THE DIREGRAY’S COMMUNITY BONKERS BEACH BONANZA!

High res version at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TGPYmkk-QeQLiKub17BgjYt93dcKsJmj/view?usp=sharing

…could I have put in more details? Heck yeah, ALWAYS! But do I consider the artwork done? Yeah… yeah I believe so. It has everything I wanted to include: The community frogs, tons of little props to help tell stories, a LOT of references to the shenanigans chat gets up to and the games that we get together around.

This artwork has been a long time in the making, almost 4 months to the day, and when I sat down to ponder why my initial time-estimate was way off, it pretty quickly dawned on me: It wasn’t the artwork I underestimated, it was how big of an impact my job would have on the time and energy I could dedicate to this project. I assumed (oh, sweet ignorance) that my bosses wouldn’t possibly throw anything crazy at me, a baby-faced newbie in the industry, in my first 3 months… trying not to break any NDA’s here, but I was put in charge of redesigning the UI on their million dollar ad management platform… while learning a new coding language… and balancing the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. Easy, right?

Despite it all, you guys stuck with me, and whenever I posted an art-update, your reactions and kind comments was the fuel I needed. In an online world where kindness is often trampled on, and negativity seem to be everywhere we look, the community is a shining beacon of warmth and comfort. Sure, we can disagree, but we’re never attacking or intentionally harming each other. I hope from the bottom of my heart, that the patience we have with each other and the genuine want to keep the community a good place to be, will thrive and remain strong in 2022.

I want to thank you all for NEVER EVEN ONCE trying to put pressure on me to get the artwork done ahead of time. That way, the artwork was never a chore or “work” for me, but something nice I could return to when I needed some hours of just being creative. Special thank-you’s goes to chat for providing me with the crazy ideas, inputs and laughs; to ItsAnton for letting me once more borrow DrgrChad, and lastly Dire himself for letting me do this community art project again and SirKiser for setting up the Bonanza channel and helping spread the word in stream chat.

I will return with a new community art project later this year, so start thinking about what ya’ll want for a theme.

Hugs, Nati!

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1. Cruorblitz – Cruor

Pepe/monka: peepokitty, but with a seal instead of a cat. Replace the kitty from peepokitty with a seal.

Pattern/color/prop: Little squids.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Dear Cruor, your frog was one of the first ones I made, and one of the more challenging ones too. Seals wasn’t something I had drawn before, so when I revisited the artwork in late November, I decided to add a whole heard (school?) of seals playing around your frog.

2. Feta_Cheez

Pepe/monka: I think I will try PepeWTF this time.

Pattern/color/prop: Considering I am thinking about choosing Beach Racket “Tennis” as a land-activity then as a prop I think a wooden beach racket would go nicely.

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hiya Feta! You and NotAVolleyball ended up being the sporty duo of the beach and something for the happy themed frogs to cheer on, which was a godsend for me and for the story telling! The pepeWTF and slightly crooked glasses fit perfectly with a hectic game of beach-tennis.

3. SScouty

Pepe/monka: HYPERS but with trunks on and muscles.

Pattern/color/prop: Watermelon slices all over teal shorts and my mod swords!.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Sscouty, mate, kudos for being buff AF, that was hilarious to draw. And your mod swords are being put to good use slicing watermelons for the frogs, helping out chef Hornaa and grill-master SirKiser.

4. spooper_trooper

Pepe/monka: HYPERS/Pepega = Hypers arms up with pepega face. Otherwise, just HYPERS.

Pattern/color/prop: Blue with yellow stars and a baseball cap.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Sorry Spoops, you ended up on land despite wanting to be a water-frog. PepegaHYPERS are my new favorite pepe-mashup!

5. Dr_Dee_Land – Dr. Dee Land

Pepe/monka: Madge.

Pattern/color/prop: Green. That is all. A water gun for some beach fun.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi DeeLand! I didn’t have much to work with, so your frog design is my attempt at channeling the Madge. You and Nucleus thankfully both chose to have waterguns, so beach fun accomplished!

6. greebo1993 – Greebo

Pepe/monka: pepegehmm.

