The Big Draw and Concepts Partnership

A Creative Story Between Two Passionate Drawing Teams

Learn how Concepts and The Big Draw are creating a positive impact through drawing and creativity around the world.

A Chat with a Vision

We first met with The Big Draw team three years ago on a Zoom chat and we immediately connected. As we came to know their leadership and goals, it was clear we shared a passion for connecting drawing, people and our world.

The Big Draw's mission as a charity is dedicated to raising the profile of drawing as a tool for well-being, thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement. The life-long goal of our Concepts team is to encourage an infinite creative spirit, and build connections between people, ideas and platforms across the world through cutting-edge creative tools. Concepts' and The Big Draw's visions for creating positive change through drawing and idea exploration are a perfect match, and so a partnership was born.

Concepts and The Big Draw are delighted to bring our creators and ideas together. We will be stepping forward to promote sketching and visual literacy, share insightful creative workflows, highlight artists and designers around the world, and create a positive impact through drawing and creative thinking. In addition, we are committing to providing ongoing financial support to The Big Draw charity.

About The Big Draw

The Big Draw is an international charity invested in creating positive change for communities through drawing, visual literacy, and creative confidence.

'Founded in 2000 by the Guild of St George, The Big Draw is a pioneering visual literacy charity dedicated to raising the profile of drawing as a tool for well-being, thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement. The charity leads a diverse programme of advocacy, empowerment and engagement, and is the founder and driving force behind The Big Draw Festival – the world’s biggest celebration of drawing.

The Big Draw manages collaborative research projects, campaigns and educational conferences on visual literacy, digital technology and STEAM. The charity supports professional and emerging artists through its national contemporary art prize, The John Ruskin Prize and exhibition, and through events, awards, and competitions, creating platforms for each and everyone who wants to draw.'

 


Current Events

December 1 - 31, 2022 - Traditional Food Drawing Challenge

December 2022 Drawing Challenge with Concepts & The Big Draw.

Our drawing challenge with The Big Draw this December is all about delicious comforts of home. Draw a traditional food. The best kinds of food make you feel happy, bring loved ones together, and fill you with the warmest memories. What traditional food has infused your life with wonderful flavor? Does the food remind you of home, a best friend or a special event? Find details on how to join our event here.

Published December 1, 2022.

November 1 - 30, 2022 - Draw a Clock Challenge

November 2022 Drawing Challenge with Concepts & The Big Draw.

It's time for a new drawing challenge to help your creativity tick. Your challenge for November is to draw a clock. Style a personalized wristwatch, customize a clock face for your living space, go cuckoo with a noise maker, or sketch an ancestral heirloom. You might even take a minute to research the inner workings of a clock and create a sketchnote about it. Find details about how to join the challenge here.

Challenge Winners. We were stunned by the amount of research and creativity that went into your clock entries for November's drawing challenge. Incredible ideas - they helped us to consider both time and graphic displays in completely new ways. Thank you so much for your entries, and congratulations to our winners!

1. @phil.j.mill designed a "relatively smart" space-time differentiating wristwatch set to allow you to compare your life's minutes with your twin's, if they were to head lightspeed to Mars and back. Phil detailed a fantastic summary of "twin paradox" ideas in his two post descriptions, we recommend a read.

2. @dulur.illustration drew a "Lion's Clock" with a button pushed by the Wise Man, triggering the lion's hourly roaring. A wonderful illustration and approach to keeping track of time.

3. u/OutbackStankhouse conceptualized what a day "feels" like via color temperatures that shift with the rising and setting of the sun. The design is minimalist, intending to ground the wearer within the earth's cycles.

To cheerful creativity,

Concepts & The Big Draw

Updated December 12, 2022.

October 1 - October 31, 2022 - Design a Cake Challenge

October 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by Concepts & The Big Draw, with Guest Baker Frances Quinn!

We'd like to invite you to help celebrate our Concepts 10 Year Birthday this October by drawing a delicious cake. We're delighted to have Great British Bake Off Designer and Big Draw Ambassador Frances Quinn on our challenge team.

Your challenge is to design a cake. What type of cake is most delicious to you? Is it a modern structure, elegantly shaped, or classically iced? Is it detailed by flowers, a character or scene, or does it share another type of story? Sketch your idea for an incredible cake design and share it with us for a chance to win tasty prizes, including a signed copy of Frances Quinn's Quinntessential Baking cookbook. Find details for how to join our challenge here.

