It is so much fun to see how everyone interprets the prompt in their own style! (After watching many critique arenas, I finally worked up the courage to submit something.)

Thanks for replying @Erin-Cortese and @Braden-Hallett !

I finally decided to try out the forums and I'm really glad I did - it seems like such a friendly & helpful place...

I appreciate the invite & can't wait to check it out. Thanks again!

Yayyy @Nyrryl-Cadiz !!! Congratulations!!!

@Chip-Valecek - Thank you for putting all of these amazing entries into a slideshow! It is so fun and inspiring to see all of the work together! (The judges really have their work cut out for them!)

Holy noodles! This entire thread was AWESOME!!! I loved seeing your process... So, SO cool! (And, I thought it was so fun to see you searching for bits & pieces where your husband works!)

@CosmoglotJay Hi Jay! I'm not sure what type of illustration you're interested in, but if you have interest in children's book illustration, but the Rochester Children's Writers & Illustrators group (RACWI) meets monthly. If you end up joining, you can also attend the Buffalo Niagara Children's Writers & Illustrators (BNCWI) group as part of your membership - the 2 groups have a collaborative relationship. (I'm in Buffalo.)

(Just making another comment so the slideshow is at the top of the posts in case anyone wants to watch it before this afternoon's critique arena. Thanks again @Chip-Valecek for putting them all together! It's so fun to see!)

I LOVE the interaction between the characters in 3! (It does look like it might be a bit of a jump for such young characters though?) But, I think you've nailed the anticipation (and in-it-togetherness) with their body language... the slightly bent knees, the hand holding, the expression... Fantastic!

@xin-li Congratulations!! That's fantastic!!

Wow! I love this! Thank you for putting this together @Chip-Valecek ! It is SO great to see all of the fun and fantastic entries all in one place!

Wow! Another fantastic slideshow - thanks for putting it together @Chip-Valecek ! I know I say it every month, but the judges really have their work cut out for them - SO many amazing entries!!

It sounds like a fun project. (I totally understand the need to have multiple projects going on at once.) This looks great so far - I can't wait to see more!

Holy noodles! This is SooOoOooo cool!!!

@EliaMurrayArt These are all great! I think the 4th one is my favorite of the bunch... by using the witch's crystal ball it's like getting 2 amazing covers in one!

Wow! I love this! Thank you for putting this together @Chip-Valecek ! It is SO great to see all of the fun and fantastic entries all in one place!

It is so much fun to see how everyone interprets the prompt in their own style! (After watching many critique arenas, I finally worked up the courage to submit something.)

@Lucky-Platt Excellent! "See" you there!

@Lucky-Platt Check your inbox (of the email address that is linked with your membership) - they send zoom invites to members by email. (Also, they record it. If you go to your student dashboard and search "critique arena" you can see the past recordings there.)

(Just making another comment so the slideshow is at the top of the posts in case anyone wants to watch it before this afternoon's critique arena. Thanks again @Chip-Valecek for putting them all together! It's so fun to see!)

@Frost-Drive These made me laugh - I think you've approached the "evil" older sister and baby in a new way... (At least I've never seen a water balloon used this way before.) I think 4 was a good choice - you've done a great job of capturing the moment just before the action. My one concern is the addition of the sharp pointy scissors - I think they look a little dangerous for a children's portfolio (her expression also seems very evil, if you were concerned about that). I really liked when the older sister was peering out from behind her fingers - it was funny and definitely mischievous (but not overly evil). It's really good - I can't wait to see how you finish it!