This is an update for those who find enjoyment and satisfaction in collecting art prints and celebrating stories and characters via artwork.
If you have taken a liking to my particular style, my website store has a section where you can browse and purchase prints, either in A5 or A3 sizes. A5 size, because that size makes for great collage art, or for adding to art folders, or displaying on corkboards or as small desk decor. A3 size makes for great wall posters, either framed or laminated, that won’t take up too much space.
The collection has some fan art done in my characteristic soft-shaded, anime style, but also (and more exclusively) includes originals, primarily associated with my Dragon Calling series (with a couple of exceptions).
I have recently upgraded the collection with four new pieces! Two fan art pieces and two originals.
Most of the art in the purchasable gallery is available in both A5 and A3 sizes. There are a couple of exceptions, though. The piece stamped “O4” is only available in A5 size. And, from these new additions, the dapper gentleman with the kestrels, stamped “O14” over on the shop page, is only available in A3 size; that and it’s a limited edition piece, meaning I’ve only printed a small number of them, and likely won’t print anymore after they’re all gone.
If you’re interested in supporting me as an artist, purchasing some prints is a great way to do so! That, and I can personally sign them upon request.
“Clothing is a form of self-expression – there are hints about who you are in what you wear.”
– Marc Jacobs
In the involved and layered marathon that is character creation, the first thing of a character that is (nearly always) shown is their appearance; certainly in a visual medium, such as films or graphic novels, and physical appearance is an essential attribute that carries characters through their stories. It’s a given, of course; most characters require a body to be present and functional in their fictional world, right? Right! Naturally.
This speaks of the physique and bodily traits foremost, of course (like hair, eye and skin colour, height, weight, age and gender) but another important visual aspect is clothing.
A lot of iconic characters are iconic due in part to their attire. Superheroes are a prime example. It’s part and parcel of their persona as a whole. Even characters that fall into more normal categories are given attire that plays a part in the expression of their being (sometimes with dramatic emphasis, like Elle Woods’ outfit in the movie Legally Blonde, or with more subtle nuances, like Han Solo’s no muss no fuss casual vest, shirt and trousers, worn during the original Star Wars trilogy). Clothing is a reflection (and amalgamation) of multiple facets that add a surprising amount of dimension to a character; status, wealth, personal taste, era-set fashion, self-expression (or the deliberate concealment of); a revealing of culture, and even for symbolic purposes (colour also makes for an excellent source of symbolism).
Elle Woods clearly LOVES the colour pink.
Han’s outfit is a great reflection of his no-fuss, scrappy disposition, and his status as an outer-rim smuggler.
When creating a character, clothing plays an important role, and shouldn’t be brushed over, if you want to get the most value and layering from that visual aspect of your character (hehehe “layering” no pun intended). Even if your character is an everyday individual, and the story setting requires they wear standard, unremarkable clothing (such as a school or workplace uniform) you can still add accessories, colourations or details that help to become an important (and even memorable) aspect of that character’s individuality.
A prime example of a character’s standardised outfit being used in a clever marking of their individuality, is the FBI agent, Seely Booth, from the TV series Bones. As expected, Booth is required to wear a typical and unremarkable black, piece suit, as expected of his job status. But, what makes his clothing more him, is the red “cocky” belt buckle he wears. Very non-standard, and a clever use of a manifested representation of an aspect of Booth’s individuality; namely, his rebellious streak.
Anyone who has watched BONES, would immediately recognise Booth, simply by his iconic belt buckle.
With all that in mind, during my process of DnD character creation, I was deliberate in my choice of attire for my different characters. Not only would the outfits need to reflect their Class–which is an important profile segment in the DnD universe, but I also deliberated how the clothing could also play a part in reflecting other aspects; namely character status, fashion sense, level of practicality, and also the use of (some) colours for symbolic purposes.
Then, I went ahead and broke down the clothing into the respective layers in the form of concept art, not only to get a better idea of what and how each character wore their clothes … but also to improve my skill of how to draw clothing and accessories with more realistic accuracy (of how and where pieces and layers sat in relevance to the character physique, as well as each other).
These are the results, and represent all of my currently created DnD characters. Click on individual images to load the full image and get a better view of the details!
For extra DnD info references:
Miuna Kiel is a Longtooth Shifter female of the Monk (Open Hand) class.
Tristana Toivo is a Tiefling female of the Rogue-Assassin class/ sub-class.
Vastien Chevalier is a Water Genasi/ Dhampir nobleman, of the Warlock class.
Laukad Aduen is a Kalashtar male, of the Cleric (Peace Domain) class.
Orcas na Farraige is an Each-Uisge male (in human form) and is Vastien’s Patron.
Bramral Flarefang is a Leonin male, of the Paladin (Oath of Glory) class.
I hope you enjoy these pieces and are inspired to work on your own character clothing ideas!
“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.
– Marc Chagall
As with any creative path, the best things spring forth from the heart; particularly when it is alight with a set purpose and radiating a current of imagings too alluring (and for the soul of an artist, too demanding) to resist. The muse residing in that secret place of creativity inside me has been ebbing and flowing with more dramatic pendulum swings over the past 18 months; the lulls are largely a symptom of the uncomfortable throes occurring in life and family affairs.
During a time of seeking new inspiration, a few months ago I stumbled across the website of Just Write For Kids (JWFK); an online community focused on supporting Australian writers and illustrators through goal-setting, information-sharing, and connection.
The JWFK team had just opened the (digital) gates to their first Picture It! Anthology competition. Curious, I looked into the rules and requests and found myself compelled to be a part of it (or at that stage, create a written and illustrative pairing to enter with the chance of being a part of it).
I have quite a few author friends who’ve had multiple story contributions successfully made a part of anthologies. I myself have had one success (to date) in a short story anthology. But it has been years since my last public publication; most of the work done over the past few years has had only a small audience.
Feeling the creep of Imposter Syndrome lurking in my peripheral vision, I took aim at a more public target and decided to let loose a shot. Even so, I’d decided ahead of time on my attitude come the eventual conclusion and judging of the competition. If my piece was one of the ones chosen, I would determine my mood to be one of both happiness and humility. If it wasn’t chosen, I would determine the experience a worthwhile one for the beautiful new illustration I be able to add to my portfolio–and the fact that the JWFK Team would be showcasing all entries on their website. Really, for an independent author/ illustrator, it was a win-win to enter the comp, come what may.
Well, skipping ahead to recent days, I am happy to announce that my illustration and written piece have indeed been chosen to be a part of the Picture It! upcoming anthology.
What an honour! It is such a privilege to see my name alongside other wonderfully talented Australian illustrators. And it’s a treasured encouragement that, yes, I am an author and illustrator–by true profession–and that my style and skill has been recognised by others in the field with greater clout and experience.
The anthology will be a special edition hardcover children’s book, showcasing a variety of illustration styles and lyrical prose speaking from the hearts of creative Australians, about the heart of their treasured country; it’s diversity in landscapes, fauna, cultures, and heritage.
In addition to such a wonderfully-themed book coming to life, proceeds from pre-orders and sales will go toward The Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a valued charity that invests in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities by providing tools and resources to invest in children’s literacy.
If this is something you would like to support, PRE-ORDERS are now being taken for the book. Trust me, it will be a worthwhile treasure to add to any child’s library (colourful, heartfelt, and brimming with love and admiration for the things that make up Australia’s great heART).
“It simply isn’t an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien
When it comes to dragons, size is completely subjective to the whims of their origin; whether that be cultural folklore, standard mythology, or the imaginations of the writers and illustrators who bring them to life.
A mythical creature soaring above all others, in a league of their own; and we, admirers of their fierce beauty, fearsomeness, power, terror and mysterious transcendence, will forever be happy seeking out aspects of our cultures that celebrate such a wonderful creature, be that stories, movies, sculpture, art, costumes, songs …
Welcome once again, fellow dragon-lovers!
It is with much excitement (and many hours of research and line artwork) that I announce the arrival of my next Dragon Size Chart! Something I believe those of you who have enjoyed my previous charts have been hoping would happen; a long-awaited anticipation indeed!
As with the last two charts, I took into consideration all the requests and suggestions for dragon size comparisons sent my way and narrowed down the list to 12 finalists. I hope you enjoy what I’ve compiled; and remember you’re welcome to use and share these charts, so long as you credit the source (yours truly).
DISCLAIMERS:
The human silhouette I use is a 6’3″ man (the average height of the human-like hemlans in my fantasy series, Dragon Calling). I chose not to use earth averages, as they vary from country to country.
These dragon size charts are just estimates. I did do research (hours of it for some dragons) to determine as accurately as possible the sizes of the dragons in comparison to a 6′ 3″ man, but I’m no professional ‘size estimator’, and some dragons were more difficult than others to work out size accuracy (some are never given a specific size by their creator at all).
This is just for fun and to indulge in curiosity! So I hope you enjoy checking out the new dragon size comparisons. 😀
If you haven’t yet checked out my other charts, here are the links:
Dragon Number One: Azymondias (The Dragon Prince, Books 1-3)
AZYMONDIAS
First up we have the cutest of this list’s dragons, the super playful, sweet-natured and inquisitive young storm dragon, (also the titular title character of the series he stars in) Azymondias. And sizing him was relatively easy, too. I took into consideration Ezran’s height (during the first three book arcs) in comparison to Zym (Azmondias’ nickname) and then worked out Zym’s height next to the larger, 6’3″ man.
Dragon Number Two: Mega Charizard Y (First Appearance: Pokemon Y)
MEGA CHARIZARD Y
Charizard; there are few people who would not regonise one of the most beloved Pokemon in the franchise. And with the introduction of it’s Mega evoltuions in the X & Y games, Charizard can now be officially classified as a dragon! Although, personally, Charizard was already dragon enough for me at its normal final evolution. Either way, I was eager to add this fiery, orange, definitely-gotta-catch-em Fire-Dragon type into the charts; it is, after all, the evolution of one of my favourite Pokemon (Charmander). Sizing Charizard was easy, due to the information provided by official online Pokemon Pokedex data.
Dragon (s) Number Three: Sunny and Clay (Wings of Fire, Novel Series)
SUNNY AND CLAY
The Wings of Fire series is one of the most popular dragon book series out there and currently consists of three arcs–each arc containing five books, from differing main character POVs. I chose dragons from the first arc, since that’s where everything started for the series. But, since there are five main characters, I opted to size chart two of them, instead of just one. I went with the smallest and largest, naturally. Sunny is the smallest of the group; she is a SandWing. The largest is Clay, a MudWing.
It was a little more tricky trying to size chart these guys, primarily because their original source material doesn’t specify human size comparisons (other than being much smaller, compared to an adult dragon). And I also had to take into account that Clay and Sunny are dragonets and not full-grown (during the time period I’ve chosen to size them at). Luckily there are also graphic novels of the books, so I was able to reference the size of a dairy cow to Tsunami, and then configured Sunny’s and Clay’s sizes in reference to Tsunami. And from the dairy cow’s size, I worked out the height of my 6’3″ man silhouette.
Dragon Number Four: Velhonoandrius the Second (Dragon Calling)
VELHONOANDRIUS
Velhonoandrius the Second, king of the Valadilian dragon-kind. A fearsome and revered creature, and considered one of the most beautiful with his white-opalescent scale colouring. He is the largest of the dragons of Valadae (those of the Eight Heirs, as well as Velhonoandrius himself are larger than the average adult dragon; it is an inherent trait in royal blood). Although no size is actually given in the books, I can accurately make a comparison because, well, I wrote the books! 🙂
Dragon Number Five: Hungarian Horntail (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL
Known as the most ferocious of the dragon species in the Harry Potter universe, this aggressive, territorial creature is one you definitely want to avoid, if at all possible (poor Harry drew the unfortunate short straw with this Triwizard Tournament challenge). With adding this dragon to the charts, I opted to go with the movie franchise design and sizing. I did some wiki research into the Horntails, but my best reference aids came from watching the chase that happens in the movie. The sequence is really great, although there are only a few instances where the Horntail gets close enough to Harry to provide a half-way decent reference shot. This was surprisingly much more difficult to work out than I originally thought. I took into account Daniel Radcliffe’s shorter size (during the year and filming of the fourth movie) and screen-shot the Horntail taking off from the arena, as well as the moment it snaps at the bristles of Harry’s Firebolt. This was the end result. It was the best I could do, so hopefully it has a reasonable degree of accuracy.
Dragon Number Six: Corrupted Cynder (The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning)
CORRUPTED CYNDER
Spyro is one the gaming industry’s iconic characters, able to proudly stand on the podium alongside other greats like Mario and Sonic (even if the purple dragon’s renown is not as far-spread as the others). It is in the Legend of Spyro Trilogy adventure that we are introduced to–what ends up being another beloved character of the franchise–Cynder, the black dragon. Known as the Terror of the Skies, she starts off as one of the main antagonists of the series, controlled by the Dark Master Malefor, who has used corrupted magic to force the young dragon into a transformed adult form. Once she is freed from evil’s hold, she reverts to her normal size and teams up with Spyro to bring an end to Malefor’s terrible schemes. In her normal form, she is roughly the same size as Spyro (see my first dragon chart for Spyro’s size reference) but for this chart, I chose her adult form, using in-game cut scenes with her in close proximity to Spyro as size reference.
Dragon Number Seven: Ryukotsusei (Inuyasha)
RYUKOTSUSEI
Ryukotsusei is an extremely powerful and self-assured dragon daiyokai from the anime and manga series, Inuyasha. The demon was so powerful that Inuyasha’s father, Toga (a great and benevolent inu daiyokai) could not kill him–only seal him into a forced slumber with one of his great fangs, and the injuries Toga received from that battle would ultimately lead to his demise. In the end, it is Inuyasha’s fight with the giant dragon serpent that finally ends the monster’s terrible existence. Sizing Ryukotsusei was moderately tricky; although easy enough to reference against Inuyasha’s size, the creature’s full length is never fully revealed. So, although I was able to size his top half with reasonable accuracy (taking into account Inuyasha’s 5’6″ height comparison to my silhouette), ultimately I had to guess the creatures length. Due to his silhouette being coiled and winding away in a diminishing perspective, Ryukotsusei looks smaller here than what he would likely be (length-wise).
Dragon Number Eight: Sabre Dragon (Divinity: Dragon Commander)
SABRE DRAGON
This impressive specimen of a dragon is an elite battle unit from the real-time strategy game, Dragon Commander, as part of the Divinity universe. The sabre is one of the three dragon-types a player can utilise and take control of to assist their armies and defended their bases.
I will admit this was one of the hardest dragons to size. I watched several in-game clips (closely assessing the dragon’s size next to other air units, as well as ground units, whilst taking into consideration the perspective and distance distortions) and did some searching on different forums as well as the D:DC website, but even then, references to improve size accuracy remained frustratingly scarce. The best I could devise was to analyse the sizes of the other dragons in the franchise, the true dragons as well as the dragon knights in their dragon forms, and from there estimate the sabre dragon’s size.
Dragon Number Nine: The Great Protector (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
THE GREAT PROTECTOR
Ah! This dragon; this dragon is so magnificent! What’s not to love about something so big, benevolent and elegant, with the beautiful colouration and characteristics of a koi, and the amazing elemental powers of water. The Great Protector is a very welcome addition to the dragons of fiction, and to my dragon size chart. And thanks to both Shang-Chi and Xialing riding on the dragon’s head during the battle sequence in the movie, she was relatively easy to size.
Dragon Number Ten: Ran the Firebending Master (Avatar: The Legend of Aang)
FIREBENDING MASTER RAN
While I am not a fan of TLoK, I absolutely love the Legend of Aang series. So, naturally, I would have to add one of the fantastic surprises revealed in the latter part of the series; the existence of the last two original firebenders: the dragons Ran and Shaw. Both dragons are pretty much the same size (which is to say, they are much larger than any of the other known dragons in the Avatar universe), so it didn’t matter which I picked; I chose Ran, the dragon that, according to the original storyboards, is most likely the red dragon. Sizing Ran was easy, as there are some perfect full-bodied shots of the dragons looming over Aang and Zuko during the episode, The Firebending Masters. I just had to work out Zuko’s size (5’3″) in comparison to my 6’3″ man silhouette and size the dragon accordingly.
Dragon Number Eleven: Kaido (One Piece)
KAIDO
Fans of One Piece will know this savage and merciless character well. Kaido (also spelt Kaidou) of the Beasts is renowned as the world’s “Strongest Creature”. Well, if you’ve seen the man, as well as his dragon form, you can see why! As a man, he’s imposing enough, muscular and severe-looking and standing at a whopping 710cm in height! As a dragon, well, all bets are off as to whether any normal person (or even army) could take him on. Kaido is the owner of the Fish Fish Fruit, a (Mythical Zoan type) Devil Fruit which grants him the power to transform into a mighty azure dragon. In order to size him I had to carefully watch the fight sequence of Luffy versing him, getting screen-shots of Luffy (and his super-sized fist) up close to his face, and then comparing Luffy’s size to that of my man silhouette and going from there. That same episode also shows much of Kaido’s full length and size. Quite helpful indeed!
Dragon Number Twelve: The Ruined Dragon (Super Mario Odyssey)
RUINED DRAGON
Soooo, I already knew this dragon was a big boy, because I’ve played the game (a really great Mario game, by the way; definitely one of my favourites). Then, going back over battle game-play, in-game cut-scenes and the concept design of the dragon I was shocked by just how HUGE this thing is. Seriously, you see that tiny little speck left of his hind foot. Yep, that the 6’3″ man, which I then decided I should magnify, just to ensure people could actually work out where it was. Colour me impressed–this Ruined Dragon, also known as the Lord of Lightning, is one gigantic creature! To accurately size him, I gauged his size compared to Bowser’s, and then gauged Mario’s compared to Bowser’s, and Mario’s in-game height to my silhouette. A lot of back and forth checking for this one, but I managed to get there.
Full Dragon Size Chart 4:
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of my dragon size project! But to be sure, there are many more dragons out there! Who are some of your favourites? Which dragons would you like to see in future charts?
NOTE: If you’re having trouble with the quality of the images, it would be due to WordPress compressing them to ensure the blog post isn’t bogged down with images that are too large. Rest assured, though, I uploaded the images at full quality, so you should be able to access them at their best quality via google image searches.
“It’s all about creating a back story for the character and developing emotional responses that are true to life in relation to that character. It isn’t necessary to live a tragic life to create from that place.”
– Corin Nemec
The art of story-telling is a compound and multi-faceted thing; and in one such facet lies an essential, foundational part of the structure: characters.
And branching from the core segment that is Characters, is the art and challenge of carving out backstories. After all, a character doesn’t just pop into existence on the first page of a novel (or the opening sequence of a series or film). That moment may be the first time we, the viewers, come to be aware of the character’s existence. But, that is not the moment the character first exists.
To ensure that a character is as real and complex in their world as we are in ours requires the creator to explore and shape parts of the years and events that have brought the character to the present; the connect-the-dot dots in their past; the defining elements of their backstory. In essence, mapping out what the character has lived through in the years and experiences of their lives all the way up to the moment the readership/ audience meets them and begins to follow alongside them in the story now unfolding.
In saying that, backstories need not be novel-sized in the accumulation of events and relationships. Most of what a creator will forge and collect for a character’s backstory will never make it into the present-day story of the character’s life (as given to the reader/ audience). But creating layered elements of backstory will be a valuable source for you, the creator, to tap into in order to forge convincing and interesting characterisations for each of your characters. Backstories are the root system out from which grows a character’s disposition, motives, beliefs, interpretations of outer influences and the behaviour of others; it feeds into what they are seeking, hoping for, frightened of, angered by …
If it isn’t obvious by now, I love creating and expounding characters, and I equally enjoy bringing them to life through my particular art style! 😉
One of my (currently) most beloved characters is an individual whose story, really, is not even canonically told (yet). Vastien Chevalier. He continues to be an irresistable target for my creative psyche, enough that I’ve invested quite a lot of time into moulding him and exploring all the ins and out of his person.
Noble, Gentleman, Charmer, Masquerader, Liar, Vigilante; Vastien contains many facets, shaped by his backstory.
Which is fascinating, to say the least, primarily because of how different we are from one another.
It is this sort of deep-diving and emersion that proves an excellent way for a creator (like myself) to explore reasonings and motives that are quite unlike my own. It’s a form of empathy exercise; to be working on the layers of an individual so wholly different from oneself. And it is an essential part of story-telling.
And that is Vastien to me; my current exercise partner in empathy development. A very different individual from me in many ways. How he behaves and reacts to others and to his surroundings; how he has allowed the events of his past to shape him. How he perceives certain things, including how he sees himself. And much of what and how he currently is has been shaped by the years past; by the family dynamics, wealth status, societal interactions, schooling, joyful influences, traumas, milestone events, and, of course, the innate traits and inclinations he, in his uniqueness as an individual, leads into.
Triggers stir memories of past traumas, which stir up deep-seated emotions, which result in a visceral response.
He is the result of being forged through and by his backstory; including how he deals with (and allows a degree of influence from) past events and actions.
And that’s (a part of) what I was driven to explore when inspiration to create this special four-panel anime-styled piece hit me. I was fleshing out his perception of a complex issue: memories. And not just an everyday reminiscing, but something from his past that was extremely impactful, both in a good and bad way.
There is a bleakness in the colour pallet of his personal perception. Outwardly he exudes exceptional charisma with threads of jest and bravado. But the underlying ice layers are so much more complex, cold, and dark.
I am, by natural disposition, an overall optimistic and hopeful person. It’s so interesting, and grieving, to deep-dive into the soul of one who is neither of those things. But I am drawn in, enraptured by both his depth and his pain, and especially by the possibility that his story has the possibility of changing for the better … since his future is yet to be written.
And how about you, fellow readers and creators? I imagine you find it both thoughtfully challenging and deeply satisfying, excavating the intricacies of personalities and pasts that are different from your own.
But creating back stories for your characters is an integral part of making them weighty and real (both in the world they inhabit, and to the readers and viewers who get a chance to share in their journey).
Here are some backstory topics you may find helpful to assist in fleshing out your characters:
Familial Relationships
Place of Birth (and the standing of that nationality)
Social Status
Wealth Status
Childhood Friendships
Dominating Ideals of Influential Figures
Physical/ Emotional Traumas
Inborn Talents (and whether nutured or scorned)
Developed View of Greater Forces (Government, Nature, Dieties etc)
Milestone Events during Formative Years
So, I hope you enjoy this anime-style snippet of one of my fav characters, and a glimpse into a way I work on developing my character’s backstories.
NOTE: The background imagery for the anime panels is not my work, and belongs to the BlazBlue IP, owned by Arc Systems Works. But the additions of Vastien and angle changes (light filtering and cropping) is my own input, done purely as fan-based art.
“No author can create a character out of nothing. He must have a model to give him a starting point; but then his imagination goes to work. He builds him up, adding a trait here, a trait there, which his model did not posess.”
– W. Somerset Maugham
Writers and character-creators, you know the drill. Creating characters is not a matter of throwing together some physical attributes and a selection of your favourite personality traits and expecting a memorable and masterful creation that others will love and admire and create fandoms over.
Nope. Not how it works.
Fictional characters should be just as layered and complex as real people; interesting, irritating, curious, droll, troubled, perplexing, vulnerable. Even if they aren’t human, they should still possess a myriad of behaviours, beliefs and emotions that we (humans) can fully relate to. And in saying that, they also shouldn’t be convoluted; having so many quirks and traits from across personality divides that, in real life, they’d be diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Unless that’s your intention.
Incidentally, a fantastic way to help you work through developing unique and cohesive qualities for your different characters is by doing Character Development Questions. There are literally hundreds of sites and blogs that showcase different CDQs. These kinds of queries are usually compiled like a kind of written interview or quiz and are an effective (and might I add fun!) way to guide you in breathing life and depth into your fictional creations.
And this kind of character-delving is not just for creatives working on a novel or short story. I recently put together a Character Questionnaire for some of my friends and I to fill out on behalf of the characters we crafted and (currently) play in our DnD (Dungeons & Dragons) campaign.
Here are our intrepid adventurers, the Radiant Vanguards!
Now, we’ve been playing our characters in the current campaign for several months now, so there have been plenty of times that traits, personality flavours and backstories have been revealed and experienced. But doing a (modestly) broad questionnaire has not only translated the already-established dimensions of our characters into interesting written responses, but it’s helped us to recognise and delve deeper into traits and temperaments for our characters that we had previously not considered (or properly fleshed-out).
Plus, it was super fun (and funny!). It really made their different points of view and humour shine!
If you have never done a Character Questionnaire for your characters before, I highly encourage you to do so. I have the questions I compiled for my DnD group below, but you don’t have to use just my list; there are dozens of different lists freely available across the internet; each with compiled questions of varying (as well as shared) styles and themes. My own list was inspired by the created questionnaires from other creatives/ bloggers. Search out different lists to find your ideal question sets. Or you can even compile your own list–grafted from the lists and ideas made by others.
And have fun slipping into your character’s shoes and learning about them on more deeper and interesting levels!
Artwork and illustrations are another GREAT way to express and show the different characters’ personalities!
So, there you go, a tidbit on really getting into your character’s skin and adding more depth and layers to them.
And here you are: the Character Questions I used on our DnD group. It’s by no means a fully comprehensive questionnaire, but hopefully there’s enough questions to assist in constructing more complexity and (personality) colouring to your character. 🙂
CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE
Because getting to know your character better will be valuable (and fun)!
Note: This Questionnaire is presented like an interview directly to the character, so answer the questions as your character would. You’re basically getting into their shoes and writing on their behalf.
That being the case, some questions your character may not want to answer, or might be a bit cheeky or cryptic in their response. All of that is totally fine!
INTRODUCTION/ VISUAL BREAKDOWN
Name:
Gender:
Race:
Age:
Hair Colour/ style:
Skin Colour:
Eye Colour:
Build:
Height:
Weight:
Birthday:
Bloodtype:
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
What would consider your most prominent facial feature?
What about most prominent body feature?
Do you have any body markings (scars, tattoos, birthmarks)?
What part of your body do you like the most?
What about the least?
Do you have any disabilities?
What types of clothes do you normally wear?
Do you have any physical tics? (e.g. tap your feet when annoyed, laugh when nervous, twirl your hair when in deep-thought, rub your nose when confident etc)
PERSONALITY
Do you have a catchphrase?
Do you tend to overuse certain words?
Do you consider yourself more of an optimist or pessimist?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Is your family big or small? Who does it consist of?
Do you get along with your family? How do you view them?
Do you have any siblings? How many?
Do you have a best friend? Describe them.
Do you have other friends?
