing off.
-This gryphon is simply being abandoned because it can't migrate.
-This gryphon has 2 wings but it's injured in some other way. (Hunter arrows? sword?)
-Story needs to have an emotional metaphor, not just explain the injury.
For creature design, I like the idea of peacock feathers looking similar to moth girl's wings. The swan proportions are also appealing. However I want the creature design to most resemble a canada goose to evoke migration/abandonment.
I haven't done the back legs yet, because I don't like how they ruin the silhouette, so thinking more of a serpent body that ends in a mermaid tail instead, so a little more loose interpretation of a gryphon.
I don't think I will get this in by March 1st as I kept restarting and trying new concepts. But I'd still like to post when it is done and get feedback if possible.
Getting into the lineart. Going to be cutting it close, but I think I can get it done before the deadline. Fingers crossed.
Hi! I'm new here, wish I saw this before I posted my result for the prompt! but I would love to hear any thoughts on it. I've never drawn a griffin or even a lion before this! Very challenging, also this is done traditionally with ink and watercolor.
@Tash What a fun concept! I guess I'm just repeating what @reberlik said: I am seeing the dog as the focal point of all 3 layouts, because of the gesture of its trainer and everyone looking at it. The griffin perhaps should be the one in the training hot seat or somehow attracting others' attention. Maybe like a middle school kid, it is clowning around during class so that the others aren't paying attention to the demonstration with the dog? Just an idea.
