Apostle Bartholomew/Nathaniel character design sheet

This is my character sheet, or design specification, for the apostle Bartholomew/Nathaniel. The purpose of this sheet is to keep a record of the attributes or characteristics of my drawing, so that I can draw a similar-looking cartoon in all future scenes including Bartholomew/Nathaniel.

I first drew my version of Bartholomew/Nathaniel in March 2009, very early on in the history of Bible Cartoons. Those early pictures were for stories found in John’s gospel.

By formalising my ideas on a character design sheet in this way I would have a simple and accessible design reference point, which would remind me of what I had drawn in previous cartoons. By referring to this sheet every time I drew a scene including Bartholomew/Nathaniel I hoped I would be able to draw and colour him to match previous cartoons, ensuring great similarity and therefore continuity between Bible Cartoons featuring Bartholomew – Nathaniel, even if these cartoons were drawn months or even years apart.

Without this character sheet to refer to I might very well accidentally draw a scene where the Bartholomew/Nathaniel character is quite different from previous drawings, which would be a problem if someone views and/or buys several Bible Cartoons and the same person looks quite different in each scene! There is a very real danger of this happening since my abilities and style gradually change and evolve over time, especially as I learn new art techniques and want to incorporate new ideas into my Bible Cartons. By referring to the character sheet I can be confident that I will draw a similar-looking person, even if my artistic skills have undergone change and development over time.

Personal History
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He has been identified with Nathaniel (alternatively spelled Nathaneal). The name Bartholomew means “Given of God” or “Gift of God”. He was one of our Lord’s disciples, “of Cana in Galilee” (John 21:2).
He was “an Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile” (John 1:47, 48).

He was one of those to whom the Lord showed himself alive after his resurrection, at the Sea of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee).