Here is my entry for this month. I decided to go with an old favorite.
Also...please indulge my sweet 5 year old as I upload her entry for this month too. She saw me working and wanted to enter an illustration of her own story. It’s the story of a magical bedroom where when the big chandelier turns off the animals become real and the room becomes a forest. The title had about 100 words and I am not able to remember it. Annie Jones age 5.
Here is my entry. Growing up in Florida I had a healthy fear of allligators. But maybe they are sweet and harmless, unless they are stealing ice cream, that is.
My submission with not much time to spare. I’m loving seeing the entries!
The ultimate challenge for an Atomic Fire-Breather...
I was a little late to get my fall illustration to the contest. But I am submitting it here in hopes that you all will advise me on ways I can improve. Composition? Color? Overall style and execution? This is my first illustration with a background and first illustration done in a digital format.
Thanks in advance for your valued opinions. The only people who have seen my things are my family and a few friends. As you know, they can’t be trusted to be really honest. But I am ready to improve so bring it! 
I wanted to do something picture book-ish and not too frightening. I thought a young witch practicing her “toads on stools into toadstools” spell would be fun.
I have been working on a new look with my drawing that has a little more detail and that is sparked by an idea for a picture book.
I spent A LONG time drawing (about 22hours so far) and feel like I gained a bit of confidence in my mark making. This is my first time trying a turn around. Does the child look like the same child in all the poses? She is based off of the look of both of my girls at that age. I intend for her to look about 5. She should look sweet and childlike. She will have her favorite cat stuffed animal that she carries in a drawstring bag. She loves to wear green frog rain boots. You will not be able to tell from the picture here, but she is curious and generally good natured and happy.
Does it look like the same child?
Are there any drawing / anatomy mistakes that need a tweak?
Does the drawing look stiff? Or just lifeless?
Thanks for the eyes!
Here’s my Annie. It’s the story of her getting glasses that is the inspiration.
Here’s my drawing
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@eric-castleman Maybe a good way to depict the memory would be to have it be black and white--or memory on color and the other illustrations in black and white--so that there would be a visual mark of distinction between the now and the past. It's an interesting concept. I would love to see how you make it work!
Here is my take on the three little pigs and the big bad wolf!
@Chip-Valecek It was sweet of you to add my little Annie’s art to the official slide show. I did not expect that when I added her drawing along with mine. You should have seen the proud look on her face when I showed her that her art was grouped in with the other works. It was priceless. So thanks for encouraging my budding artist.
I began this project several months ago when the monthly contest prompt was book covers. I was never happy with what I put together. But the revision I am happy with. It’s a Personal ‘level up‘ for me. I did it on Procreate and I am still learning how to use the digital methods.
I have been struggling with my people. I want them to be sweet and realistic-ish and detailed, but not overly so. That,of course, is subjective. But I feel like I got the girls how I think they should be. Hopefully they are not too stiff or cartoonish. 
I am open to criticism. I want this piece to go I’m my portfolio so I would want it to be as good as it can be. How is the composition, readability, coloring, and look of characters?
I know I said I like the piece but I am also looking for honest criticism as I am fully invested in improvements.
Thanks,all. !
I would love the opportunity. I really do like the idea of the upvotes getting more of a feature in the hopes that the more "ready" to see art might be seen. I have a slight concern, too, about style preferences causing good work to be overlooked and therefore not featured. Would there be the "staff picks" that would be featured or occasional artists highlighted, perhaps? All that said, I would very much be a person interested in using the portfolio site and am so jazzed that the option might be there in the future. You guys are awesome. Count me in!!!
I went back in and changed my Frog in the piece. I worked up several thumbnails but forgot to save them as I kept tweaking and changing. Here is the original. In this one Lee White suggested that maybe the frog needed a more interesting gesture since his posture was very straight.
I wanted the mood to not be too scary. So I did not want the toad to be overly fearful. I tried a few things.
In the end I liked the frog leaning back a bit and perhaps holding his chest in anticipation.
