The Character Design Challenge (or CDChallenge) is an international community of artists of all skill levels and styles, who share common goals: improve and learn from each other, promote their work online and having fun designing characters together. Once a month the members gather on a Facebook Group to challenge each other in a contest in which they share their unique designs of characters, based on a common theme, along with the links to promote their blogs and online stores. The finest designs win the challenge and a new theme is announced on the 7th day of each month. The contest is open exclusively to 2D artworks, created both digitally or traditionally.
In 2016 I discovered the Character Design Challenge Facebook group and I was instantly hooked. After doing a couple of drawings for the themes in that year, I decided to take the challenge and make a character for each theme of the month. Here is the end result:
''It's August 1969, the Summer of Love! Thousands of young americans are heading to the small village of Woodstock to attend an unforgettable event, a 4 days concert that will change history, 4 days of freedom, sex, drugs and rock & roll...''
'In the legendary island of Aotearoa lives a breed of fearless warriors and sailors: the Maori! Travelling across the many islands of the South Pacific Ocean, a brave Maori Warrior will embark in a dangerous journey against all odds to make it back home..''
''Welcome to the Venice Grand Carnival Masquerade Ball! A sumptuous, decadent and lavish night party. Like every year, the ball will take place in the prestigious and charming Venetian palace of Ca' d'Oro, situated on the beautiful Grand Canal. This is not an ordinary event: get ready to join a spectacular party full of mystery, jokes, lust and surprises. Handsome waiters serve canape’s on trays, and the evening begins..''
''The war is raging in the land of Westeros and the Houses of Baratheon, Bolton, Florent, Lannister, Martell, Redwyne, Stark, Umber, Targaryen and Tully have make their move to claim the Iron Throne. But far in the north, the Children of the Forest have spoken: the King in the North is on the move...''
''This year the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Indian National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, has organised a unique festival to celebrate one of the most ancient, fascinating and colourful art forms in the world: the Indian Dance. The festival is conceived as a very inclusive event, in which the beauty of all kind of Indian dancing styles will be exceptionally showcased and celebrated in one place. From the Classical dances, to the Folk and Contemporary ones. Get ready to move your feet, it's time to dance!''
''In a forgotten time, at the shadow of colossals and mysterious pyramids, an ancient breed of men is building one the greatest civilisations the world has ever known: the Land of Kemet, Mansion of the Spirit of Ptah. The priests of the many temples of this land, custodians of esoteric knowledge, says that the power of their kingdom is a gift given to them by ancient beings, which power is beyond human comprehension. Beware then! Get ready to bow down and worship them.. or die. You are going to meet the mighty Egyptian Gods!''
'A mysterious Fortune Teller has just arrived in your town. No one knows who she is, nor where she came from, but rumours claims she owns a unique set of Tarot cards: when she shuffles them and then lays a card on the table, the character in it comes to life..''
'In a not too distant future, artificial intelligence has reached incredible levels of sophistication. Robots have been integrated not just in the most important technical human endeavours, but in all aspects of everyday life: robot cooks, automaton taxi drivers, mecha police enforcers, synthetic humanoid sex-workers, pet-bots, droids maids: artificial intelligence is everywhere. Humans are completely addicted to robots and people who look suspiciously at this technology are simply seen as paranoiac conspiracy theorists. But one day everything changed...''
''Punk is not dead! Using their body and music as a symbol of opposition and as a political statement, Punks express their disgust for all that is considered "normal" and ''acceptable'' in society. Their music will hurt your ears, their look will make you grandma scream! Get ready to join this hardcore subculture!...''
''The cursed book ''The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows'', which was supposedly written by Satan himself, has been brought to New York. The legend says that hidden in the pages is a riddle that, if solved, will open the Nine Gates of Hell. On the 2nd of November, The Day of the Dead, a black mass is finally organised by the leader of a secret society who claims to have the answer to the riddle. An ancient ritual is recreated, the forbidden words pronounced. At midnight, the armies of Lucifer, Beelzebub, Sathanus, Abaddon, Mammon, Belphegor and Asmodeus enter the mortal world after thousand of years..''
''Madame Touverit invites you to The Royal Blue Mill! A place where humour, music, sexuality and dance blossom in what is known as 'Burlesque', a unique artform that makes fun of the bourgeois society in a witty and playful way. Get ready to laugh, drink and dance in the most exclusive club in the city!..''
''A monkey-tailed warrior named Son Goku sets on a journey to find the seven Dragon Balls, mystical artefacts which have the power to summon the mighty dragon Shenlong to grant the user one wish. The journey brings Son Goku to unknown lands and distant worlds, in which he will fight (but also befriend) many powerful warriors, whimsical creatures and powerful Gods...''
