My iPad pro is on the way! I just ordered it and it will take a few weeks. I got the 12.9 inch, 256 storage and a pencil. It came with free airpods because I'm using it for SVS art classes. It'll be quite the change from a ball point pen and typing paper. Although, I have to admit, that worked just fine for my character design thumbnails this morning. Cheers!

This looks better

Hello Everyone. New kid here. I'm a writer and joined SVS to learn illustration. I have a farm in Wisconsin. Although farming takes a broad knowledge of science and certain skills, the day to day motions of moving feed into one end of an animal and out the other is not always as intellectually stimulating as one might think. As a result, I do a lot of daydreaming while I work. There's a river of words flowing through my head. It never stops and I anthropomorphize everything. So I have a stack of stories based on my goats and my skid steer, Skiddy. I've been working the lessons and exploring the site. I'm really excited to see everyone's work and learning a lot from it already. The art critiques have been, literally, eye opening. I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much talent. Cheers!

I'm self employed renting out giant goat herds to eat weeds and brush. Owning a farm and animals is more than full time. There is always something that needs fixing, feeding, cleaning, training or veterinary care. There is always marketing and logistic planning. So I learned that whatever I don't finish today, it will be there for me tomorrow. Taking time to write and draw is my entertainment, my reward. I feel the weight of the farm lifting off me when I'm creating something. Unless I'm dealing with customers or something will die, I find I can just split up what I have to do and read, write, draw or dream in between chores. The nice thing about some chores is that my hands can do one thing and my mind can be elsewhere, working on stories.

American artist Richard Schmid passed away last Sunday, at 86, with his family around him. He has been mentioned by SVS instructors.

My sister, Jennifer Hunter, is a fine artist and was friends with Richard Schmid. I was privileged to attend a party at his house (the same day I had foot surgery, sporting a new cast and happily numbed on morphine), and got to see his paintings in person.

Jenny spoke highly of him. He was a great artist and a nice man.

https://www.richardschmid.com/Articles.asp?ID=254

@RachelArmington Your post reminds me, when I was a kid, only the rich kids had lunch boxes. The rest of us brown bagged it and no store bought treats either. Mom baked goodies for us. One day, out of nowhere, Mom drew a cartoon fish on my bag. She didn't know but I ripped it off the bag and kept it for years. Thanks for sparking that wonderful memory for me. Cheers!

My first time posting a picture. Weeeeee! I was having some technical difficulty with getting the photo online and was not able to access any color balance so it's a bit on the blue side. It's color pencil. Cheers!

I'm having a hard time getting this reduced to a size that is big enough to see but small enough to upload.

@Jeremiahbrown I thought the shark was the traveler and the old man was his way of traveling. There seemed to be dialogue bubbles from each character and the title put the shark first.

Since I'm a writer learning to illustrate, for me, story is king. This prompt generated a full story for me in the first day so it was hard not to make illustrations more complete than a character on a white background. I didn't make the cut but I do have a complete story that fulfills my lifetime goal of writing strong female characters. I also tested my images and ideas with local folks and parents and they're all excited to see more. So I won without winning and am quite pleased with how it turned out.

I do find that trying to please the judges does prompt me to reach farther and more boldly than I might on my own. So that's a win too.

@RachelArmington Your post reminds me, when I was a kid, only the rich kids had lunch boxes. The rest of us brown bagged it and no store bought treats either. Mom baked goodies for us. One day, out of nowhere, Mom drew a cartoon fish on my bag. She didn't know but I ripped it off the bag and kept it for years. Thanks for sparking that wonderful memory for me. Cheers!

You probably weren't asking for suggestions but here goes...Perhaps you can make artwork a group project. Let's all make pictures at the same time. It might help to elevate yourself. Stand to work or sit on a high stool so they are less inclined to tug at your leg for attention. Maybe back up a little and give the kids some freedom to explore their world, where it's safe like in the house, while you sit off to the side and doodle. I've never seen any kid, except extreme medical needs, that take 100% of the parent's time and it might not be good for them to give them 100% of your time. Give them what they need but encourage some independence. Or, hire a baby sitter for 5 hours a week and sneak off to work. My friend gives his preschool aged children walkie talkies so they can contact him while he's outside working on their property. Take them to a park, if you can, and doodle in your sketch book while keeping an eye on them. Make a deal with other parents you like so take turns watching each other's kids for a few hours. You're a creative person. Be creative.

Cool pic! As far as story telling - Are the things scattered on the floor because he's been swatting at tiny dragon flies? Is he just missing them? Is he going to hit the one coming through the window? Perhaps some squished dragon flies on the walls and floor would answer some questions. If he's at war with the one in the window, its body gesture is not showing a fly in battle mode. It is a fly passively floating through an open window.

Here's my April entry. Feedback welcome. Cheers!

My eye first landed on the tangent between the corner of the porch roofline and the house. Fun pic though. It has a happy feel.

American artist Richard Schmid passed away last Sunday, at 86, with his family around him. He has been mentioned by SVS instructors.

My sister, Jennifer Hunter, is a fine artist and was friends with Richard Schmid. I was privileged to attend a party at his house (the same day I had foot surgery, sporting a new cast and happily numbed on morphine), and got to see his paintings in person.

Jenny spoke highly of him. He was a great artist and a nice man.

https://www.richardschmid.com/Articles.asp?ID=254

We have B+Bs in the states too. I think spelling it Bee and Bee would be fun.

Will this help us put together a book of our own? Will we get teacher feedback on our work? Do you know the cost? Thanks.

Thanks for posting. I'd heard of SCBWI before but wasn't sure when I should join. You prompted me to check it out and I discovered a work in progress contest. I had a story ready to go so I joined and entered it. The deadline is the 15th so just in time. Hope your critique entry went well. Cheers!

If you have it recorded in photoshop, couldn't you try the changes there?