Do you think the changes read better?
Ok so I took all the advice and added a few things from my own critiques and reworked the illustration. I like it SO much better. Took a while. You will never know how many re-draws of the mom cat and middle cat were done! Whew!!
I’ve been trying my hand at digital painting for the last few months. I am gong to switch over to traditional and try to sharpen some watercolor skills. Maybe work on some Christmas imagery.
@Nathan oh man.
I needed that encouragement. I am in “beat myself up” mode over not doing the 2 hours I want to do daily. But just scribbling for 5 minutes to build up the habit sounds doable. It really is getting the pencil in hand and making something happen part that I keep getting worse at. But these are some great actionable tips. I am going to give it a go tonight.
On a related note, I have been giving myself permission to do other forms of art that I love. In addition to illustration I love to sew and make dolls and collage things with paper and found objects. I have been denying myself the joy of making other stuff because I have not been getting my illustration goals taken care of. I guess I was punishing myself. But I have recently been making some peg people and miniatures in wooden boxes. Guess what ?! I feel more like illustrating now too. DUH!
Thanks for the advice and for being willing to share your experience with us.
@NessIllustration I can attest to the presence of “traditional AND digital anxiety” at the same time! Coming back to painting and drawing after about 19 years away, I have lost my traditional muscle memory and found the need to learn the digital side of things that really did not exist so much when I was really ‘doing’ art.
At first I was anxious that I needed to get really good really fast and make up for lost time. But I am not young anymore and staying up later than 12am wears me down. I’m a momma, wife, and preschool teacher, and am trying to wear a lot of hats. I sometimes don’t give myself the credit for the accomplishments I have gained in the last year. And the other side of the coin is that I am easily led down the rabbit hole when I get on the computer. Hubs says I should do a time map to see what I am doing and compare that to what I think I am doing. ( But I don’t need the map to know that endlessly scrolling Pinterest hasn’t helped my skill set).
Anywho, the point is, I am letting go of the “hurry, hurry,hurry” thinking allowing myself to work traditionally and digitally and make a bunch of duds and a few things I like. I’m allowing myself to take the time to improve but also keeping the fire under my behind lit so I can reach my goals. Some day in the next year or so I’ll have a growing portfolio that shows off what I do best and a publication or two as well. That’s the goal anyway.
Here’s to all of us feeling the anxiety and pushing on anyway. We’re doing it one little step at a time.
One of the things I try to remember when teaching my preschoolers is THE POWER OF YET. I can add “yet” to the statement and suddenly it becomes empowering and full of potential rather than a dead end. “I am really not good at digital stuff...yet” “ I have been working but my drawing and painting skills are not what they once were...yet.” Keep it up y’all.
Ok. I have done some revision and I think I have the cover complete now.
I moved the title and tweaked the spacing and size of several letters. I added and deleted foliage in the foreground all around the trees. Added more leaves and branches to make the piece more balanced and added a bit more skirt peeking from beneath the aprons. I also added a little highlighting to the title and leaves around the title to make it stand out a bit more.
What do you think? Does the title read well? Is it too much or not in keeping with the look of the piece?
Thanks in advance.
I feel your frustration. I am just getting back to drawing and trying to stretch my creative muscles for ideas from my own imagination. It is tough, but I agree with the thoughts already posted. It will come back.
I have found that I don't give my mind enough quiet. I end up putting on a video listen to a movie while I am trying to think and then I get nowhere.
I have recently begun looking through other people's drawing prompts and challenges. I can begin with them and then my mind starts to churn up a few more concepts to go with them. It helps me to try to think of a story snippit and then try to work up a fun way to tell just that little piece.
Like I say, I am really just starting out all over again and I felt so lost. But trying to draw to other's prompts really did help me to begin to find my imagination again. Yours will come back too. It's there. You can do it!
The "yuck" face on the girl is so perfect. I am looking forward to seeing this as you make further additions. Fun idea.
