Mittens the Gnome


I love drawing cute and girly things. But the truth is, when I get that rare fifteen minutes of drawing time between changing diapers and building block towers, I draw cute and girly things because I am sleepy and they are my go-to, no-reference-needed subject matter.

Does anyone out there have an interesting character design suggestion? Something that I might not usually draw?

Comments

Kendra Melton said…
She so adorable!

Umm since you seem to fancy the more fairytale-European-old world type subject you could go futuristic or past. Could do something dark like an undertaker, or creature. Or you could take it to another culture to change things up. Maybe even think about giving the characters a climate change. So many options!

I always get "great" ideas and then forget them when I finally have a moment to myself for sketching. Need to start writing those down. Anyway, Good luck!
Anonymous said…
Hi Sarah!

Maybe do a space soldier like Samus Aran or Master Chief?
Sara said…
Maybe a life circle that shows a fantasy creatures life? Starting with a crystal and ends up in ... i don't know.. dust? Hehe.
Ramona said…
mermaids!!!
Unknown said…
You playing with your kids!?
You should draw the grim reaper.
Weeeeellll.... You've done most of the suggestions so far so why don't you just do the absolutely very entirely last thing that would ever pop into your mind? I would like to see more character design like the first Pippy Longstocking or maybe something like the creature who takes babies and sings them a lullaby then puts them to bed. ^_^
UnderTheLoupe said…
How about drawing some crazy, surreal soccer ball antics? Like these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWk9VJ3wVX8

Kind of blows my mind, the same way Keen's Tarzan or the eagle ride in the Rescuer's Down Under did the first time I watched them.
Charles said…
I think you show more versatility than you give yourself credit for! That said, what about something dinosaur related?
arthur norcome said…
underwater critters is my vote.
Lianne said…
The first thing that comes to mind is the exact opposite: draw something raw and rough.. but you do draw bad guys, and they're certainly big and mean enough :) But I was thinking, I can't remember seeing someone who's old and sad, and tired of living.

I have seen angry and sad characters, but the emotions are most often caused by something external: fearing something concrete, mourning for something tangible which is lacking. I would like to see someone who is tired or sad or angry in itself, from the inside out, as a person.

I'm not sure whether that makes any sense, not sure whether I am right in my analysis, and I also don't know whether it's a realistic challenge, because it's already rare capturing things like that in a photograph, let alone a drawing, but I'll "put my two cents in" anyways.

Oh and yes, other ethnicities, and trying other era's and cultures, those were good suggestions too I think.
sarah said…
Yes! So awesome. Thank you, thank you. I'm making a list of all of these. Even the ones I've done before but haven't tackled in a few years, it'll be fun to do a fresh take.
sarah said…
Oh and Kendra, I'm also like that, coming up with neat ideas when I'm far away from a sketchbook or computer and then forgetting them before I write them down.

And Lianne, your idea makes me think that basing characters on emotions would be an interesting challenge.

Lots of other really good thoughts in here too... soccer (I never draw sports stuff) and dinosaurs and other creatures. Hmm...
Thallian said…
How about a series of splinched mythical creatures (half one thing half another) with non-normal choices?
Anne "Rowan" said…
Have you thought of doing "definitions"? A word or a phrase defined by an illustration. I think you could come up with some great sketches this way!
Anonymous said…
Sarah,

I think it would be interesting to see an illustration of the village where all your characters live. Sort of a look behind the curtain. They go to work in your stories, but they go home to live in this village in your mind.
sarah said…
Interesting other ideas... Thank you guys. Interesting about the village. That would take some time! :)
Mitch G. said…
Disney's "creatures"! (Like Stitch, or Mushu...)
Ghosts would be cool too.
Or robots, androids..

I'm always curious to see those fantasy houses made from really strange things, like shells, books, fruit (Oh wait, there's Spongebob...)... How about a cloud?

Characters... A little guy crawling out of a little door behind a computer screen to have a little stretch, and perhaps a little yawn?
A tiny little.. uh.. character that lives inside the toy blocks that you use to build your block towers?
A little imp escaping from someone's dream to tangle the sleeper's hair?

I like little things. :)