Stephen Colbert has a new(er) segment called The Colbert Questionert. He asks guests fifteen questions “‘scientifically designed, psyche probing’ questions” to really get to know them. I enjoy these lightning round question and answer type segments (see the Pivot Questionnaire from Inside the Actor’s Studio).

Here we go:

1. What is the best sandwich? Meatball sub
2. What’s one thing you own that you should really throw out? My old Citadel stuff. Uniforms, manuals, belt buckles. Honestly, what am I going to do with them? It’s just taking up space. But can you donate those uniforms? Maybe that’s why I still have it. I don’t know who to give it to.
3. What is the scariest animal? Snakes are quite creepy
4. Apples or Oranges? Oranges, but only those cutie oranges. They’re simpler to deal with.
5. Have you ever asked someone for their autograph? Yes, on multiple occasions. I was heartbroken though one time when my brother and I went to ask three wrestlers for their autographs at a Shoney’s. We were rejected and it hurt to the core.
6. What do you think happens when we die? I don’t know, but I hope it’s something unbelievable.
7. Favorite action movie? (Right now…) Mission: Impossible: Fallout
8. Favorite smell? My wife’s lotion
9. Least favorite smell? Poop
10. Exercise: Worth it? Yes, it just helps you feel better.
11. Flat or sparkling? Flat.
12. Most used app on your phone? Disney Magic Kingdoms. It’s a game that delights me to no end and my kingdom keeps expanding. 🙂
13. You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: What do you listen to? Eye of the Tiger by New Found Glory…it doesn’t say I’m listening to it on loop.
14. What number am I thinking of? 21
15. Describe the rest of your life in five words…A fun and memorable journey

In March, the Society of Visual Storytelling (SVS) held a contest for a design sheet for a fairy tale traveler. The prompt read as follows:

Your assignment is to design a Fairy-Tale Traveler. Your character is young, naive, but resilient and stouthearted! Their quiet village is hidden away in a secluded valley, but is in grave danger. A horde of goblins have promised to raid the village when the harvest moon rises. Our young traveler is on a quest to find someone, anyone, powerful enough to fight back the horde and save their village from destruction.

What we want from you is a character design sheet with your own take on the traveler. They could be a halfling, elf, human, or animal. Just make them appealing and interesting.

Every entry must have 5 color drawings on ONE page:

1 neutral pose front, 3/4 view
1 neutral post back, 3/4 view
1 walking or running pose
1 sitting pose (ground or chair)
1 close up of face

It took me awhile to get started. I wanted to plan and complete the challenge using ProCreate. Completing the image 100% digitally though proved difficult for me. I tried for a couple weeks, pressing on with very limited results. I pulled references, I ideated, and even wrote out traits and characteristics for the character. I just could not get going.

So I took my ideas analog and sketched in my sketchbook. It felt more natural and what I was seeing in my head started to get translated.

I then imported my drawings into ProCreate and was able to stitch together the design sheet poses. After laying it all out, It was smoother to start editing and inking my sketches.

After it was all inked, I got some color selection help from my daughter. We found this great color palette on Pinterest and it even came with hexcodes.

After I finished up coloring, I added a texture to the background and hit submit. Here are the other entries: http://cshellmedia.com/clients/svs/.

Endnotes: Overall I'm happy with how Nena turned out. She's the most complete work I've put together in quite some time. I do need better time management for the contest. This image was pulled together at the last moment. The image could use more shading and the inking could use better line weight variation. Plus,the silhouette could have been more dynamic. 

Inktober: n. A drawing challenge during the month of October to complete 31 pen and ink drawings in 31 days.

Week 5 of drawings for Inktober 2017. I followed the 2017 Inktober prompt list to draw 31 astronauts.

I created more complex constraints by emulating 31 different artists that have inspired me. Some have done so for years. Others have inspired more recently.

Contact me if you see anything you’d like to purchase.

more “Astronaut Inktober: Week 5” …

Inktober: n. A drawing challenge during the month of October to complete 31 pen and ink drawings in 31 days.

Week 4 of drawings for Inktober 2017. I followed the 2017 Inktober prompt list to draw 31 astronauts.

I created more complex constraints by emulating 31 different artists that have inspired me. Some have done so for years. Others have inspired more recently.

more “Astronaut Inktober: Week 4” …

Inktober: n. A drawing challenge during the month of October to complete 31 pen and ink drawings in 31 days.

Week 3 of drawings for Inktober 2017. I followed the 2017 Inktober prompt list to draw 31 astronauts.

I created more complex constraints by emulating 31 different artists that have inspired me. Some have done so for years. Others have inspired more recently.

more “Astronaut Inktober: Week 3” …

Inktober: n. A drawing challenge during the month of October to complete 31 pen and ink drawings in 31 days.

Week 2 of drawings for Inktober 2017. I followed the 2017 Inktober prompt list to draw 31 astronauts.

I created more complex constraints by emulating 31 different artists that have inspired me. Some have done so for years. Others have inspired more recently.

more “Astronaut Inktober: Week 2” …

Inktober: n. A drawing challenge during the month of October to complete 31 pen and ink drawings in 31 days.

Here is the first weeks batch of drawings for Inktober 2017. I followed the 2017 Inktober prompt list to draw 31 astronauts.

I created more complex constraints by emulating 31 different artists that have inspired me. Some have done so for years. Others have inspired more recently.

more “Astronaut Inktober: Week 1” …

31 days. 28 drawings.

In reality, 31 drawings in 34 days.

This video is a rundown of ALL my Inktober drawings for 2017. After a poll on Twitter, my topic for the month was astronauts.

more “Inktober 2017: Full Recap” …

Every year during October, artists from all over the world participate in a pen and ink drawings challenge called Inktober. The hashtag was created by cartoonist and internet inspiration Jake Parker and garners more participation each and every year. The rules are simple:

1. Make a drawing in ink
2. Post it online
3. Hashtag it with #INKTOBER and #INKTOBER(year)
4. Repeat ever day of October

more “Inktober Approaches” …

I enjoy watching “Inside the Actor’s Studio” with James Lipton. At the end of every interview, he asks his guest 10 questions originally from a French series, “Bouillon de Culture” hosted by Bernard Pivot. I thought I’d have some fun and answer those questions here.

• What is your favorite word? Believe
• What is your least favorite word? Can’t
• What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? My wife
• What turns you off? Failure Sitting on my laurels
• What is your favorite curse word? $h!+ I don’t have one anymore
• What sound or noise do you love? My family laughing
• What sound or noise do you hate? My family crying
• What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? General manager of a sports franchise Artist/Writer
• What profession would you not like to do? Working at a toy store
• If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Well done