Writer's Choice: See who David YayGrr is rooting for in the Purple Rules Illustration Contest

Voting Closed

We recently posted an article on the top submissions for David YayGrr's "Purple Rules" Illustration Contest. However, we'd also like to feature some of our favorites that we're hoping you all might want to vote for. These artists all showed a unique point of view and brought something interesting to the competition. 

Also, we want to add a friendly reminder that all proceeds from the final book will be donated to Artolution. While we're excited to make a meaningful difference to Artolution's fundraising efforts in the future, we'd also like to encourage our fans, readers, and voters to donate now to support this amazing organization in their current struggle to provide digital access to program participants while quarantined/social distancing.

Covid has impacted everyone and every organization differently, and we hope that everyone is staying safe... and voting for these great artists while at least 2 meters away from your neighbors!

1. Maile Hoe, No Hakipuʻu, Oʻahu mai au; I am from Oʻahu, in the moku of Koʻolau Poko and the ahupuaʻa of Hakipuʻu. 

Why should people vote for you?

When I read through the Purple Rules transcript, it really resonated with me. The Hawaiian people are no strangers to unfair faux rulers and discriminating policies. Our language was banned, our culture was all but destroyed, our aliʻiwere displaced. But we are overcoming those obstacles every day, by learning and speaking our language, and reviving centuries-old traditions. My family has always been proud of our Hawaiian heritage, so the line “What the king didn’t know, led to his downfall; All people need color to be people at all” really stuck with me. My family makes me who I am, just like how the people of the Land of We are made up of their colors. This book teaches you to be proud and accepting of all your colors, and the colors of those around you. That’s a message I can get behind.

I’ve never really felt this way when something like this happens (you know, the “draw something based on this” contests and such). The amount of enthusiasm I had when designing characters and scenery was almost scary. I had such a vivid vision for how the pictures that went along with the words would look. Although I’m not totally sure what that feeling was, I think it had something to do with how much the book stuck with me. I had the words in my heart, so my hands could make exactly what I wanted! If my fascination with this feeling tells me anything, I think it’s a rare one. I believe it is very important to have the person who is illustrating the book to have a connection and passion for what they are doing. Art is all about feeling; with no feeling, the art just won’t look quite right. But I know that my feeling was in this illustration, 100%, so you can count on me to get it just right.

Where to find more of Maile's art: 
IG: @kilape_at_large

2. Josh Harris from Leicestershire, UK 

Why should people vote for you? 

In producing the piece for “Purple Rules” I have tried to pick up on the key theme of calling out racism.  There is use of lots of colour throughout and one area that picks up on this more than anything is the family to the right with red mum, blue dad and purple (dual heritage) child.

The purple child would open up other discussions around diversity and discrimination, positive or negative, with them looking more like the self appointed purple king than their parents.

Is there anything else you want to share with our audience? 

Like people all over the world I am currently dealing with the Coronavirus outbreak which, in the UK, means most of us are in “lockdown” at home.  I have had an interest in drawing cartoon style characters and scenes for a couple of years and to get through the current situation I have thrown myself even further into producing more drawings.

How to find out more about Josh Harris' art:

To give myself a bit of a challenge and to determine if people actually liked the artwork I was producing, at the start of Coronavirus “lockdown” (just 4 weeks ago for us but seems much longer!) I set up an Instagram account  and have set myself the challenge of producing and publishing at least one piece of artwork every day.  

Please have a look at my Instagram account and let me know what you think (good or bad). @_joshharrisart_

3. Winnie Chen from Ontario, Canada. 

Why should people vote for you?
Although my illustration is quite simple, people should vote for my illustration since I plan to do more detailed drawings like my sketches. I have many ideas for the book "Purple Rules" and one of them would be to put emphasis on the colour palette chosen. I have a strong understanding of colour theory and it allows me to combine colours that complement each other on the pages. For example, I know that a triadic colour scheme would work well in certain pages of the book and that was shown on the two-page spread. I also plan to make each page a certain mood, and colour, this would be different than other illustrations since most people would have many colours for each page. Each dominant colour will represent the rules of the book. 

Is there anything else you want to share with our audience and where can we see more of your art?
Besides illustration, I also do photorealistic drawings. I hope you'll check them out on my instagram @w1nart

 4. Hannah L. from Houston, TX

Why should people vote for you? 
As far back as I can remember, I was obsessed with storytelling. From crude scratches in the sandy gravel lining my community playground to the HB #2 masterpieces strewn across calculus worksheets, I traversed across universes, immersing myself within the storylines and lives of characters I would never be able to meet in the physical world. Page after page, sketchbook after sketchbook soon piled up in the attic, gathering dust, never to see the light of day. However, as the years progressed, I found myself seeking validation through competition, growing increasingly obsessed with the presence of a blue ribbon stamped on my canvas. Stuck in a stupor, I grew tired of my ‘hobby’, no longer seeing the value in the hollow scribbles I had hoarded so fervently before. In order to save my marriage with art, I knew it was crucial to scrap all of the toxic expectations I had held previously. In the period of convalescence following, I invested in a quality set of oil paints, throwing myself into the field of comics and illustration with renewed ardor. From studying Sargent’s classics to @henrikauu’s viral surrealist works. I fell for the rich colors but, more so, the breathless gut-punch feeling that I felt after seeing their pieces. The rising socio-political art presence worldwide, tumultuous shifts in American and global circumstances, combined with angsty hormonal impulse, made me completely reevaluate the power of the pencil.