Pattern/color/prop: The same pink color with the frog pattern of the pajama in the previous image would be amazing. And float ring with unicorn head. Standing right at the water, figuring out if he should go into it with his unicorn float ring or not.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Greeeebooo! Your frog was a joy to draw and the first with a floaty. And what a floaty it is! Still my favorite of them all!

7. Sinconline

Pepe/monka: monkaLaugh.

Pattern/color/prop: Harpoon.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi Sinc!! You’re technically the reason why Chris the Octopus became a thing, so thank you for including the monkaLaugh and harpoon!

8. KrippsSecret

Pepe/monka: peepoShy.

Pattern/color/prop: raizU.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi KripsS! I know you initially wanted a RaizU flag, so thank you for letting me turn it into a shirt instead. Frankly, I like it, and the reactions has been hilarious. Cheers!

9. Randomsama613

Pepe/monka: PeepoOnChicken.

Pattern/color/prop: Maybe have the chicken be a floaty?.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hey randomsama! I didn’t have much to work with here, so I decided to just to with it and make a GIANT chicken and place you in a bit of a predicament on the artwork. Not to worry, the chicken is sturdy and can out-sail boats and pirates alike.

10. Voraj

Pepe/monka: peepoTub but just the happy peepo on the banana.

Pattern/color/prop: Dougdimmadome’s hat if no one else picks it.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi Voraj! Your bedazzled banana is now legendary and will bring me many a smile when I look at it. I messed up the DimmaDome outfit first try, so thanks for having the patience and letting me try again. Your frog suffered so that Noobwater’s could thrive.

11. DrLunchmeat

Pepe/monka: PeepoHide.

Pattern/color/prop: Little snakes again if possible. A sandwich and snacks/drink :3 Could I be on a boat if possible pretty please?

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hiya Lunchmeat!! Argh, I remember feeling awful when presenting your frog, because IT LOOKS LIKE HALF OF IT IS MISSING! Which it technically does, but it’s on purpose. I hope it looks like what you wanted.

12. Inphantasmal

Pepe/monka: I want to be a peepoHappy with a hat flying a plane with a banner trailing behind. You can choose what to put on the banner? Im starting a new job as an aircraft mechanic in a couple weeks so I kinda wanted something airplane-y? (congrats Inphantasmal!)

Pattern/color/prop: I would like a Hawaiian style shirt and a hat. Maybe a classic aviators hat and goggles? Maybe a single seat open cockpit tiny biplane? think red baron biplane, but tiny with a banner trailing?

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hiiii Inphantasmal! Your frog was a challenge, but damn am I glad you went with an airplane for prop, because it fits AMAZINGLY on the artwork. The sky wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without your frog, that’s for sure!

13. cody4L

Pepe/monka: pepeSus.

Pattern/color/prop: Red mushrooms on a light blue background. A bucket of popcorn 😀

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi Cody! Your frog was the first out of MANY sus-themed frogs, and I learned a lot from it. Popcorn was thankfully already something I had drawn before, so your frog was all-around nice and straight forward. Plus, the sus face is perfect with Epsilon on the way with my dog, because HE WILL eat your popcorn if he can get close enough.

14. RedLegion

Pepe/monka: Arms of HYPERS, face of peepoHappy.

Pattern/color/prop: red shorts with the pattern you used for me in your other project, and you can do whatever you want for the shirt and a cup of coffee in some way 😀

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Legioooooon!!! Your frog was the first frog I made, and thus also the first I had to redo… because your shorts looked more like a skirt… woops! Thanks for your patience and thanks for you ever kinds comments.

15. RomantikPanda
28. LorDDangeR

Pepe/monka: RomantikPanda: peepoFAT (I wanted my frog to be in a resting/vacation mode. So maybe lying on a pool bed/animal float).
LorDDangeR: peepoWeird.

Pattern/color/prop: Romantikpanda: Blue would be my choice. I trust you with the pattern 🙂 Both sunglasses and a beer bottle would complete the image of me relaxing after a busy semester.
LorDDangeR: Can we have a alarm clock in my hand? since I am always catching the last hour of dire’s stream every single day because of time zone difference. Me an RomantikPanda are IRL friends, he told me that he is gonna be in water bed with beer in his hand. So I would be glad if you could make me holding on his water bed, like begging to be there with him etc.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: You two were a challenge alright! Your frogs were amongst the ones that changed the most over the course of the artwork, but I do believe we ended up with a result that we all liked. Also, PRAISE LE TOUCAN!