Who are you in your friend-group dynamic (e.g. the party one, the quiet one, the organising one, the one who never listens, the one who is always prying etc)?
Do you have a nickname? Who calls you this?
Do you have any pets?
Do you have any allies?
PAST AND FUTURE
What were you like as a baby? As a child?
Did you grow up rich or poor?
Were you—for the most part—neglected or nurtured?
What’s the most offensive thing you’ve ever said?
What is your greatest achievement?
What is the worst thing you’ve done to someone you love?
What are your ambitions?
What was your childhood ambition?
What’s your best childhood memory?
What’s the worst?
What past act are you most ashamed of?
What past act are you most proud of?
LOVE
Have you ever been in love?
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Are you in a romantic relationship?
How do you behave in a relationship?
Have you ever had your heart broken?
Have you ever broken someone else’s heart?
CONFLICT
How do you respond to a threat?
Are you most likely to fight with your fists or your tongue?
How do you perceive strangers?
Do you have any phobias?
What do you love to hate?
What is your weapon of choice?
What living person do you most despise?
Have you ever been bullied or teased?
What do you do/ how do you react when you’re angry?
What about upset?
Who are your enemies?
FAVOURITES
What is your favourite animal?
What about least favourite?
What place would you like most to visit?
What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
What is your favourite song?
What about favourite colour?
Favourite foods?
Favourite hobbies?
VALUES
What do you think is the worst thing that can be done to a person?
What is your view of ‘freedom’?
How do you (generally) view authority?
When did you last lie?
What’s your view of lying?
Can you lie easily?
When did you last make a promise?
Did you keep or break your last promise?
Is there someone you haven’t been able to forgive? What did they do? Do you want to forgive them?
Do you handle rejection well?
What is your view on ‘violence’? Would you use it to help others? To help yourself?
Have you ever done something illegal?
Are you more likely to ask for permission or forgiveness?
There it is! I gleaned a bunch of these questions from other questionnaire sources. And there were heaps more questions I left out or didn’t feel pertinent to put together for my DnD group. Like I said earlier, hunt around, check out other sources. There’s so many cool and interesting questions and scenarios to present to your character to help in their development.
“Art is not so much expressing oneself as it is discovering oneself.”
— Anawanitia
I believe it’s safe to say that nearly everyone is aware of fan art; you’ve either seen it, heard of it, or you yourself are a contributor to a ‘fandoms’ vast vaults of collected artistic expression.
The wikipedia definition of fan art (or fanart) is artwork created by fans (aka genuine admirers) of a work of fiction and derived from a series character or other aspect of that work. It is artworks that are neither created nor (normally) commissioned or endorsed by the creators of the work from which the fanart derives.
To be a fan of something is to find happiness in another person’s creative expression, and fan art is a way for individuals to outwork their love and admiration of the piece of fiction that stirs in them positivity and enthusiasm.
I am such a big FAN!!!
It’s one of the most comprehensive and personal forms of conveying one’s delight in something. Creating art takes time, effort, and a tiny piece of the artist’s soul-expression; that there is enough to tell you the value to be found in fan art.
Also, if you think about it, fan art is just as much a reflection of self-expression as original art is. When you create a fan art piece, you are saying something; you are revealing a part of your personality, your inclinations, sense of humour, preferences and tastes.
A series or story inspires and excites you, so you hone in on your favourite characters and re-create them through your own unique artistic style as a way of saying, well, any number of things:
I love this character’s arc.
This character is aesthetically beautiful.
This character is compelling and magnetic.
I can personally relate to this character.
This character is all the things I want to be.
This/ these characters are an ideal representation of my favourite culture/ animal/ race/ time period etc.
This character’s divisiveness/ villainy/ greyness appeals to my more chaotic side.
This/ these characters are so entertaining to watch.
This character stirs real emotions in me.
This character is an inspiration!
This story/ these characters helped get me through an emotionally traumatic time.
I think you get it; this list could go on and on. There are a myriad of reasons one has for being drawn in by fictional creations, and establishing enough of a connection to be compelled to create fan art.
Additionally, fan art is something that is not only enjoyed by the creators, but also other fans. It is an excellent beacon to help find fellow fans, like-minded people, and an ideal platform to launch into social engagements and fun, compatible conversations.
Through fan art, people can collectively participate in their shared admiration of something, and feel a sense of kinship and belonging. When you find someone who has created fan art of one of your favourite characters, you instantly feel a connection (however small) with them; you know you can approach/ contact that person and be able to share a moment of mutual admiration over the character/ story you both enjoy.
And let’s not forget that fan art is also the perfect avenue for non-artistic fans to commission/ collect art pieces of their favourite fictional creations, and in a variety of unique styles and mediums, from different artists.
Example:
The pokemon, Charizard, in an original pokemon animated episode (from the Pokemon franchise, owned by Nintendo).A fan art depiction of Charizard – perfect for a fan’s collection! Artwork by the incredibly talented, Elgrimlock.
It’s great to be able to collect the original content, but sometimes that content (like books or live action musicals/ movies) doesn’t have visual stills or merch to collect and display. Or, the original content is too simple, or not quite to the fan’s artistic taste to want to put up on display.
Fan art to the rescue!
I, myself, am a fan of many things. And I have created fan art of some of them. I’ve also done cross-overs (characters from different franchises in the same picture). These are a part of my self-expression; an outward reflection of some of my inner delights and inclinations. There are more (and will be more), but here’s just a sample:
Fan Art by N. R. Eccles-Smith (aka Nez)
Feel free to ask me about the whats and whys of some of my favourite fictional characters and worlds!
