Hey Draw a Day community and friends

What a way to wrap up our second run of the contest for January. We saw everything from cozy pocket sized creatures to the beauty of the Northern Lights. Every entry brought a unique story to the community feed, and we loved seeing how your imagination turned simple prompts or inspiration into something meaningful and beautiful.

Here are the winners

1st Place: @hubyr — Steam and Vents

• This entry takes the top spot and is my favorite for its strong atmospheric impact and timely message of determination.

• Creativity (40%): High. Using swirling white steam against a grey city morning creates a fantastic sense with depth. There is something about the drawing style that draws me in.

• Inspiration Story (30%): Excellent. The concept of pushing through the fog on a cold morning is relatable and visually strong.

• Effort (30%): Strong. The contrast between the bright yellow jacket and the hazy, textured background shows great digital technique.

Prize: 3 HIVE

2nd Place: @cjsean — Northern Lights

• This piece is a beautiful blend of personal connection and technical experimentation.

• Creativity (40%): High. Successfully achieving an airy, feathery light effect to achieve the aurora look which marks a beautiful shift in the artist's usual style.

• Inspiration Story (30%): Strong. Translating a family member's photos and a personal dream into art gives this piece a lot of heart.

• Effort (30%): Strong. The careful blending and filling of the sky with stars create a very immersive landscape that is both beautiful and magical

Prize: 2 HIVE

3rd Place: @nestodibuja — Winter Robin

• A striking traditional piece that uses color to tell a story of survival and progress.

• Creativity (40%): Strong. The contrast between the warm bird and the cold background effectively communicates the theme of resilience.

• Inspiration Story (30%): Excellent. Using the robin as an example of adaptation to life's harsh conditions is a beautiful metaphor.

• Effort (30%): Strong. Clear evidence of daily practice through the refined use of alcohol markers and anatomical focus.

Prize: 1 HIVE

Shoutout to our participants who joined and shared their beautiful entries:

@shookt for the playful and amorphous cloud buddies.

@london65 for the irresistibly cute pocket creature study.

@tita-annie for the sharp observation of the "default selfie" pose.

@pepijin for the wise and elegant bat in the heavy purple coat.

Keep sketching and telling your stories.
Thank you all for your support and participation and making another round of this contest a success. I will be sending the prizes in a while

Until next time. Hive On
@quatro