SCBWI decided to discontinue the monthly DrawThis contest. Then a funny thing happened, one of last month's winners got a book deal. Now it is back for August.

The word for August is "ADMIRE".

I started thinking about it (not that my style can win) and here are a few thoughts.

Remember to check out my free books on bridgerobots.com (shameless plug)

Any thoughts on these?

I have decided to give all the books away! But if you do like any of them please buy a book on amazon and leave a review. I make enough from each book to buy a small coffee, yay!

Just visit my website for free ebook downloads.

http://www.bridgerobots.com

Here are some examples of similar bridges I used in the books.

Floating Bridge
http://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/3149-norway-to-build-worlds-longest-floating-bridge

Stress Ribbon bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stressed_ribbon_bridge

3D printed bridge

Space Truss bridge

So I am finishing up my book. I decided the final bridge will be a 3D printed space truss.

Any ideas on how to sell these books?

The May contest is now live.
http://drawthisborrow.blogspot.com/

I didn't win but Miranda Ireland and Vashti Harrison did.

The word for June is not yet posted.

Helllooo, well I have the first part of the book in a usable form. If you have time, maybe you can take a look and tell me what you think? It is probably for kids 4-7?

Download first half of the book (I haven't finished the second half.)

35 MB PDF best viewed on an ipad or full screen on a computer.
Link http://www.bridgerobots.com/?smd_process_download=1%26amp;download_id=116

and some bonus pics.

Good or not, this is what I submitted.
I will try not to bug you until the end of the month when the winners are announced!

Maybe I should make a dinosaur book?

Okay nobody at work understood the last image, so here is a really straight forward concept.
(And my first Dino)

(Btw if I have worn out my welcome with this series just tell me...)

Edit: well I can't use this one. Someone else shows two octopus (octopi?) sharing sweaters.
if you tweet you can check out #scbwidrawthis where illustrators past images early.

Back to the drawing board.

Edit: I added another image. I thought "borrow" a time machine, ya it didn't work. So sometimes you have to post mistakes!

Another concept idea for the word "borrow".....

The problem is, the image has to read at a small size because of the way they are posted. Too little or too much stuff may cause confusion and I have to keep in mind it is for kids.

Is there a story in this image?

First Concept for this month's contest.

The word is "Borrow"

Edit: Added second concept (click for better view)

Edit: Added a different version of the robot dragonfly, with sparkles!

Hi, if you are a student Autodesk has lots of free software including the structural analysis software "Robot"

http://www.autodesk.com/products/robot-structural-analysis/overview

You can use Revit to design the buildings and Robot to check them.

s

SCBWI stands for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I joined when I started writing children's books using 3D modeling.

My free ebooks are here http://www.bridgerobots.com (Bridge building Robots!)

Anyway the SCBWI has a monthly "Draw This" contest where a member can submit an image for the word of the month. The word for April was "Arrival" Here is my entry which is waayyy different in style from the rest.

Check out the other images, for April, here.
http://drawthisarrival.blogspot.com/

EDIT: The winners of the April contest were Mary Uhles and Maile McCarthy. Congrats!

I'm a member for 10 more months but I think I will continue to enter the contests.

The word for May is "Borrow". (Maybe it would be fun on sketchucation to have a monthly Draw This contest?)

Edit: Maybe I can "borrow" a great idea! (Just an homage to the greatest comic series ever.)

Just to end this thread, this is what I entered for the word "Arrival" (April Contest)

So my thinking is to post an image that tells a story while being representative of what I do. Bridge building robots.....

Thanks!

s

So I want to enter something for the monthly Draw This contest. I figure somebody somewhere in the book industry will see it and contact me. Hey it could happen!

Now I have to think about strategy. One of the limitations is the size of the final image. Something like 800x800 at 72dpi. So an idea has to be simple and suggest a story. The word for this month is Arrival and space is the obvious choice. (Since I am making a space book, two birds and all that) But is it better to use a happy picture or a scary one?

Here are the choices I have so far. (I like the alien with "probes")

Found out the word for this month is "arrival".

Here is a quick concept done entirely in sketchup/kerkythea, no post pro.

What do you think?

s

Thanks hellnbak, looking at the other illustrators my stuff is certainly different!

Its funny because all the publishers say they want different....

A quick concept for my next Robots in Space! The planet they will land on will be Brunel6, named after a famous British engineer.

The monthly illustration challenge came out today from scbwi.org.

My stuff is certainly different from the typical children's book illustration...

What do you think, does my style belong in this group?

Draw this - keyword Lucky

Draw This! Lucky

(drawthislucky.blogspot.com)

Thanks! I think I have too many odd ideas.

Some more,
Using an old bridge as a swimming pool.
cross bow bridge concept over the bow river in Calgary.
elephants of course
glass spoon bridge
and a gif (click it) that shows how a bridge can move if a flood comes along.

Any of you do odd images when you are bored at work? I have made a lot of stuff that will never find a use other than a quick highlight in a boring day. Simple little images that make me smile and improve my skills.

I'm using the defn of flotsam as:
3. useless or unimportant items; odds and ends

Using the iron giant from the warehouse...

Started concept images for my next kid's book, "Bridge Robots in Space!"

And yes they will be building a bridge in space!

s

Pretty cool!

s