Additionally, feel free to tell me about yours! I’d love to hear from you!
p.s. The examples of my fan art that I’ve shown are available for sale, in A5 and A3 prints (just contact me, if interested!)
p.s.s. You’re welcome to re-post and share my artwork, but you must credit me (the artist). Also, the artwork is NOT for sellable or commercial use.
Tropes. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a trope? A figure of speech? A metaphor? A cliché?
Some people tend to think of a trope as a negative thing; a way to describe or categorize something overused or poorly presented. But that’s coming at it from a very narrow perspective. The quality and effect of tropes, like any tool, is dependent on the wielder. In a creative/ literary sense, you can use a trope poorly, or you can use a trope well. In any case, tropes are common and used practically everywhere there is human behaviour and expression.
Perhaps, even after saying that, you’re not familiar enough with the word to glean the full scope of its meaning.
The dictionary definition of a trope is this: a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression. ALSO a significant or recurrent theme; a motif.
The definition of a trope in literature/ creative media is this: the use of figurative language, via word, phrase or an image, for artistic effect such as using a figure of speech. The word trope has also come to be used for describing commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in creative works.
Essentially, a trope is a multi-faceted tool, able to be utilized in a variety of interesting and explanatory ways: a symbol, a theme, or a device such as a metaphor, hyperbole, or irony. It also encompasses character traits, settings, motives etc. A trope is something that is easily recognizable, due to its reoccurrence and intended purpose (as a plot element, figure of speech, or symbolic imagery) throughout creative works.
Some examples:
Counting Sheep–A character is having trouble sleeping, and attempts to improve his/ her chances by closing their eyes and counting sheep jumping over a fence (or something similar).
Knight in Shining Armour–A knight (or equivalent in the form of a brave and selfless hero) who fights evil, rescues maidens, behaves honourably, and saves the day with his sword/ heroric prowess.
Big Bad–The primary source of all the bad things that happen in a story. Could be an Evil Overlord, or a virus, or a natural disaster; so, not necessarily a ‘villain’.
The famous ‘Big Bad’ Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars Universe.
Achilles’ Heel–When a nigh-invulnerable character, place or object inevitably has some key weakness, which the heroes (or villains) can (and likely will) exploit (e.g. Superman’s achilles’ heel is kryptonite).
Love at First Sight–A staple trope often found in fairytales. Speaks for itself. Two characters fall in love with each other right off the bat (sometimes only one character falls in love straight away, and spends a large part of their arc trying to win the other’s affection).
‘Love at first sight’ an be played for laughs, of course.
Now you have a pretty solid idea of what a trope is, let’s hone in on a site that hoards tropes, like a dragon hoards treasure! 😉
TVTropes. This is a wiki that compiles and documents descriptions and examples of plot conventions and devices, (aka tropes), within many creative works. It’s a smorgasbord of fun and fascinating information, where you can look up numerous story articles, old and new, and read into how the plots, story arcs and characters are broken down and fleshed out through the tropes found within them. And TVTropes doesn’t just cover TV series and films; it also delves into other mediums including comics, anime, manga, video games, music, and literature!
And since it covers literature, you can search for numerous books and series (hopefully your favourites have been added to the site) and enjoy their diversely dissected Trope Forms.
You can now explore the Dragon Calling series in it’s analyzed and fleshed-out trope form!
After extensive exploration and research into TVTropes and its immense array of tropes and indexes, I slowly accumulated tropes for my five-part fantasy series. I compiled literally hundreds of tropes, and began the extensive work of creating the pages and profiles that made up the characters and story.
Along with a centralised accumulation of Dragon Calling tropes (placed in folders, in alphabetical order on the main page) I also went ahead and added individual character folders and assigned tropes tied directly to each individual!
There is also a Nightmare Fuel page (dedicated to the tropes assigned to the scary elements of the series) as well as a Heartwarming Page (where trope-searchers can find a list of tropes highlighting various scenes and character interactions that are inclined to make a reader go ‘awww’ and smile.
There are other pages I’ve yet to add, including the Tear Jerker page (designed to categorize all the sad and painful scenes in the series); the Awesome page (for all the tropes that encapsulate scenes and moments considered ‘wow’ or ‘cool!’); the Funny page where all the funny, humorous moments can be troped and alphabetized; plus others …
But there’s currently enough content on the TVTropes site to keep any avid Dragon Calling fan entertained for while a while!
TVTropes is like a fun and shiny DISTRACTION!
It’s a work in progress, and one I will continue to add to whenever I have the time and mental capacity (it takes a surprising amount of effort to find and write up tropes!).
So, if you’re curious and want to explore the world of tropes in a more interesting and in-depth way, TVTropes will happily host your curiosity. Beware though that it’s a rabbit hole and can easily suck away your hours. But at least you’ll be having fun! 😉
Greetings Inter-Webbers and Dragon-Seekers! So, in case you don’t follow the Dragon Calling Facebook page, or you’re not a Patreon patron, you may not have heard the news …
Kin Seeker has been made into an AUDIOBOOK!
Not for everyone; but definitely for some people!
Yes, you read right. After years of wanting to take the series into the amazing avenue of audiobooks, it’s finally happening! Book One of the Dragon Calling series is soon to be launched into the audio realm!
So, what’s all the fuss about (you might ask)? WELL, for those who listen to audiobooks, and for those who love the Dragon Calling series, and are curious about what it sounds like with professional narrators and music … there’s a lot to get excited about!
