I DREW THAT- D23 Gold Member 2026 Branding

 

It’s a remarkable honor to have contributed this year to D23 look. D23, the official Disney fan club changes its branding look in subtle ways that still engages its fan community. The branding applies across most of the elements that reach the fans including membership cards, display banners, and not the least of which pins. I drew as many as 17 pieces of character art for the D23 group. We’ll see as the year progress which of them pop up and in what variety of uses.

 

A lot of the character choices in the mix give nods to significant anniversaries celebrated by the many characters, movies and theme park icons that Disney is famous for. 

 

Among the items in the Gold Member gift kit are a members card and certificate, a commemorative Mickey Mouse pin celebrating “Thru the Mirror” 1936 short, collectible magnet featuring Pluto, $25 event discount and D23 Disney Lorcana card.

This year, higher level membership offer additional premium gifts including a a few items featuring some of my art: a 10-piece pin set and a RSVLTS x Disney Shirt.

Here, I share 14 of the characters that I created for D23.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (No. 1)
Mickey Mouse (Thru the Mirror, 1936, 90yr)
Cruella De Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians, 1961, 65yr)
Pluto the pup 

Daisy Duck
Pua (Moana, 2016, 10yr)
Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland, 1961, 65yr)
James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (Monsters, Inc., 2001, 25)

Dory (Finding Dory, 2016, 10yr)
Sun Bonnets (Country Bear Jamboree, 1971, 55yr)
Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog (The Great Muppet Caper, 1981, 45yr)

Lightning McQueen (Cars, 2006, 20yr)
Mickey Mouse (No.2) (Thru the Mirror, 1930, 90yr)

 The style that D23 had me apply to the characters is an extension of what I’ve been doing on my ongoing series of sticky note sketches. I describer it as something honoring 1930’s newspaper clip art or “Monopoly Man” art. It incorporates bold line work and clear silhouettes. It sometimes has rubber-hose arms and legs. It never fusses with making sure shapes are closed off to define spaces to drop in color.

 

What I Drew Friday, Oct 8 - Disney Parks

Day No. 8

On this day, I made it past the half way through the book on my way towards 50. This is becoming a marathon. Trying to make up for yesterday’s two sketches, I drew four today to maintain a minimum average of three per day.

#24, pp. 48-49 - Peter Pan / at Ronto Roasters / carving pumpkins: Kinzey F. / Nicole P. / @herreriamon

There some joke to be made about the pumpkin innards that Peter has been tossing on the ground beneath him. Maybe that’s why the Mon Calamari kid is watching him?

How could I not make a “pumpkin Hook” pun?

4x hidden Mickeys.

#25, pp. 50-51 - Chip and Dale / pop up pin shop: Jeff S. / @vbehappy

Not considered “hidden” Mickeys are 1) the “Mickey” that Chip is playing at by holding two round pins over his head and 2) the Mickey on the 50 anniversary pin that Dale is holding.

The Daisy design is based on how she appears in the short “Donald’s Diary.”

2x hidden Mickeys.

#26, pp. 52-53 - Sadness & Joy / riding Maelstrom: @the_kira_diaries / Abigail R.

The way I see it, characters like Joy and Sadness don’t have physical bodies and therefore aren’t limited to any scale. Still, since the Pixar film, implies that they exist some where in Riley’s head, they’d have to be small. I depict them here atop the dragon figure head of the Maelstrom boat.

2x hidden Mickeys.

#27, pp. 54-55 - Joe Gardner / in the Haunted Mansion / struggling to cover his ears: Abigail R / @madesalvo / @the_kira_diaries

“Covering his ears” really directed the setting to something about the Haunted Mansion that might incite the reaction in Joe. Maybe all of the spirits in the seance played at the same time but not the same tune and not in the same key.

It was only while in the coloring stage did I consider the “soul” version of Joe in the mansion could have been interesting.

2x hidden Mickeys.

What I Drew Sunday, February 21st - Top 3

For the first themed edition of “What Shall I Draw Today?” in 2021, the drawings resolved around Disney, and Pixar and the Muppets. The Disney day theme happened to be the top as voted in a quick poll on Instagram.

Here are the top 3 liked pieces from Sunday:

#1 - Joe and Roger Piano Players: original suggestion by @ani8tor57

Just a couple of piano players. The sister suggestion pitched by the same person had paired Joe and Schroeder from Peanuts. Of course this combination of Joe Gardner (Pixar’s Soul) and Roger Radcliffe (Walt Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians) is more Disney.

Could I have depicted Joe and Roger sitting on the same bench? Yes, and that could have been a way to economize the space with only a single upright piano.

I opted to have back to back pianos, allowing for the instruments to match the personalities of the players. As I have mentioned in past WSIDT summaries, all of the drawings done on the WSIDT days are done with little or no preparation. From choosing the suggested idea, I dive into the drawing as quickly as possible often taking the first layout decisions as they come. Also in the interest of making quick drawings, I make decisions to cheat layouts and creatively crop and simplify to eliminate unnecessary details.

Here I cheated the characters’ positions by having both lean around to make eye contact. Conveniently, With Roger in front, he conceals a good part of both pianos. The camera angle is set low so that I don’t have to draw pain keys, and the image tightly cropped to show just enough to display that they are playing pianos and not, perhaps, sitting at writing desks.

It’s always fun to incorporate a supporting character or two, and here the cat and a puppy fill the need nicely. Again, the layout is such that the image need not be full of dalmatian puppies.

I wonder what kind of jazz duet they’re playing that Joe is playing the high part and Roger the low part.


#2 - Melody Sleeping on Max: suggestion by @nikkistar5394

It wasn’t immediately clear to me who Melody and Max were. That’s where an internet search revealed these two Disney characters from The Little Mermaid franchise.

Looking at it now, Max may be a bit too small.

While not having first-hand knowledge of how a baby might sleep on a furry member of the family, I am confident that I must have seen something similar in a movie or on television. The sea-shell shaped gown is directly taken from still of The Little Mermaid 2.


#3 - Wanda and Vision at Disneyland: original suggestion by @ray.anna2018

This idea was one of the few incorporating a Disney theme park. At the time of this WSIDT session, the Disney+ series had just released the seventh episode. Even so, the first two black-and-white 1950s era episodes are still potent as defining imagery for the series. Another bit of imagery that is strongly associated with the WandaVision series is the classic vacuum tube television screen. When drawing a scene with two or more characters and other background features and/or properties, I lightly mark margins around the card. This time, that action naturally mimicked tracing the outline of a televisions screen.

For every “at Disneyland” suggestion that I draw, I try to select background elements that are 1) iconic 2) easy to draw. To that end, I’ll chose a distinct skyline and devise a way to not draw crowds. Here, Wanda and Vision are strolling through Town Square past the Main Street Train Station. Cropping as a medium two-shot with a low positioned camera point of view crops out room for surrounding crowds.

The suggestion also included that it be 1950s era. With Main Street being one of the least changed parts of the California park, I incorporated the 1955/56 styled popcorn box.

The slightly muted colors is also an attempt to evoke the era.



Here are the rest of the 9 drawn on Sunday:

Kermit (Hercules) and Miss Piggy (Megara)

Suggestion by @craftsgineer

Sisu meets Mushu
Suggestion by @zhukong24

Emma Stone as Cruella
Suggestion by Kinzey F

Mrs. Potts at the Mad Hatter’s tea party
Suggestion by @jonmpeterson

Burrito from The Flying Gauchito
Suggestion by Abigail R.

Gaston showing his son Gil how to shoot
Suggestion by @harishas.art

All of these and more original pieces of art will be for sale in future convention shows.

The next WSIDT session is happening in March 28, 2021. 

For the year’s schedule, click on the WSIDT tab above.

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 on Bristol Board.

“Joe & Roger” and “Wanda & Vision” 17.78 cm  x 12.70 cm (7.00 in. x 5.00 in)
“Melody & Max” 8.89 cm x 6.35 cm (3.50 in. x 2.50 in.)

What I Drew Sunday, January 24th - Top 3

 During the inaugural session of “What Shall I Draw Today?” for 2021, I managed to produce eight little pieces of art from the nearly 40 suggestion submitted.

Here are the top 3 liked pieces from Sunday:

#1 - Christopher Robin as Andy, Tigger as Woody, and Pooh as Buzz Lightyear: suggestion by @akoymdf

The amount of “likes” received by this piece may have set a personal best for my Instagram channel.

On paper, it’s a simple Disney mashup: three Winnie the Pooh characters as Toy Story characters. It’s a boy playing with his toys. The boy is Christopher Robin as Andy complete with a red cowboy hat. Instead of a Triple-R Ranch logo tee-shirt, he wears something of a Space Rangers logo, so that he represents his dual interests of westerns and space adventures.

Were I left to make up the mashups, I would have swapped the roles to have Tigger as Buzz because he’s flashier and bouncier. Pooh would be Woody, the trusty and loyal one whose primacy as Andy’s favorite is challenged by the new comer.

With all the “likes,” I guess @akoymdf has better instincts on the casting.

If you’ve been following my IG enough to catch some of my past WSIDT sessions, the IG handle may be familiar.


#2 - Lucy Ricardo and Wanda & Chicken: suggestion by @oliviamn14 with Abigail R.

For future readers, this session happened the Sunday following the Disney Plus airing of the third episode of WandaVision. There were 5 suggestions involving Wanda or both Wanda and Vision. This is the one WandaVision related idea that I chose to draw on Sunday because the first episode draws inspiration from I Love Lucy as well as The Dick Van Dyke Show. It would be best to explore the cross-over idea now while the connection is still fresh. There also was a suggestion featuring a version of the comic book Scarlet Witch.

The chicken is from Abigail’s separate suggestion. The chicken became the trigger for the story.

Why is there a chicken?
Wanda magic-ed it up.
What does Lucy think about that?
Lucy is wondering where that chicken came from.
Why is a chicken surprising to Lucy?
A live chicken isn’t the chicken she was thinking of.
What’s out of place about a live chicken?
Lucy has a cook book, suggesting that she had a recipe requiring a store-bought chicken.

I could have rendered the piece as true-to-inspiration black & white, but people always respond to color more. Additionally, Lucy’s bright red hair and Wanda’s auburn hair make more comparisons between the two more obvious which was, in fact, an added point made in the full suggestion.

Both of their dresses are more neutral and cool in tone for added contrast to make their hair color stand out more.

The choice to depict them in a cartoony caricature, was initiated to allude to the animated opening titles of Bewitched. The style also made it easier and quicker to draw, which is important to me as I try to complete as many drawings in eight hours as I possibly can.


#3 - Redd the pirate and Captain Jack Sparrow: suggestion by @nikkistar5394

Redd, here, is the pirate in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. She has a different costume than Captain Redd who you once could meet at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. I trust that you know of Captain Jack Sparrow.

The suggestion included the team-up back-to-back composition. Were this not the final drawing of the day, I might have drawn it on a larger card, and a large card might have allowed for a better caricature of Captain Jack.

The expressions and exchanges of gazes, I hope, suggests that they may be teaming up now, but either one could make a self-serving turn as any moment.

Pirates. Am I Right?


Here are the rest of the 8 drawn on Sunday:

Kamala Harris (Flora), Michelle Obama (Fauna), and Dr. Jill Biden (Merryweather)
suggestion by @motheroffreels

A bi-pedal Pumbaa in tux and tails
suggestion by @pumbaaguy

Pocahontas as a hula dancer
suggestion by @elijones94

Rey and Leia bonding over an afternoon tea
suggestion by @jesstothesmith

Wonder Woman (DC Future State) — Yara Flor
suggestion by @sdogg52

I am still saving all of my drawing for future sales at convention shows. Frustratingly, I can’t say when that will be.

The next WSIDT session is happening in February 21.

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 on Bristol Board.

