20 Amazing Projects in the Illustration Challenge: 31 Days, 31 Drawings

From manga to ink to digital illustrations, here are some featured projects from our daily drawing challenge in October

A free-style daily drawing challenge created by Domestika for the month of October, 31 Days, 31 Drawings was about letting creativity flow without limits.

Thousands of people from all over the world created artworks every day following a list of daily themes set by Domestika. The reward? Sharing creativity, discovering new techniques, and winning courses.

Four expert illustrators joined us in the challenge as a jury to decide the weekly winners, who were given a Domestika course of their choice as a prize. The judges were Barcelona illustrator Javirroyo (@javirroyo), Colombian illustrator Alinailustra (@alinailustra), the Brazilian artist behind Estúdio Luares Franncine de Miranda (@estudioluares), and English lettering illustrator Grace Frösén (@gracecallidesigns). Finally, graphic artist Joaquín Rodriguez (@joaquin_rodriguez) was in charge of deciding the global winner of the challenge, who received three courses of their choice.

Here, we take a look at twenty outstanding projects from the illustration challenge and introduce the people behind the works.

To see the full projects from each creative, featuring all the drawings, click on the title in red.

31Days31Drawings2021 by Patricio Betteo (@patriciobetteo)

Born in Mexico City in the late 1970s, Patricio Betteo has been a professional illustrator for more than 20 years. He’s illustrated more than thirty books with publishers big and small, and his drawings have featured in all kinds of publications both inside and outside of Mexico. He’s also designed concept art for video games and animation.

Patricio teaches the Domestika courses Brushes and Pixels: Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop and Illustrated Characters Factory, and he joined the challenge with a collection of black and white illustrations that showcase his playful comic book style and signature characters.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Fernanda Sánchez (@fernisanchez)

Through the use of social media icons and dramatic metaphors, Stuttgart-based illustrator Fernanda Sánchez interpreted various prompts in a personal, thoughtful, and fun way.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Mario Rodrigo Romero (@kabuki)

Manga artist Mario Rodrigo Romero specializes in designing characters that mix fantasy with horror. Throughout his project for the challenge, you can see him really digging deeper, particularly exploring the kawaii style.

The concept of kawaii was born in Japan during the ’60s, and over time its influence has expanded to all corners of the world. Translating to “cute” or “adorable”, it’s used to describe all those things that cause a feeling of tenderness just by seeing or experiencing them.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Andres Rogelio (@andresrogelio)

Going for a surrealist style, Mexican illustrator Andrés Rogelio mixed magical and fantastical elements and intense colors to create his vivid images for each theme.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Kat Franco (@katfranco)

During the first week of the challenge, illustrator and challenge judge Javirroyo (@javirroyo) selected this project by Colombian architect and illustrator Kat Franco (@katfranco).

To him, it stood out for its originality and also for the coherence across the series. Kat used a black rapidograph technique and gold ink on bond paper to create her scary-cute creatures in her adventures.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Luis San Vicente (@luissanvicente)

Luis San Vicente studied Graphic Communication Design at UAM Mexico but, before graduating, he entered the Tané illustration and design office where he discovered the magic of children's illustration.

After working for almost twenty years as the art department coordinator for the Reforma newspaper, he decided to dedicate himself totally to the editorial world, designing posters and (of course) illustrating books.

You can discover his works and methods in his Domestika course, Children's Illustration for Posters.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Nar Palma (@nar)

From Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl in Mexico, Nar Palma demonstrated his ability to creatively interpret each theme, mixing pure passion with lots of imagination. "Every stroke I do comes from the heart," the artist explained to the community who congratulated him in the comments of his project.

Selecting Nar’s illustration series as the winner of the challenge’s third week, Francinne de Miranda (@Estudio Luares) explained that she “loved the way he explored each theme, often creating his own characters [and] escaping from the obvious.”

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Llanos Part Jornet (@llanospj72)

The drawings by Valencian Llanos Part Jornet (@llanospj72) are filled with ink and finished off with subtle golden elements and touches—the two colors pair perfectly. A judge in the challenge, Colombian illustrator Alinailustra (@alinailustra), selected Llanos' captivating entry as the winner of the second week.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by murandmur (@murandmur)

From Rome in Italy, murandmur responded to the drawing challenge by creating digital illustrations packed with humor, color, and funny characters.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Esther Hernández Pérez (@estherhdz)

A graphic designer and illustrator based in Salamanca, Spain, Esther Hernández Pérez added her own personal challenge to the drawing challenge: to present all of her illustrations in a frame that featured in each.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Davide Balossi (@davidebalossi)

Working from Bergamo, Italian artist Davide Balossi mostly used pastel watercolors to showcase his soft style for each theme.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Ahmad Z Sadain (@amad_zee)

Perhaps the ultimate superhero power of the future is to code, hack, and create online content? That's one of the questions posed by Filipino artist Ahmad Z Sadain. Creating from his base in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he defines himself as a restless creative on a constant journey through illustration.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Chiaki Dalisay (@artchiaki)

Chiaki Dalisay is a self-taught illustrator based in the Philippines who makes her own art and fanart which she shares via her social networks. Chiaki explains that she studies art independently and online, alongside studying Financial Management. She responded to almost all the themes, adding one of her own: represent them through female portraits.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by vircientovolando (@vircientovolando)

A fond farewell is how vircientovolando, from Seville in Spain, interpreted the prompt "Horizon". In this case, as in other illustrations by the same artist, the elements carry a universally understandable and poetic meaning.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by ewe (@ewe)

From Munich in Germany, illustrator Ewe used a mixture of pencils and brushes to build a world full of color, featuring an interesting use of stains and splatters to add a distinctive style.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Ridho Indrianto (@ridho_indrianto)

Ridho Indrianto describes himself as an introverted architect who loves illustration. It also appears that the artist, from Denpasar in Indonesia, loves cats too. Featuring heavily throughout his challenge illustrations, he used his creativity to draw humorous cats in different situations to match each daily prompt.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Claudio Delgado (@claudiodelgadov)

Claudio Delgado is a Chilean graphic designer who loves illustration. His interpretation of the themes involved mixed techniques with humor and even contrasting styles. All of his illustrations present comic situations, featuring some (like this example) that use text to strengthen his meaning.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Tina Ritter (@mimbelbi)

Although she used to focus on abstract styles and acrylic paints were her medium of choice, in her Domestika profile, Tina explains that after taking a ten-year hiatus from drawing between 2010 and 2020, last summer she picked up watercolors and hasn’t been able to put her brush down since. In her challenge, she shows the dedication and energy she devotes to her work.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Yosh (@yoshcom)

Yosh has been illustrating books for more than seventeen years and, although he confesses to starting out without knowing how to do it very well, over the years he’s learned how to communicate with images.

He’s participated in various publishing projects—most of which have been related to children's educational books—and he also offers children's workshops, through which he explains he’s found experiences that are not only very fun but also meaningful.

Yosh’s entertaining illustration challenge project is told through the visual story of an astronaut that incorporates all of the prompts. If you want to delve into his style of approaching illustration, you can sign up for his Domestika course, Educational Book Illustration for Children.

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Nancy Fernández Pérez (@nancynany)

Nancy Fernández Pérez is a textile print designer who loves illustration and photography, particularly focusing on naive aesthetics. In her personal interpretation of the daily themes, she captures this way of approaching drawing and pairs it with little observations about motherhood and how, through it, she started rediscovering the small details around her.

And an extra project...

31Days 31Drawings 2021 by Miriam Yamamoto (@miyam)

A Mexican artist who lives in Santiago de Querétaro, Miriam Yamamoto is passionate about the visual arts and literature (she explains she's equally as passionate about writing as she is illustrating).

Her creative search is not limited to art, instead, she tries to be creative in every aspect of her life and explore world affairs. This particular outlook translated into a very distinctive way of taking on the challenge with spectacular results. You can see all of Miriam's drawings by clicking on the project title link.

Congratulations to everyone who got involved and thank you for sharing your work! Remember that you can also share your projects here and that as part of the Domestika community you'll be able to check out personal projects from other creatives, final course projects, news from teachers, and more.

If you're not sure how to publish your projects on Domestika, take a look at our easy upload guide where we explain how to do it with tips to make sure you get the most out of the platform.

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