Artist Neil Smith photographed by Jim Craigmyle
Prompt Chosen: A Dungeons & Dragons epic quest scene
Title of work: Season of the Lich
What inspired you to choose this prompt? My reasoning for choosing the prompt was my immediate excitement in a prompt that allowed me to draw monsters. I grew up with classic and later 3rd edition D&D, so it was a connection from the start.
Please review your bio, and make any edits:
Neil Smith is a practicing artist, instructor and fan of local arts. He has always held a fascination with comics illustration and animated cartoons. What was considered a childish venture, remained a steady focus on comic books throughout his college life. Studying arts at Georgian college in Barrie, auditing art classes in Guelph University’s Mackinnon building, to finally completing an Industrial Design degree at Sheridan College, Oakville campus, Neil has never shaken the urge to create cartoonish monsters and stories utilizing the incoherent nostalgia of his youth.
Returning to Barrie in 2018, Neil found that the arts community had changed immensely, though struggled to find his own foothold. Through a year of searching, he was introduced to the Drawing House and subsequently, the Spare Room. Both in the core of downtown Barrie, Neil was able to build a work space and a community of his own, while learning from the practicing artists he was surrounded by.
Neil has taught and built his skill at the Drawing House for the last 6 years. While developing the curriculum, he has honed his skills in illustration, perspective and figure drawing, simultaneously furthering his skills in cartooning and animation. At the Spare Room, he has built his practice to include sculpting, 3D printing, 3D modeling and CAD software, as well as Digital drawing.