FAQ

What is Mystery Monster!?
How does Mystery Monster work then?
How big does my section need to be?
How long do I have to complete my section in?
How long do I need to spend on my section?
Do I have to do my illustration digitally?
Where do I send my finished section?
Will you keep my email private?
What if I don't have time to draw a section this time?

Other Questions? Email Mystery Monster headquarters at 'nick at mysterymonster.co.uk'

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What is Mystery Monster!?

MM is a group illustration challenge that is easy to take part in & hopes to stimulate & inspire imaginations of people from all over the web.

It is loosely based on the childhood game where someone draws the head of a character, folds the paper over & another person draws the body (without peeping!) and passes it on again until a full character has been drawn. The paper is then opened up to reveal an odd-ball looking creature from the depths of the groups imagination!

MM works in the same way, except people email back the sections they have drawn, & once all the parts come together the final monstrous character will be posted here for the world to see!

How does Mystery Monster work then?

1) When a new topic is announced, the MM challenge starts with everyone drawing a characters head - the very top section. Use the current topic to help give you inspiration for your character.

2) When you have finished drawing your section, email your drawing back to the Mystery Monster headquarters, or post it to your blog (let me know when/where you post it though!). Your section will be posted on the Mystery Monster site, but 'covered up', except for a small section that will peek out, ready for another illustrator to carry on the character.

3) When you are ready, you can choose any of the partially drawn characters that have already been posted on the site (try not to choose your own drawing!) and complete the next section down. Once again, email your section back when you are finished.

4) This process repeats until a full character is created. At this point the final monsters will be revealed! Your sections will be linked back to your website (if you sent us a link).


How big does my section need to be?
You are free to draw whatever you like for a section of your character. However, to keep things nice & easy if you keep each section within 280px wide by 120px high it will make things simpler to put together! A template is provided below that may make it easier for you and others to complete a character.

Example character template:



This template can be downloaded in the following formats:
Photoshop Template (.psd)
GIF Template (.gif)
JPEG (.jpg)


How long do I have to complete my section?
Currently there's no time limit on finishing your section, finished monsters will just be posted as soon as they're done. However the sooner your section is posted, the more likely it is to be continued by another member, and become part of a complete character!


How long do I need to spend on my section?
That is up to you, spend as much or as little time as you want on your section. MM is just a fun challenge to inspire the imagination & to let people from all over the web create something together.


Do I have to do my illustration digitally?
Nope! Your section can be done on paper, or any media you prefer, so long as it roughly fits in with the template for your section when scaled up or down to size. Printing the template out may help you. (Each section of the template is 280x120px which is roughly 6cm by 2.5cm). Just scan your finished illustration in & send it back as usual.


Where do I send my finished section?
You can simply reply to the email you got from MM, remembering to attach your illustration! The email address is nick at mysterymonster.co.uk


Will you keep my email private?
Yes, if you sign up to receive topic updates your email is never passed to any others participating in MM or any other third parties for that matter!


What if I don't have time to draw a section this time?
Don't worry if you haven't time to do a section, just choose to do and send in any ones you can.