Challenge Winners. 

Thank you for the kindest, warmest birthday wishes and for your incr-edible cake drawings! It really touched us how you supported our challenge in such creative ways, including your Concepts cakes 🧡. We absolutely loved all of your cake ideas. Our guest judge Frances Quinn called them "brilliant and imaginative creations."

Congratulations to our winners! We had two winners tie for third place. The scoring was so close and judging so difficult that we'd like to send everyone who participated a winner's t-shirt to say thank you. Please check your DMs in the next few days for details. Thank you for sharing your wonderful sketches with us!

1. @sree_savage layered together an orange-themed story of chocolate cake and Concepts, combining orange zest, chocolate ganache, vanilla cream and surprise ingredients into a lovely cake design.

2. @sklaw5581 sketched a delicious pumpkin sponge cake layered with cream and fresh fruit. Each segment, when cut, looked just like our new Concepts logo!

3a. @jessikarochas designed a fantastic, flavor-filled structural piece about Concepts' evolution over our ten years. Amazing design work.

3b. @pinsel_feder_stift detailed the insides and outsides of a beautiful Concepts-themed cake layered by the seasons.

Updated November 12, 2022.

  


 

September 1 - September 30, 2022 - Draw a Futuristic Home

September 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by Concepts & The Big Draw.

Draw a futuristic home. For this drawing challenge, think about what kind of future you want to live in, and what you might want your home to look like in it. Some envisioned homes are sleek and modern with plenty of glass and sharp angles. Others are soft and organic, built into nature instead of destroying it. Some are even floating structures that take advantage of zero-gravity environments. Interior and exterior sketches and designs are welcomed for this challenge. Discover your ideas through drawing with Concepts & The Big Draw! Find details for how to enter this challenge here.

Challenge Winners. Thank you for imagining such a tempting future for humanity with your entries to our Futuristic Home drawing challenge! So many fun ideas and the most scenic exploration were involved in your submissions. Count us in your future, please, and congratulations to our winners!

  1. As advances in technology allowed for exciting new building site accessibility, @golemdi styled an isometric dream home on a floating island.
  2. @brendan_visuals sketched a lightweight, packable home you can potentially place wherever you go next.
  3. @miguelangellaverde designed a house of the future inspired by mountains and the idea of harmony, a self-sustaining home built into the surrounding ecosystem that nourishes as it borrows.

August 1 - August 31, 2022 - Draw an Alien Challenge

August 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

Draw an alien. When it comes to designing an extraterrestrial, the universe is the limit. Creature or humanoid, friendly or menacing, cute or creepy, draw an alien and examine its evolutionary story. Where did it originate, how does it live, and how does it interact with other life forms? Discover your ideas through drawing! Find details for how to enter the challenge here.

Challenge Winners. Thank you for your fantastic entries to our Draw an Alien Challenge! They were filled with so much imagination, it was a delight to wander through your drawings and hear your stories, and see how you connected with your alien species even while they came from unknown origins. Congratulations to our winners!

  1. @master_lee_phd (Instagram) - Meat Shifter aliens invaded Earth with the ability to shapeshift into our community, yet completely missed the complexity of the human form in their final take.
  2. @pie_ds (Instagram) filled a UFO tractor beam to the brim with aliens of every type, all of them abducted for mysterious reasons or possibly for their charm.
  3. @golemdi (Twitter)shared his character design for the meplerd, who evolved to grow specialty teaware in their hot and humid conditions (a harvest well appreciated across the galaxy).

July 14, 2022 - Space & Emotion in Design with Maha Alamri

The Big Draw + Concepts App are pleased to chat with Maha Alamri. An illustrator and studying architect, Maha is passionate about exploring spaces and emotions in art and architecture. Join us for an hour of Instagram Live conversation on July 14, 2022 at 6:30 pm BST / 12:30 pm CST with The Big Draw's Drawn in Conversation Series.

To join the Instagram Live:

  1. Follow @thebigdraw, @conceptsapp or @designsbymaha on Instagram - we'll be streaming on all three.
  2. When the hour hits, find the channel's "LIVE" story at the top of your IG feed. Tap the story to watch and listen in! Join on your mobile device or Instagram.com. 
  3. Make comments throughout the event and like the post!
  4. To catch it afterward, tap the Videos tab on @thebigdraw.

