The Druid

 Artist's Notes:

For once I wanted to use my skills for good rather than evil...so I tried to draw my DnD OC. He's based of a character in a 2nd Edition DnD campaign I played years ago, who in turn is based of a character archetype I try to play in almost every game. 

I think everyone who plays RPGs has a character archetype they gravitate towards. When I was very young, I loved the idea of half-elves, probably because as a child of immigrants I identified with the concept being being between two cultures and not quite being fully beholden to either. I also like the archetype of wizards, as being a nerdy, scrawny kid I found solace in the idea that smarts could be powerful too.

Nowadays, the archetype I almost always end up playing are druids. If the game allows it, I'm going to cram a druid-ish worldview or character into it. I like the idea of being spiritual but not religious and the physicality of primal nature. I'm also not a furry but the idea of being a shape-shifter is kinda pragmatically attractive. Why be a warrior when you can turn into a bear? Why be a rogue when you can turn into a cat? Why be bound to the ground when you can turn into a bird?

I wish the current world left me more time for such escapism.

The specific character was a druid who focused on shape-shifting. The character wasn't very strong, or very smart but had a high WIS and CHA. He was the only druid in a campaign filled with clerics and the DM wasn't familiar with the class or the wild-shape ability so it was very by-the-book rules and the 2nd Edition rules were both complicated an restrictive. I think the rules were that he could turn into an animal three times a rest but only once for each animal category (mammal, bird or reptile) and his gear didn't change with him. As such clothes and weapons were irrelevant to the character, and I played him as clad only in rough furs.

Regarding drawing - life remains too distracting to indulge in it much. At this rate I'll be averaging 3-4 drawings a year which is obviously not really enough to grow and develop.  I found I was beating myself up about this and I've had to remind myself that I'm doing this for pleasure and so to just...enjoy it when I can. I still can't draw backgrounds for peanuts but I like how this picture in general has turned out.