16. Kerrigore101 – Kerrigore

Pepe/monka: pepeSus.

Pattern/color/prop: Sword or knife sticking out.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi Kerrigore! Despite some miscommunication, I believe your frog ended up being one of the nicer ones. I like the colors and the shirt logo ended up better than I thought it would.

17. ImJustAKlepto – Klepto

Pepe/monka: MmmHmm would work still :).

Pattern/color/prop: Hear me out: An upside-down umbrella filled with beans. The bean thing was a total meme and it blew up. I loved how he was just eating beans out of the can. Some wild idea with beans I think would be hilarious, but I’m always down for anything.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Oh Klepto… if comic relief could be meassured, you’d be a 12/10. The idea was crazy, not gonna lie, but I think I nailed it pretty well. I had so many ways I wanted to include this in the artwork, hell, at some point I even thought of letting Chris the Octopus chase you down… But this works. I’m satisfied. NEVER change sir.

18. Burbla

Pepe/monka: PeepoFlex.

Pattern/color/prop: Fluro green, borat style mankini and a pici-nic basket of course. And beard if possible.

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Trialmaster’s thicc thighs trained me for this. I have no regrets. The end.

19. Boomkin

Pepe/monka: Susge.

Pattern/color/prop: Brazilian Flag or colour scheme. Wearing an boomkin or owl hat (I would love to have an sun or moon close to me).

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi Boom! My initial thought was “what the hell is a moonkin/boomkin” and I had to ask my WoW-playing brother. Even after a lengthy lore-talk, I still have no idea, but brother did say it looked like a moonkin, so I THINK I did alright?

20. Mr. IcyHot

Pepe/monka: susage.

Pattern/color/prop: I like to do the “Susage :point_right: {username/ emote}” or something similar. Maybe something like the susage frog looking at a shark fin in the water and pointing. in the diving suit of course!

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hiiii IcyHot! You DID end up pointing at someone, perhaps even the best frog to point at PERIOD. Not a shark tho, but Klepto is just as hazardous as a shark.

21. Rainstyrms – Rainstorms

Pepe/monka: monkaLaugh is my favorite emote for sure!

Pattern/color/prop: Maybe a little rain cloud above the head, fitting to the name. Being rained on at the beach is perfectly unlucky and fitting for me ahaha.

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi Rainstyrms! Your little cloud idea was wonderful and still an amazing prop and reminder that yeah, some beach days end up like that.

22. rLUL – Voyl

Pepe/monka: I would like to become a HYPERS and the little guy is holding a Totem from path of exile.

Pattern/color/prop: Me and Dire met over the league and I have become some what of a regular in the channel and I am known for the Unethical Forbidden Rite totem build around there.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hey rLUL! Your shirt-design was by far the funniest I made, I hope you like it! I know FR totems aren’t in the best spot right now, so I hope you get to try other unethical builds in 3.17!

23. iSemaj

Pepe/monka: MmmHmm.

Pattern/color/prop: Something similar to what you done last time with the album art as a pattern for the shirt I already do have one in mind. And headphones again 🙂

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hii iSemaj! I’m so happy you decided on a music theme again, as I needed a DJ for the beach. No beach is complete without some good tunes and damn, you delivered!

24. RhetoricaIAnswer – Rose

Pepe/monka: No idea! I’ll give you stuff about me and you decide!

Pattern/color/prop: I’m a bartender by trade, so I could always be behind a cabana bar if you add one.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi Rhetorical! Your frog is the one I got to decide the most about, which was a challenge but also fun. Thanks a lot for giving me little tidbits of information about yourself for reference, and thank you for the trust you put in my decisions.

25. bitbite999 – bitbite

Pepe/monka: peepoTub (just riding the banana).

Pattern/color/prop: A little pirate hat or maybe holding a little pirate flag!

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: Ahoy Cap’n Bitbite! The pirate idea was the beginning of a grand sea-battle in the making, so thank you for that! Also, just as Voraj’s bedazzled banana, your banged up banana (gachiW) has become legend and a source of endless smiles for me.