Growing up in the Middle East, Maha Alamri has had the opportunity to travel and experience a diverse community, which influences her voice in art and design today. You can see more of her work on her website and Instagram.

We look forward to seeing you on Instagram!

July 1 - July 31, 2022 - Draw a Boat Challenge

July 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

Row with creativity and draw a boat. Sketch an iconic ship or research a historical vessel. Sail with a science fiction themed craft or ink up a smaller canoe. Is your boat outfitted for relaxation, transportation or a more purposeful adventure? Discover your ideas through drawing! Find details for how to enter the challenge here.

Challenge Winners. Thank you for entering our Draw a Boat Challenge! We loved the iconic and unique vessels in your drawings and loved seeing all of your creativity. Congratulations to our winners!

  1. u/7racer8ullet - This ion-powered, anti-gravity boat design, set in a futuristic Swiss environment, was captivating with its attention to detail and storytelling.
  2. @julia_di_kina depicted a powerful ode to childhood and the fantasy of a fragile paper boat, exploring the imagination.
  3. @adolfux explored space and light with a fishing boat moored in the quiet Silvermine bay in Mui Wo.

June 1 - June 30, 2022 - Sketch a Superhero Challenge

June 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

Sketch a superhero. It can be a favorite hero or villain from a movie, comic or book series, or an original character with superheroic skills. What abilities do you admire most about your superhero? Find details for how to join the challenge here.

Challenge Winners. Thank you for entering our Sketch a Superhero Challenge! We loved the heroic spirit and characters in your drawings, it's great to see your storytelling. Congratulations to our winners!

  1. @mimiemi00 - Who doesn’t love a good underdog superhero story? Underdog defends Capitol City with his powers.
  2. @dvalle0410 created Aisha, the Universe Protector. Aisha helps vulnerable beings and creates a safe space for them.
  3. @johnledraws explored the classic Batman series character Poison Ivy in his art - an interesting character study, as she can be both a villain (to people) and hero (to nature).

May 1 - May 30, 2022 - Dream Summer Travel Challenge

May 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

Sketch your dream summer travel plans. As the season heats up, where do you dream of heading? Is it the coastline, a cool mountain retreat, an urban skyline, or somewhere with history? Think about how you plan to get there and what you'd like to see. Draw a map, an attraction, or a view that you look forward to experiencing over the summer.

Our Winners. Thank you for entering our Dream Summer Travel Challenge! We loved the variety of locales in your entries - they captured vibrant places and exciting plans for the future. Congratulations to our winners!

1. @davies1959 shared a memory of canoeing through a tranquil swamp near Ontario, Canada, with hopes of visiting again. 

2. @ahmedheshamart illustrated the essence of warm summer weather and beach exploration.

3. @stratus_and_cumulus shared a history-inspired art piece with some thoughts about finding peace in the middle of conflict.

April 1 - April 30, 2022 - Draw a Landscape Challenge

Our April Drawing Challenge with Concepts + The Big Draw is about the beautiful world around.

Draw a landscape in your style. It can be Bob Ross inspired, science fictional, eco friendly or a landscape design - any scene that explores your connection with the Earth and takes you to a fresh creative place. See details for how to enter the challenge here.

Our Winners. Thank you for entering our Draw a Landscape Challenge! We loved the unique artistry in each of your entries - they captured beautiful scenery and moments filled with appreciation for our Earth. Congratulations to our winners!

1. @shabnam_illustrations shared a reminder of the effects of deforestation on our lives and climate, challenging us to take better care of the ecosystems we rely on.

2. @davies1959 painted a beautiful "Autumn Sunburst" memory from Quebec, Canada.

3. @simyonghuiyahoocom illustrated a lush, futuristic landscape respected by its people, encouraging us to cooperate with each other and our technology to preserve our environment.

March 8 - March 31, 2022 - Color Patterns Challenge

In support of The Big Draw's 2022 "Come Back to Colour" Festival, our March 2022 Drawing Challenge is all about color!

Create a colorful pattern. Explore your inner color and create a vibrant pattern. You can make it geometric, organic, or play with a twist. Patterns have infused our creative experience through the ages, weaving through our biology and environment to inspire mosaics, textiles and art. Design your own colorful pattern. See our challenge page for details on how to participate. Hosted by Concepts App + The Big Draw.

