What I Drew Sunday, April 26th - Top 3

For last Sunday’s session of What Shall I Draw Today? I reshaped it into an improvisational drawing session. For the six days leading up to the day, suggestions were welcomed. However, this time, folks were prompted to suggest things in three categories: 1) one or two characters; 2) things; and 3) settings or activities. On WSIDT Sunday, everything got deconstructed, sorted and recombined randomly as new drawing suggestions.

Here are the top 3 liked pieces from Sunday:

#1 - Barley and Ian (Onward) / in Firelight / Ballroom Dancing: suggestion by @johnssketches / @annakat.m / @alltookayleigh 

Here we have two elf brothers, who don’t dance in their movie, “Onward” and much less in a ballroom style dance. Embracing the “yes and…” tenants of improv, the two would be take to it with zero reluctance. Still, I chose to not pick a flashier composition of a dip or a lift.

The “firelight” aspect added a bit of additional attention and time, in the coloring stage of the drawing.

The story plays pretty straight forward and I guess there’s no more to say about it.

#2 - Padmé Amidala or (and) Peggy Carter / with teapot / in an attic: suggestion by @annakat.m / @japchrissy / @jonmpeterson

The character component has the “or” option. Here, I could have prepared the suggestion by splitting it into two different character suggestions. Instead, I let it play into an “and.” You get it, “yes, and…”

Here I demonstrate my push to generalize and minimize the background setting, if I can get away it. I had in my mind to depict a strong spotlight on the teapot, a la Raiders of the Lost Ark. The yellow patch at the top right implies a roof-top window which would have been the source of a shaft of light. Expediency nixed that idea, I’m sorry.

I have Peggy call Padme “princess” even though “queen” would have been the proper title. I like to think that Peggy would tease Padme about having such titles. Maybe that confused some folks.

Would Padme not recognize what a teapot is? Well, perhaps if she first saw only a odd shaped pot with a handle (the spout is pointing away from her point of view)?


#3 - Leni Peakitten / with an iPhone / swimming: suggestion by @thefurmaster78 / @breezie_draws / @harishas.art

Leni is an original character (O.C.) that the IG follower has suggested before and that I have drawn once before. Now you know.

This was the first combo-pick of the day and as a demonstration, I had posted a goofy introductory video of me pulling the slips of paper out of three cups. I mentioned that the suggestion was “a recipe for disaster” by which I meant that swimming is not an activity to take one’s iPhone.

Taking a selfie seemed to be the best way to feature the iPhone. I didn’t want to draw something that just happened to have a cel phone in it.

As it turned out by day’s end, it was the only suggestion featuring a single character and coincidentally the only one the I fit into the smaller collector card size format.




 

I only managed five sketches for the eight hour session.

Here are the rest of the 5 drawn on Sunday:

Spider-Man and Deadpool / taxi driving / Chicago

Suggestion by @akoymdf / @mannysmyname / @mannysmyname

Sorry for the misspelled “Chicago”

Wonder Woman & Okoye / as Star Wars characters / Cleaning puppys’ mess

Suggestion by @madesalvo / @motheroffreels / @juliet.montenegro

I hope that the results were interesting or funny. I believe it’s safe to say that they’re unexpected.

All of these and more original piece of art will be for sale at my next comic convention showing, which, honestly, I don’t know will happen this year.

The next WSIDT session is scheduled for Sunday, May, 24th.

Thank you to everyone who pitched their fun drawing suggestions. Thank you for following my blog and/or Instagram (@Monstergram7) and/or Monster Enterprises Facebook page. Thank you for liking.

All: Black ink and color pencil.
“Barley & Ian” and “Padme & Peggy” on paper. 12.70 cm x 17.78 cm (5.00 in. x 7.00 in.)
“Leni“  on Bristol Board. 6.35 cm x 8.89 cm  (2.50 in. x 3.50 in.)

Heroes

My deepest thanks go out to the hard working everyday folks on whom we depend to persevere through these challenging times.

- --- + + + --- -

Color pencil on Bristol Board.
30.48 cm x 22.86 cm (12.00 in. x 9.00 in.)

With this piece, I attempt to focus on a few representive folks who aren’t hunkered down in their homes waiting out the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Folks who continue their essential work, so that a nation can best brave these times before a cure is found.

(L-R)

• Paramedics and first responders •

• Teachers •

• Scientists •

• Nurses and medical staff •

• Postal workers and delivery persons •

• Farmers •

• Grocers, restaurant owners and clerks •

• Shipping and transport workers •

I made a few conscious choices before proceeding with the drawing. The first was to depict representations of ordinary people and neither famous people or identifiable intellectual properties. The second was to depict a diversity of genders, ethnicities and body types.

There exists an aborted first rough composition that had a line-up of all the standing figures as fully drawn. Plainly, it was boring. In this version number 2, the cropping is tighter and the figures are placed at different levels, i.e. distances from the viewer/ camera. Artist tip, if your subjects are merely standing about, ask yourself if you really need to show their feet? The camera is positioned low, looking up at the group, making them feel more important.

The monochromatic nature of the piece was decided upon mid sketch, as this tonal stage reminded me of the white statues featured in the American Adventure theater in Epcot. Flanking each side of the theater seats are 6 figural stature representing the so-called spirit American values.

What Shall I Draw April 26?

With the April edition of the What Shall I Draw Today? things are getting mixed-up, literally. The typical WSIDT session features me accepting other folks’ suggestions and drawing as many of them as I can in an 8-hour span. It’s a little like improv with a pencil. Well, this time, let’s see what happens when WSIDT is really treated like improv. It will either be super fun, or be a spectacular  disaster.

Here’s what we’ll do.

Step 1) Folks like you are invited to suggest in any or all of 3 categories:
1- 1 or 2 Characters 
2- Things 
3- Settings or activities

Step 2) All of the suggestions will be separated and mixed up.

Step 3) I’ll pick from the 3 category piles, recombining then into a new suggestion and I’ll attempt to draw it. For example, the new suggestion might be player #1’s suggested character, utilizing player #2’s thing suggestion in a setting suggested by player #3.

Does that make sense?

Another ways of looking at it is, for a second example, a suggestions like “Ariel dressed as Spider-Gwen at a Renaissance Faire” will get broken up as 3 parts: 1)-“Ariel”; 2- “Spider-Gwen costume” and 3- “At a Renaissance Faire.” Any of the parts might contribute to a new, different Franken-suggestion.

What Shall I Draw Today?

= Improv =

Sunday, April 26th, 2020

Eastern Daylight Time:  12pm noon - 8pm

Pacific Daylight Time:  9am - 5pm

Pitch your suggestions at any of the following social media spots where you find the above prompting image.

Blog:  monotonae.blogspot.com (right here in the comments)

Instagram: @monstergram7

Facebook:  /Monster Enterprises

Click on the WSIDT tab above for FAQs.

As a bit of a warning, all suggestion are subject to interpretation and editing. This may involve but may not limited to individual characters pulled from suggested groups, and settings simplified and or suggested possibly by a word bubble.

What could go wrong?

Flynn Rider and Rapunzel at Disneyland.
Black ink and color pencil on paper.
12.70 cm x 17.78 cm (5.00 in. x 7.00 in.)