This is my first illustration submission. It's a bit of a different style from most of the work on here, but I love this community, the podcasts, the courses, feedback, etc, so I thought I'd start entering the monthly contests. I considered adding color but decided to keep it in black and white. It was done originally in pen and ink, traditionally, then I scanned it and added a few digital revisions.
It's about the things we try to protect our kids from, their imaginings at night, sure, but more powerfully, the hurt of the world. As a foster parent, this is something I experience a lot-- trying to shield these little ones from further trauma.