Our Winners. Thank you for joining our Color Patterns Challenge! Your designs were incredible, filled with creativity and inspiration from nature, cultures and history. We loved every one of them. Congratulations to our winners!

1. @ameshiko_design created a Japanese Hanafuda-inspired tile pattern with wild creatures and flowers.

2. @lukacs_laszlo designed a Victorian-styled painted wallpaper with a more modern nature and floral motif.

3. @colouring.tales added a flavor we could taste to a delicious Indian ice cream pattern.

March 2, 2022 - Learn to Sketchnote Zoom Workshop with Mike Rohde

Tired of taking notes the difficult way? Come learn about Sketchnotes, ideas drawn as simple sketches, with Author and Sketchnoter Mike Rohde in our free Zoom workshop with The Big Draw and Concepts! Learn how to simplify your note taking and remember more with visual note taking techniques. The workshop will be March 2nd at 6:30 pm GMT | 12:30 pm CST.

Reserve your Sketchnoting workshop space here.

In the workshop, you'll learn how to:

  • turn simple shapes into drawings
  • listen for key information in a class or event, and capture it in a sketch
  • improve your memory and have a great time learning with Sketchnoting

Bring yourself, a notebook and pen or favorite drawing tablet, and sketch along with Mike. Not only will you gain loads of confidence in your drawing skills, we'll chat about our favorite tools for note taking - traditional and digital, and help you get started on your Sketchnoting journey. See you there!

February 16, 2022 - Sketchnoting with Mike Rohde

The Big Draw + Concepts App are pleased to chat with Mike Rohde of Sketchnote Army, author of The Sketchnote Handbook and all things related to Sketchnoting! Join us for an hour of Instagram LIVE conversation on February 16, 2022 at 6:30 pm GMT / 10:30 am PST with The Big Draw's Drawn in Conversation Series.

To join the IGLive:

  1. Follow @thebigdraw, @conceptsapp or @rohdesign on Instagram - we'll be streaming on all three.
  2. When the hour hits, find the channel's "LIVE" story at the top of your home feed. Tap the story to watch and listen in! Join on your mobile device or Instagram.com. 
  3. Make comments throughout the event and like the post!
  4. To catch it afterward, tap the Videos tab on @thebigdraw or find it on our YouTube.

Sketchnotes are ideas drawn as simple sketches that help you to understand key information and remember the notes you take. If you're a beginner and interested in learning about Sketchnoting, start with Mike's Sketchnote Mini Workshop.

Get ready for our livestream with Mike's newest blog with The Big Draw, 5 Keys to Better Sketchnoting.

We look forward to seeing you!

February 1 - 28, 2022 - Draw a Tiger Challenge

February 2022 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

As a creative discovery challenge in theme with the Lunar New Year, draw a Tiger in a style representing your creative goals for 2022. Share your sketch drawn in Concepts App on Instagram, Twitter or Reddit for a chance to win great prizes!

Our Winners. Thank you for joining our Draw a Tiger Challenge! We thought every illustration submitted was rich and beautifully styled - each of you clearly has a strong creative ability and voice. We hope you will bring these powerful creative themes into your work throughout the year, we know you will find success as you dive in and create!

Congratulations to our winners!

1st Place: @kramer_niels infused his graphic tiger with the determination to respect people, life and planet.

2nd Place: @art_dei_tech created a tiger-stylized firework to symbolize his New Year's goals to solve problems and inspire problem solvers.

3rd Place: @shabnam_illustrations painted an extinct Caspian tiger to represent the tides of power and glory versus extinction. This is something we can help prevent for other creatures.

December 18, 2021 - January 8, 2022 - Draw a Portrait Challenge

December 2021 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

Draw a portrait of someone who inspires you. It can be a creator, influencer, best friend, or anyone who has made a difference in your life. How have they helped you? Try a two-toned sketch, be creative with dimensions, colors or fills, or take a Picasso-styled approach... whatever sparks your creative energy.

Our Winners. We were very touched by your portrait submissions. We felt so much warmth and connection to the people you sketched, it was a privilege to learn about those who have made a difference in your life. Thank you for your participation, what an incredible creative start to the new year strengthened by those around us!

Congratulations to our challenge winners!

1. @daydreamer35813 drew a portrait of English artist and satirical cartoonist Robert Searle, in a wonderful inked style appreciative of the artist's work.