26. whyhellotwitch – whyhellodisdorp

Pepe/monka: I want peepoComfy and Bedge combined if possible!

Pattern/color/prop: Anything with red! Can I get a burger beside me please?

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi Sussy fren! Your krangled mind (and bed) was the beginning of the community art projects, which I’m still very grateful for! I believe you’ve earned that juicy burger of yours.

27. Noobwater

Pepe/monka: peepoCoffee , the frame where he’s holding the coffee in front of him and smiling 🙂

Pattern/color/prop: I’d like the shirt to look like Doug Dimmadome Owner Of The Dimmsdale Dimmadome’s shirt. I’d like a hat like Doug Dimmadome Owner Of The Dimmsdale Dimmadome.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Noobwater, I swore I wasn’t going to make that hat any taller… now look at it. Heck. It was fun, I gotta admit that.

29. notavolleyball

Pepe/monka: peepoWeen but made into a volleyball.

Pattern/color/prop: N/A.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: NotAVolleyball, despite having almost nothing to work with, I always knew exactly how I wanted to draw you. I believe both you and the wife has already approved of it, so I’m very happy I was able to frog’ify a volleyball… or volleyball’ify a frog…?

30. dodloon

Pepe/monka: a mix between OUIP and TANTIES, so an angry tiny french frog.

Pattern/color/prop: a light blue/white striped tshirt and a baguette and a white flag. How about my frog is running a beach stand and tries to sell baguettes to other frogs?

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Bonjour Dodloon! Your angry french frog ended up a lot funnier than I imagined it would be, so thanks for that! Le Petit OUIP is all yours!

31. SirKiser

Pepe/monka: peepoHappy.

Pattern/color/prop: Royal purple, being my favorite color, I’d appreciate it being a part somehow. Someone has to be manning the grill pit or setting up the food picnic blankets.(This totally isn’t just me making excuses for you to draw food).

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hello my friend. Your frog is grill-master, and because of you (and Hronaa too), I’ve spend 2 weeks drawing food… and dango. Thanks for all your ideas and inputs, they’ve made the artwork so much better.

32. CMYKMatter

Pepe/monka: pepegehmm would be pretty rad.

Pattern/color/prop: Anything in the theme of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. If you could put a d20 somewhere around, that could be fun. I’ve been a dungeon master for D&D for over 20 years now and it’s a huge part of my life. I run a homebrew project where I’m making neat homebrew for D&D so anything related to that would be honestly pretty rad.

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi CMYK! I wanted to include the D20 some more than just on the beer glasses, so I ended up naming the shop “D20 Dive Shop” in your honor.

33. Nucleus_238

Pepe/monka: EZY.

Pattern/color/prop: Dark Red. A gunblade from Final Fantasy in a watergun style.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Nucleus, heck you to the moon and back, but heck FF gunblades even further!! xD It was a challenge and I’m glad with the end result.

34. BlastingMouz

Pepe/monka: peepoSHAKE.

Pattern/color/prop: Headhunter floaty.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: I am never drawing HH again, sorry Mouz! Between you and Nucleus, I think I gained quite a few grey hairs.

35. TressedOut

Pepe/monka: I prefer the SUS emote mixing in the good old monkaS scared of what he is sus’ed about.

Pattern/color/prop: N/A.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi deckhand Tressed! I do believe a band of merry pirates approaching is the perfect condition for a frog to be a mix of SUS and monkaS.

36. Epsilon_Dogg

Pepe/monka: monkaHmm (but my hands need to be holding my dog’s leash).

Pattern/color/prop: Just a lowercase Epsilon (greek letter) on the front of my t-shirt. Any color clothing besides green is fine. Can I be walking a dog? The kind of dog is up to you 😀

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hello Epsilon! I couldn’t fit the Epsilon onto your shirt, as it would’ve been completely hidden behind the hands, so I do believe the solution I came up with works. Also, take good care of Mikkel, my dog. He’s a good boy, if a little derpy.

37. Goblodin

Pepe/monka: pepegeHmm.