You read that right, too. NarratorS. Plural. And music. Awesome ambient music!
Offical Audiobook Cover!
The story is read by the super talented Henry Kramer (of the juggernaut Kramer family voice talent) and Jenna Dulong (opera singer, vocalist and actor), and is what you’d technically call a duet narration.
The most common types of audiobooks are single narration (one narrator reads the entire story and voices all the characters) and dual narration (where two narrators read an entire chapter each, consecutively taking turns. Whoever is reading the chapter also does all the dialogue for any characters in that chapter).
Then, there’s duet: where two (or more) narrators interact throughout a story, each narrator always voicing the lines and thoughts of their assigned characters. While this is more commonly seen in stories with alternate, first person, protagonist POVs (e.g. the Hero and the Heroine), it can also be melded with the dual-style chapter alternations; which is the case with Kin Seeker.
Here’s the summary: Henry and Jenna take turns narrating the chapters of the book. BUT, they are strictly assigned to individual characters, and will voice their dialogue, no matter who the narrator for the chapter is. And let me tell you, it sounds AWESOME!
AWWWESOME!!!
And then there’s the music. Fairly licensed and acquired through Audiohub. Most pieces are ‘movie theme’ instrumentals, and all of them are exclusive to Audiohub–meaning you won’t find those music pieces anywhere else!
Seeing as I’ve a rather grand and cinematic vision for my series (the audiobook editions) I knew I wanted to have music added. Not throughout the entire book, mind you; just at the start of each chapter, while the chapter number, title, and epigraphs/ quotes/ excerpts are narrated. The samples I’ve listened to so far sound so good. The music helps to create mood and atmosphere for each chapter. And since music is not a common addition in audiobooks, it helps to make Kin Seeker all the more unique!
Currently, the book is in the final stages of post-editing production. The small audio and omission errors have been highlighted and sent to the narrators to fix, and once that’s done, a launch date will be locked in and the book prepped for release!
What I am hoping to do, to help make Dragon Calling’s debut into the audiobook realm successful, it to gather together a Launch Team.
What’s a Launch Team:
Also known as a street team, my launch team will be a group of people who will help to set Kin Seeker up for success when it launches. A team member can be a current fan of Dragon Calling, a curious reader/ listener who loves MG and YA epic fantasies, readers of this here blog of mine, any followers of my social media, my friends and acquaintances etc. Basically, anyone who’d be happy and excited to commit to being an advocate for Kin Seeker and it’s launch.
So, does that sound like you? Possibly? And you’d like to know more?
First off, I’ll give you a list of the awesome rewards you’ll receive if you commit to becoming a Kin Seeker Launch Team member!
A FREE copy of the audiobook (via a promotional code).
A set of A6 postcards featuring the main cast of the series.
A set of premium matte vinyl stickers!
Exclusive access to a private Facebook Group. Here, we’ll be able to post videos, share posts and memes, and collaborate together in regards to Kin Seeker’s launch!
OOOOOOH! I’m liking those rewards!
Here’s a brief run-down of what would be required of you as a Kin Seeker Launch Team member:
Write up an honest review and post it during launch week (aka the first week of the audiobook’s release). The following retailers will allow you to leave a review without having the purchase the audiobook there: Google, Apple, Amazon (but not Audible), Kobo, Scribd (with free trial) and Downpour, in addition to standard review sites like Goodreads. If you have a subscription with Audible, it’d be awesome if you could leave a review there!
Share word of the launch through your social media platforms. This could be mentioning the book in a weekly blog post, starting a discussion about the book in a chat forum, or even as simple as making and sharing tweets, Facebook posts, or posting the cover to visual sites like Pinterest and Instagram.
Share promotional ideas within the Launch Team, likely via the exclusive Facebook Group I’ll set up. We can post ideas and share strategies, and confirm who can do what (e.g. which members have a subscription to an audiobook service, which members are happy to buy the audiobook as well as/ or instead of the freebie; which members have a blog and are happy to post about the book etc.)
Take a photo of you listening to the audiobook. You can make this fun! Like, pretend your cat/ dog is listening to the book. Or you can do a selfie with your child/ sibling, with both of you sharing earphones/ buds, and listening together. 🙂
This is MEOWtastic!
If you’re interested in becoming a Kin Seeker Launch Team member, please fill out the form below. This will help me to gauge the level of interest, and to allow me to add you to the exclusive Facebook Group, once it has been created.
“Smells are surer than sounds and sights to make the heartstrings crack.”
– Rudyard Kipling
Welcome wonderful, wandering web will-o-the-wisps (and humans), to another of my (the Whimsical Werecat) perfectly practiced and proficient presentation of literature insights.
In short, another amusing Prose Poster for you to glean glorious knowledge from.
It’s me again! The Whimsical Werecat, your Pedagogue of Prose.
And you are, of course, welcome.
Oh, and in addition, here are some interesting facts about your sense of smell.
You can actually smell emotions–primarily fear and disgust (as it changes the scent of sweat).
Your sense of smell is the most sensitive of your physical senses; it is the sense most linked to emotional recollection and memory.
Females have a stronger sense of smell than males.
You humans have around six million odour-detecting cells. Puny, compared to a werecat’s 450 million! That’s right, my nose is better than a bloodhound’s!
You can smell things better in the Spring and Summer due to the additional moisture in the air.
Like fingerprints, each of you humans have your own unique odour.
Your sense of smell accounts for 75-95% of the impact a flavour has (when you eat/ taste something).
Whims from Valadae 