Call for coloring pages

theprairiefox

Illustrators, if you are wondering what you can do to help in these crazy times I might have something for you.

Art Buddies is a Minneapolis based non-profit I have been working with for years that connects art-minded adults and amazing kids in the Twin Cities schools. Usually, mentors get to connect 1-on-1 with kids in a free after-school program. But with the quarantine, they have switched to creating Art Buddy Books that have gone to 2000+ kids in homeless shelters.

They just got a request for 6000 more from the Minneapolis Public Schools to be delivered to their high-needs kids.

I created a couple of pages for the earlier edition but Art Buddies is requesting any illustrators interested in creating new coloring pages let them know (email is info@artbuddies.org). I thought some of you on the forum might be interested.

Here is the Facebook Request

Here is their website: www.artbuddies.org

Here is a forum discussion about the pages I created earlier.

Reach out if you are interested, especially if you are from Minnesota. I know there a few of your out there, @drawnbyshawn

drawnbyshawn

@theprairiefox Oh, I'll have to check that out. Thanks for letting me know!

drawnbyshawn

@theprairiefox Do they have any info on specs anywhere (size, etc)? I didn't see anything in the Facebook post or on their website (but I may have missed it).

theprairiefox

@drawnbyshawn I just spoke with the Executive Director and told her the same thing! They are putting up a webpage with all the specs (hopefully within the hour).

Here is what I know so far, but once I get the link for the specs page I will put it here.

Entries will be due by Midnight on Sunday, June 7th 2020
Pages should be 8.5x11 portrait
I am suspecting they should be black and white (but they have not said this)

I suggested they ask for .jpg or .png for the format. I submitted mine as PDF previously but that is a little more work and not necessary.

drawnbyshawn

@theprairiefox Cool, thanks!

theprairiefox

@drawnbyshawn I got the specs.

Due by Midnight on Sunday, June 7th, 2020
Pages should be 8.5x11 portrait at 300dpi (2,550x3,300)
Black and white
Submit as .jpg or .png and email to info@artbuddies.org (If you can convert to .pdf that is preferred but not required).
Design for elementary-age kids, Kindergarten-5th Grade (5-10 years old for those not from the United States)
Please add your Instagram (or other social media) handle to the image

Let me know if you have any other questions and I will pass them along.

Laurel Aylesworth

@theprairiefox Thanks for posting this. Do you have any prior examples? I don't typically work in vector art, and I'm assuming they need to be set up that way?

theprairiefox

@Laurel-Aylesworth these do NOT have to be vector art. It really just needs to be some sort of black and white so that kids can color them. Basically line work.

My pictures were just done in pen and ink and scanned in. I did convert to vector (just because that is what I do) but if you scan at 300dpi or higher you should be fine.

If you are working digitally, just make sure your image is 2,550x3,300 when you start.

Here are examples of what I submitted last time:

Laurel Aylesworth

@theprairiefox Perfect. Thank you! (And this is just adorable by the way)

theprairiefox

@Laurel-Aylesworth and the subjects are up to you.

The ones shown here I chose because I was under a tight deadline last time and was working with these characters already.

Do note that the audience is VERY diverse. White, black, Somali, Hispanic, etc. So be thoughtful on that front.

Aaron_T

What a great idea @theprairiefox! Looks like you were part of a series? Do you know, are they looking for collections like that or would they just take whatever sheets they end up with and put them together on their end?

theprairiefox

@Aaron_T like I said mine just happened to come out that way because that was what I was working on at the time.

They will take pretty much anything (age-appropriate: Kindergarten-5th, elementary school, 5yrs old - 10yrs old) that you would like to do.

Aaron_T

@theprairiefox Cool...thanks!

miranda-hoover

This is great! Thank you for sharing