The prompt for the April art contest was TRAVEL, and we got so many fun entries! You all took us to some exotic locations indeed, from the Milky Way, to the Land of Oz, to the bottom of the deep blue sea. We just want to pack our bags and go. Thanks to all who took part!
Congrats to Johanna Kim, who went to such great heights with her captivating aerial expedition.
Per Lee White, who judged the contest: "This piece is so stunning and I just love it. Beautiful color and controlled technique. I want to know more about what is going on here. Please make more images to go with this story!"
1st Place! Illustration by Johanna Kim.
2nd place went to Gary Wilkinson, who really captured the joy of an imaginary train ride.
"Gary keeps turning in killer work month after month. I imagine his portfolio is starting to look really good!"
2nd Place! Illustration by Gary Wilkinson.
3rd Place went to Jason Rodriguez, who made us want to trade in our minivan for a fantastic dragon.
"This piece is so cool! I love the silhouetted birds and all the cool design work here. Good color balance and composition too. Solid!"
3rd Place! Illustration by Jason Rodriguez.
Lee also ended up picking 8 more entries as honorable mentions (in no particular order). Check 'em out below!
Severin Baschung
"This one could have easily been top 3. Great story telling image and looks like a scene from an animation. Very professional looking image."
Lenny Wen
"Gorgeous! I looked at this image for a long time and just soaked in all these crazy colors that somehow look perfect together. Very hard to do that! This is another that could have easily won the whole thing. You guys make this so hard to judge!!!"
Rachel Blackwell
"I am digging this quiet little mouse adventure. Color balance is so nice and this image is just so sweet."
Niels Waller
"I'm so glad to see a black and white image done so well. It's so easy to add color to an image on the computer and I'm always reminded how beautiful a black and white image can be. Very creative scene with perfect control of the detail."
Ashley Moore
"Love the viewpoint and perspective. This is exactly what it feels like right when you enter a new city. Nailed it!"
Adrian Kuhn
"Love this ship design and painting. Captures a classic feel of an adventure story. Really great lighting."
Misty McKeithen
"This retro inspired piece is just stunning. Very vintage and modern at the same time. Delicate line work and great design sensibility are what drew me to this one. Great work Misty!"
Yolanda Shoals
"After showing a lot of complicated images here, Yolanda reminds us that sometimes simplicity is the way to go. This character would feel at home in any Miyazaki film. Lovely!"
Thanks again to all who put themselves out there and entered the contest! You guys are the best!
We will be taking a short break from the contest this month, but will pick it up again in June. See you next time!