Pattern/color/prop: I want my frog bobbing out of the water with scuba mask on and breathing apparatus hanging off the side of his head. He would be wearing a teal wet suit. Obviously scuba gear, so mask, breathing apparatus, air tank, and if feet are visible, flippers. Maybe if there’s a shark or something dangerous he could be concerned about the nearby events.

Activity: Water-activity!

Nati’s comment: GOBS! Your frog was by far the most detailed in terms of diving equipment. That, and your placement on the artwork (half above water, half below water), was a fun challenge. No sharks in the area tho, you’ll have to make due with Chris.

38. LegallyInsane1 – LegallyInsane

Pepe/monka: peepoSHAKE and, less importantly peepoHide. I usually lurk in Dire’s channel while playing some other game. The idea I had was a combination of peepoSHAKE and peepoHide lurking in judgement atop a nearby hill or behind a buoy/tree.

Pattern/color/prop: N/A.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hey Legally! Hnngh, just like Lunchmeat’s frog, I do feel kinda awful for presenting a frog that looks half-done like this. I know it’s on purpose, but it’s still…ouch. I tried to make your frog funny by placing it in a funny predicament. I hope you like it.

39. PotatOhNo

Pepe/monka: BOTHA, maybe? lol otherwise, YAPPP-ish. With a beard, if possible.

Pattern/color/prop: Potatoes on the trunks? Black top hat? Worn preferably.

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hiya Potatoh! Not gonna lie, I was ready to face-palm when I saw BOTHA in the comments, so I was glad you also added YAPPP to your entry.

40. naughtybuddha

Pepe/monka: peepoFat.

Pattern/color/prop: Maybe building a sand house, I work in real estate and I think it would fit the beach theme!

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Hi naughtybuddha! You’ve been busy sir! Thanks to you, I had a good excuse to plant sandcastles all over the beach! Also, I decided to color your swim trunks orange, same color as buddhist monk robes. I hope you like it.

41. NatiTheArtist

Pepe/monka: peepowow.

Pattern/color/prop: Pina Colada drink.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Oh! That’s me! I just wanted the Pina Colada I never got while on vacation. Simple as that.

42. DireGray

Pepe/monka: peepoShake.

Pattern/color/prop: Gray (I like the little cloud pattern from last time you came up with). Fishing rod and umbrella. If you have space on the side of the art for me to sit in a little beach chair and have an umbrella to sit under while fishing and looking at the other frogs with those peepoShake eyes for being in my fishing spot that’d be awesome! I’m very much not a beach person but the times I go I relax by fishing so I think it would be the most fitting.

Activity: I don’t mind either!

Nati’s comment: Lol, hi Dire! No way in heck I’ll place you off to the side sir, this is a community centered around you and your stream. You got your umbrella, fishing rod and beach chair, and the good ship MeowCookie will sail you to safe harbours.

43. Hornaa

Pepe/monka: monkaStare.

Pattern/color/prop: Shorts (white ones, with tomatoes on) and a chefs hat, as for a prop could he be holding a tomato? For activity probably something on land, maybe in the food court?

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Heeey Hornaa! You came in in the middle of the artwork, but you sure have earned your spot, as I needed a chef to assist grill-master SirKiser in the food court. The worm in the tomato was my own little twist and a good reason to monkaStare.

44. EliQ – EliQQ

Pepe/monka: peepoCozy but with a beach towel!

Pattern/color/prop: Can I have little golden snitches on the shorts from Harry Potter?

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Hi Eli! We never seem to be around in chat at the same time, (thus I know very little about you) so it came as a surprise to me when you wanted a Harry Potter theme on your frog. I hope I delivered!

45. sxzpyro – V for Vi

Pepe/monka: monkaHmm.

Pattern/color/prop: Could you give him a straw farmers hat please? And a tiny farmers pitchfork. Ideally, he’s staring into the sand, has a little thing sketched into the sand, thinking about farming something, while a wave from the ocean is about to smack into him and wipe away all his stuff in the sand. It’s symbolic YEP.

Activity: Land-activity!

Nati’s comment: Last frog, Pyro! I know you wanted your frog to be hit by a wave and your stuff wiped away… but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I hope you like your frog either way and I hope luck favours you.