2. u/hhvvhhll shared a portrait of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, whose insights have helped him to overcome a life of physical trauma and find connection and meaning in his inner landscapes.

3. @lightship_print_shop sketched a portrait of Natural Historian David Attenborough, whose championing of the natural world has been a positive influence in her design work.

November 20, 2021 - December 4, 2021 - Draw a Robot Challenge

November 2021 Drawing Challenge, hosted by The Big Draw + Concepts App.

Draw a robot. It can be practical or imaginative. It might perform a special job, take over the future with advanced AI, or simply keep you company like a best buddy. What does your robot do and how does it work? Share your robot sketch drawn in Concepts App and a description of your idea on Instagram for a chance to win some great prizes.

Our Winners. We had so many amazing entries to our Draw a Robot Challenge! We loved your inventive sketches, you came up with incredibly helpful ideas and great robot companions. Congratulations to our winners!

1. @umairzia.art mechanized an eagle's beak into a robot. "Even a most fundamental technology of nature is often more complex than the most sophisticated technologies of human beings."

2. @razan.zulof sketched a story of an AI that can carry a human's memories and consciousness after death, so the human might continue living as an AI-inhabited robot. Would the experiences be different living in a non-organic system?

3. @kamel___jr invented a traffic control robot for the crowded streets of Egypt to help direct traffic more dynamically than stoplights. With AI linked to traffic sensors, the robot would sense the density of nearby traffic and pedestrians, and manage a safe flow.

October 9 - 30, 2021 - #MaketheChange Drawing Challenge

To kick start our engagement with The Big Draw, Concepts' October Drawing Challenge shares The Big Draw Festival's 2021 event theme, #MaketheChange. This challenge focuses on imagining a positive social or environmental change in your community, and sketching about it in Concepts.

The Challenge. Think of how you can tackle a key area in your community or environment - such as air quality, pollution, litter or green spaces - that will help #MaketheChange. Draw a simple sketch about it in Concepts, and write a description about your idea and what you hope it will accomplish.

Our Winners. Many thanks for submitting your entries to our Concepts + The Big Draw #MaketheChange drawing challenge! We appreciate your smart ideas and thoughtful sketches - your ideas really can make a difference to your communities and inspire others to do the same.

In addition, your entry helped us to contribute to The Big Draw charity. The Big Draw will use the contribution to spread the word about the positive, powerful influence drawing can create in peoples' lives. Thank you for your participation, and congratulations to our winners!

1. @ashorestudio - In areas with heavy rainfall, water sensitive urban design features like permeable paving and rain gardens can help to cleanse nearby water sources from overflowing pollutants.

2. @le_sam_hosseini - To help refugees with few opportunities, a pop-up market called UrbanBazar can become a mobile meeting point in Munich to encourage empathy and cultural conversation.

3. @polpenoret_oret - In residential areas, there can be little room for vegetation, leaving the air around you unclean. Planting trees and greenery in your area can help to both cleanse and cool the air.
 



Please stay tuned for upcoming events between Concepts and The Big Draw. In the meantime, check out The Big Draw's latest announcements to discover exciting drawing engagements and be inspired to sketch.

Cheers,

The Concepts Team
 

Hero image - ©The Big Draw Festival Launch 2015 @ Drawing the World, Granary Square, London 3
Cover image - ©The Big Draw Festival Launch 2015 @ Drawing the World, Granary Square, London 1
Cover photos, The Big Draw Festival 2021 artwork and The Big Draw Logo are courtesy of The Big Draw.



New to Concepts? Start your infinite sketching journey with these videos.

Concepts for iOS Quick Start - Start sketching in 5 minutes on your iPad with Concepts.
Concepts for iOS Deep Dive - Learn how to navigate Concepts' infinite canvas and tools in this 15 minute tutorial.
Concepts for Windows Walkthrough - Start sketching with Concepts on Windows 10. 
Concepts for Android Walkthrough - Learn to sketch with Concepts on Android and Chrome OS.
 

Not an artist? Not a problem.

Drawing isn't just for artists, it's for everyone. Learn how to sketch and communicate visually with our free Learn to Draw Series by TopHatch designer Lasse Pekkala. Find downloadable course materials in the video descriptions and level up your sketching.

Find more sketching tutorials on our YouTube channel @conceptsapp.