DEWD Cool
An art club drawing on what makes us human. 15min a day since 2019.
What's a DEWD?
DEWDs are 100% hand-drawn characters by Derrick Kempf created daily since 2019.
Every character is created the same way: 15 minutes, ink on paper, no erasing. One DEWD, one day at a time.
This isn't about perfection. It's about the practice. The crooked lines, the weird expressions, the daily commitment of just showing up and creating something with pure delight.
The Challenge
Mexico, 2019. A sketchbook, some ink pens, and a challenge.
Draw every day for a year. 15 minutes. No erasing.
I'd been drawing ever since I was little. Then after getting graphic design degree, marriage, kids, life, my regular practice of artistic creation seemed to almost stop. I had convinced myself I'd lost it. My creativity seemed more like an intruder.
But before Mexico, a dear friend and mentor would show up with a powerful yell of, "Duuuuuuuude!" at every opportunity of seeing him. Arms wide open. Big smile. No judgment.
In those moments, I felt seen. Whole. Accepted exactly as I was.
That welcome became part of what every DEWD is now.
The Practice Continues
The challenge I set for myself in Mexico brought it all together. The more I drew without judging, the more I saw it. Crooked lines weren't mistakes. Weird hair wasn't wrong. Blobs, tired eyes, or wrinkles weren't problems. They became solutions.
Each stroke was a choice.
DEWDs are about acceptance. The process of becoming. Nose hair. Balding. Weird expressions. All part of the journey.
Not perfection. Practice.
The process is the point.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Discipline
Show up daily
Keeping a regular discipline and daily habit of making art is what this is all about. Don't worry about time. Keep it to 15 minutes.
Constraint
Keep it simple
Less is more when it comes to most things. It's no different when getting into the creative act. One color, one, texture, one style.
Intention
Make it fun
This isn't rocket science. It's drawing. Connect with the little kid within. Bonus points for getting someone else to chuckle too.
Browse the Shop
Collect limited edition apparel, hats, stickers, and more.
Become a Dewd
Original Dewds
Free
- ✅ Access to the DEWD Feed — See new DEWDs before anyone else
- ✅ Weekly DEWD drops — Fresh weirdness in your inbox
- ✅ Voting rights — Help decide which DEWDs get immortalized as prints
Exclusive Dewds
$2.00 $1.00 first month
- 📬 Real mail every quarter (postcards, stickers, surprises)
- 🏆 Monthly contests — Win original sketches, one-of-ones, mystery packages
- 🎯 10% off everything — Prints, originals, whatever drops
- 👀 Early access to drops — See new products 48 hours before the public + first dibs
- 🔓 Secret DEWDs — Some DEWDs never go public. Members-only.
- 🎁 Birthday DEWD — Custom postcard on your birthday (optional, if you share the date)