''Outlaw bikers from all over the world are gathering in Chicago for a deadly event: the infamous “Highway to Hell”! An illegal motorcycle race which will see thousands of biker gangs ride down the old Route 66 to race and fight against each other for many dangerous days. Only one biker gang will make it to Santa Monica to put their hands on the rich final prize, while ruthless rivals, policemen and feds are on their tails. Are you gonna get there?...''
''Alice, a child who lives in the mid-Victorian Era, starts feeling bored and drowsy while sitting on a riverbank with her elder sister. Suddenly, she notices something weird: a clothed White Rabbit with a pocket watch. She decides to follow him and accidentally falls down a rabbit hole and lands into the mysterious world of Wonderland, a magical realm full of weird, wonderful (but also dangerous) people and creatures...''
''Long time ago, in a distant land forgotten in time, a old dragon appeared in the sky. His name was Alghar and he was the largest and the most cruel dragon that men had ever seen. With only the sheer power of his size, strength and burning breath, he single handedly destroyed many of the villages and cities of the realms of the men. In that dark time, only an handful of fearless warriors were able to oppose this unstoppable and deadly force, the mighty Dragonriders! Courageous men and women with a mysterious past, that were able to tame dragons and ultimately use the same ancestral power...''
''Elisabeth 'RedStar' Clayden was the fiercest, most terrifying pirate of the galaxy. They said her attacks and boardings had amassed her a fabulous amount of treasure, the greatest ever known. Like any good pirate, RedStar trusted no one, and always kept her treasure right under her tentacles, in the enormous hold of her spaceship. When finally her vessel crashed on the remote desert planet of Mohrn, pirates from the entire galaxy jumped on their ships to put their hands on the invaluable loot. The greatest of all treasure hunts has begun! ...''
'Sagat, the world best Muay Thai fighter, invites all the top martial artists from all around the world in Thailand to compete in a tournament to prove that he is the greater fighter alive. But in reality this competition is secretly organised by the bloodthirsty and cruel leader of the Shadaloo criminal organisation, M. Bison. He wants to put his hands on Ryu, a young fighter from Japan, who's the key to fully unleash his mysterious and murderous 'Psyco Power'. Bison is ready to use as many illegal methods as possible to achieve his final goal of dominating the world and bend it to his will. Only a courageous fighter can stop his evil plans. Are you ready? Fight!...''
''Time to pack your suitcase! Get ready to set off on a journey that will take you to the mysterious and ancestral continent of Africa. In this adventure you will travel trough the Sahara Desert and after sailing down the Nile River, you will reach the Serengeti Plain, climb the Mount Kilimanjaro and explore the perilous Congolese rainforest. You'll meet the most fascinating tribes that the world has ever known: Zulu, Maasai, San Bushmen, Yoruba, Xhosa, Hausa, Himba, Oromo and many, many more. The journey begins...''
''After the death of his chief minister, the Italian Cardinal Mazarin, Louis XIV began his personal rule of France. An adherent of the concept of the divine right of kings and a strong supporter of the idea of a centralised state governed from the capital, the ''Sun King'' eliminated the remnants of feudalism persisting in parts of France by compelling many members of the nobility to inhabit his lavish Palace of Versailles, succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy. By these means he became one of the most powerful kings of France and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule...''
''It's total war in the insect world! The Evil Empire of the Arachnids has ultimately decided to attack the many insect's kingdoms and republics of the forest. For the first time in their long history the Shiny Dukedom of the Beetles, the Republic of the Amazons Moths, the Wandering Grasshopper Ronins, the Sacred Theocracy of the Praying Mantis, the Realm of the Ants, the Horde of the Locusts, The Flying Freehold of the Dragonflies and many, MANY others will unite to defend themselves from a common, cruel enemy!...''
''Her Highness Princess Jelly Bean is announcing the annual parade of the sweetest people of all the Candyland! Citizens of Cookietown, Cakeburg, Lolliville and many other cities will meet to celebrate this sugary event. The parade will end in a festive gathering where, as per tradition, two outstanding citizens will be crowned Mr and Mrs Sweet Tooth of the Year. Who are going be the glycemic champions this time? ...''
''The desire to find something real and to connect with something, or someone. That what drives hundreds of young backpackers from all over the world to travel to a remote and secret island with adventure on their mind. What they desire is to embark on a mystical journey, find love, live in a paradise far away from the constant buzz and social pressure of an overcomplicated modern society, perhaps even reaching an higher state of consciousness and find purpose in their lives. However, utopia is not easy thing to bring into being, and paradise could be less than perfect..''
''The little Kingdom of Rattendale has been attacked by their most bloodthirsty foe, the cruel Horde of Ferrets, monsters capable to break in, destroy their underground cities and feast on the flash of their babies. In this desperate time all the mouses from the kingdom are arming themselves to protect their families and fight back these cruel invaders. Join the call for freedom! War has come to our doors and we need you NOW!..’’
