Winners - We've been inspired by the talent in our 12 Days Challenges and thank everyone for participating! Our team is reviewing submissions. This weekend and Monday is a holiday, but we're excited to announce winners on Tuesday, Dec 26th on this thread. This event has been more than a competition; it's been a heartwarming display of community spirit. Thank you for making it a success, and we look forward to celebrating with you all. Happy holidays!
Last Holiday Discount
Save 15% on any course or digital tool in the Proko store when you use code 12DAYS at checkout. Discount code will be good through Dec 24th!
Bookmark and check this page every day for updates!
Every December, to celebrate the holidays, we do something special for 12 days! This is our way of saying thank you to all of you who have supported us throughout the year. This year we have Daily Sketch Challenges with prizes and several pro artists doing Livestreams!
Do 25-minute full-page layins, focusing on the elegance and balance of classic poses. These layins are really effective for developing skills in proportion, gesture, structure, anatomy, and shape design. The time limit makes you focus on the basic stuff instead of getting caught up in details. It's not about finishing drawings fast; it's about getting good at starting a drawing by practicing several starts in one session. This helps you get better at the initial setup phase for more detailed work.
Let's dive into today's challenge - Mermaids! Use the provided human anatomy references as inspiration for the pose and give 'em a tail. Feel free to use any materials you like, and remember to have fun with it! Make sure to use the timer tool, but try to keep your sketches within 25 minutes. Today's all about being creative and enjoying the process.
All of the images in today's reference sample are graciously provided by Grafit from their Mermaid Bundle
Hands down, the second most expressive part of the body after the face, is the hands! They hold a remarkable range of emotions and gestures. Challenge yourself with 5-20 minute poses using our timer tool to practice the gesture, structure, or anatomy of the provided hand photos.
Do 25-minute full-page HEAD layins, focusing on proportions, structure, and capturing the likeness. Just like figure layins in Day 1, don’t get caught up in details. It's not about finishing drawings fast; it's about getting good at starting a drawing by practicing several starts in one session. This helps you get better at the initial setup phase for more detailed work.
Today, we focus on warriors! Vikings, Barbarians, and other historical groups. Many of the photos have clothing, so you'll get to practice your folds along with the typical fundamentals that come with dynamic poses. Today you have a lot more flexibility with the time. You can do a session of quicksketches (2-7 minute poses), full page Layins (20-30 minutes), or longer studies (1 hour +) if you want to pay attention to the details of the clothing, or spend some more time with the shading. Use our timer tool to get the reference and then share your work with the community.
Today I encourage you to do anatomy studies! Understanding the human machine helps us draw from reference, memory and invent from imagination. Some artists who have a lot of experience with anatomy can do quick studies at about 10 minutes per pose, but if you don't have several years of anatomy sketching under your belt, then it's better to allow more time (30+ minutes) to analyze deeper and gain a better understanding of what you're looking at. Beyond accuracy, go heavy on the structural skeletal scaffolding and design dynamic muscle shapes on top. Focus on the intricate relationships between body parts and how they change shape with movement.
Gear up as today’s theme is Armor. Focus on how it aligns and interacts with the human form. The challenge is to understand and depict the way armor encases the body, following its contours and movements. This exercise will help you practice drawing interactions between hard and soft forms, emphasizing the relationship between rigid armor and the fluidity of the body beneath. Use our timer tool with whatever duration and materials you'd like, but if you'd like a suggestion, I'd say try ink or markers today at 20 minutes each. Share your sketches below and let’s see what you can do!
We’re exploring a classic Proko topic today: gesture. Gesture drawing is all about capturing the action of the pose. As you’re sketching, focus on the movement throughout the body parts and the expression rather than the details of the anatomy. Use our timer tool for a quicksketch session, ensuring you’re not spending too long on a pose. 5 minute poses are a classic. If you're feeling brave, challenge yourself with 1 minute poses, leaving only enough time to capture the most essential action lines. The references we’ve provided will give you a range of dynamic poses to practice from.
Today we’re studying facial expressions! The reference pack covers a broad range of emotions, including the common happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, surprise, and contempt. Using our Timer tool, start with a session of quick 2-3 minutes per image to capture these fleeting expressions just like you’d have to do while sketching out in the wild. Then do a session of longer duration, 10-30 minutes, to capture the subtleties and the deformations of the forms that define each expression.
Have some fun today. The reference photos are a mix of portraits and full body costumed poses of various types of sorcerers. Use the Proko Timer tool to capture the enchanting essence of these mystical artists. Consider trying something new today, such as new tools, exploring a limited color palette, or trying a new style. I'll be playing with Olo markers to do a few portraits in a Zorn palette during my livestream. Experiment and see where it takes you.
Today's challenge is all about structure. That means boxes, cylinders, Loomis heads, mannequins, foreshortening, planes, and cross contour! Set your Proko timers to 10-20 minutes. This challenge is all about seeing complex organic forms and indicating them as simple 3D forms.. When combined with proficiency of gesture, you’ll become an unstoppable powerhouse for dynamic masterful figure drawings. Don't forget to share how you're doing and what you're learning along the way!
Today we’re swinging into the action-packed world of Comic Poses! Comics are known for powerful, dynamic poses that tell a story. Focus on creating sketches that showcase movement, emotion, and energy. Use our timer tool to warm up with some 2-minute poses and then jump into longer 10-minute poses to exaggerate or change parts of the pose or body type if you feel it will make the story better. Think about the hero or villain that would take that pose as you draw these. Share your sketches and see how others in the community brought their characters to life!
12 Days, 12 Challenges! Draw from the provided reference pack using our new Timer tool and submit your work in the corresponding community thread.
Every day will have a different theme below with a link to submit your sketches in our community. Those that participate and follow the guidelines will be eligible for some nifty Proko prizes. The challenges will start on Dec 11th and go through the 22nd.
Prizes
Those who submit eligible submissions will have a chance to receive courses, model packs, markers, tablets, and more during the entire event! There's no limit on participation so feel free to submit as much art as you want during the event for chances to win gifts.
All the winners will be announced at the end of the 12 Days
FREE Reference Images
To help you sketch we're providing you with free reference packs each related to that day's theme! If you want to be eligible for prizes make sure to use the timer tool and incorporate the day's pack in your sketches. Each pack is only available for 24 hours so don't wait too long.
NEW Timer Tool
We just launched the new Proko Timer tool to help you with this challenge and with your daily art practice. This tool is completely integrated with Proko and can load any pack you've previously purchased through the store. Otherwise several free sample packs are available for you. Access it anytime at proko.com/timer!
Browse the FAQs or our more detailed Documentation. If you still need help or to contact us for any reason, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