“Pooh Story” and “Lucy and Wanda”: 17.78 cm  x 12.70 cm (7.00 in. x 5.00 in)
“Redd and Jack” 8.89 cm x 6.35 cm  (3.50 in. x 2.50 in.)

“Kamala, Michelle and Jill” on watercolor paper.

What I Drew for Disneyland's Birthday – Day 15

Dream Finder and Figment dragon are looking
for more marvelous things to imagine and
collect with the Dream Catcher.
Journey Into Imagination, Epcot.

In the ride vehicle (L-R) Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy.

4 hidden Mickeys.

 

Brother team Ian and Barley Lightfoot test the
track on Radiator Springs Racers against
spy team Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable.

Ian and Barley are from Pixar’s Onward.

Kim and Ron are from her Disney Channel series.

2x hidden Mickeys.

 

Mabel and Dipper Pines on the grid on
Tron Lightcycle Power Run,
Shanghai Disneyland

Dipper and Mabel are from the Disney XD series Gravity Falls.

1x hidden Mickey.

 

The suggestion box for July 16th is now closed.

You have now until 5:00pm EDT (2:00 PDT) July 16th, to pitch suggestions inspired by your favorite Disney Parks things and characters for consideration to be my last sketch of the day - here in the comments. This may be the last day for suggestions if I decide to complete the series on Friday, July 17th with sketches of my choosing.

Above is a handy checklist of the 46 things I’ve already sketched, which will to help you to help me fill this autograph book with 51 sketches of 51 different beloved Disney Parks things.

5 more pages to go.

What I Drew for Disneyland's Birthday – Day 13

Remy and Linguini enjoying
the Food and Wine Festival.
Epcot, Walt Disney World

Remy and Linguini from Ratatouille.

Also featuring these hungry guests (L-R):

Ichabod Crane, Winnie the Pooh and Monterey Jack (Chip n Dale’s Rescue Rangers)

3x hidden Mickeys.

Moana and Ariel marvel at the Lilliputian-sized
structures of Storybook Land Canal Boats, Disneyland.

Oh, Snap! Who could the boat captain be?

4x hidden Mickeys. 1x Mickey shell motif by design.

  

The suggestion box for July 14th is now closed.

You have now until 5:00pm EDT (2:00 PDT) July 14th, to pitch suggestions inspired by your favorite Disney Parks things and characters for consideration to be my last sketch of the day - here in the comments.

Above is a handy checklist of the 41 things I’ve already sketched, which will to help you to help me fill this autograph book with 51 sketches of 51 different beloved Disney Parks things.

10 more pages to go.

What I Drew for Disneyland’s Birthday – Day 6

Albert and the mysterious music box.
Mystic Manor, Hong Kong Disneyland

2x hidden Mickeys.
Easter Eggs: Kida’s staff (The Emperor’s New Groove), Bust of Zeus (Hercules), model of Kuzcotopia (The Emperor’s New Groove); Fa Zou’s sword (Mulan).

 

Mickey and Minne at
Videopolis, Disneyland

2x hidden Mickeys.
Easter Eggs: Powerline (A Goofy Movie), Gosalyn and Honker (Darkwing Duck), Penny Proud (The Proud Family)

 

A mashup at the Haunted Mansion
featuring (front L-R) Miguel, Dante, mummy,
Mama Imelda, Hector, “ear cone” ghost, 2x lonesome ghosts.
 (back L-R) 2x Fa family ancestors,
“Hatbox” ghost, Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi.

2x hidden Mickeys.
Easter Egss: 2 ghosts from the short The Lonesome Ghosts.

 Miguel, Dante, Mama Imelda & Hector from Disney/Pixar’s Coco.

Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi as Force ghosts from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

The Fa Family ancestors from Mulan.

The mummy, “ear cone” ghost and the “Hatbox” ghost from the Haunted Mansion attraction.

The suggestion box is closed for July 7.

You have now until 5:00pm EDT (2:00 PDT) July 7th, to pitch suggestions inspired by your favorite Disney Parks things and characters for consideration to be my last sketch of the day - here in the comments.

Above is a handy checklist to help you help me avoid repeating things I've already drawn and included in the book.