What is the Month of Love?

Last year I had been wanting to set up a daily sketch challenge for a while and decided that February would be a good month to give it a go. (shortest month = slightly less intimidating right?) I also believe having some sort of focus to sketching helps the ideas flow and February, with it's Hallmark Holiday vibe, provided the inspiration. The theme of course: LOVE.

Love is a complex beast. One day a year it's built up, wrapped up, marked up and torn down.  How can just one day be expected to contain all the flavors in the oldest muse of them all? It can't. But maybe 28 days can...Let's rescue February from the flower shops and devote the whole month to love.

The best way to make a drawing challenge better is to make it social.  So I put out a call and some amazing artists agreed to join me on this ride.

Well, the first Month of Love was a huge success. (In fact, we had so much fun that we decided to do another Monthly Challenge in October called Month of Fear.) If you don't believe me, check out some highlights from last year below or start at the beginning and check out all the art from last year. 

So now that it's almost February again, we decided that one month wasn't enough, and we had to return to tackle those pesky heart-shaped boxes and roses.  However, for sanity's sake,  we've toned it down to one challenge a week this round. Don't worry though, there will be plenty of art. We have nearly twice as many participants this year!

The Details:

Every week in February, we will have a new challenge revolving around the subject of "Love". We will then Draw/Paint/Create something  in response and post throughout the week, a few artists every day.

The Challenges: 

•         The #nofilter Valentine (week of Feb. 3rd )

Valentines day is all about candy hearts, precious phrases, roses and, let's face it, unrealistic expectations. Love is infinitely more complex and dirty than that. So what does love looks like to you when you take off the Rose Colored Glasses?

•         Favorite Love Story (week of Feb. 10)
Real or fictional

•         Fetish (week of Feb. 17th )
Have one? Fascinated by one? Or just pick a random Philia to illustrate. We won't judge. Unless you want us to...

•         An illustration inspired by one (or more!) of the 69 Love Songs by the Magnetic Fields (week of Feb. 24th)

You are invited to follow along or even do your own Month of Love! Find us on Twitter for bonus material and send us link to your own #monthoflove sketches if you're feeling brave. If we have enough submissions we may even do a couple "guest artist" posts.

From 2013:

Scott Brundage

Jeffrey Alan Love

Alice Stanne

Tim Paul

Tara Jacoby

Thank you Jeanine Henderson for our beautiful logo and background!