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Monday, October 29, 2018

#inktober2018

I started October by doing a drawing challenge called "inktober." Instagram artist @jakeparker began this practice 9 years ago. I heard of it last year and decided to try it this year. The idea is to fill the 31 days of October with 31 ink drawings.

Here are the official rules and prompt list...



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Here's the official rules for Inktober. Tag someone who is new to the challenge! 〰 The Inktober was created in 2009 by illustrator @jakeparker as a way to get better at inking. It's since grown into a worldwide art event every October. It's a month long celebration of drawing, creativity, and self-improvement. 〰 You can modify the challenge to suit your needs and abilities. If doing 31 drawings in a month isn't realistic for your schedule, set a goal for 15 drawings in the month and do one every other day. Or do one a week. Or just do one on the first day. 〰 People who push themselves just outside their comfort zone get the most out of the challenge. Figure out what that is for you, set a goal, and work your hardest to reach it. 〰 Use whatever inking tools you have available to you. Whether it's a bic pen, sharpie marker, or the latest Japanese brush pen, we've seen great art with all of those tools. 〰 Initially, the challenge of Inktober was focused on traditional inking. Although learning how to ink digitally is a skill separate from traditional inking it is no less valid. If you want to improve your digital inking skills then doing Inktober digitally is a great way to challenge yourself. 〰 The prompt list is provided to spark your imagination. Its fun to see how different artists interpret the same word. But you do not have to use the prompts. If something else is inspiring you, let that fuel your creativity for inktober! 〰 There's also inktober contests and giveaways put on by many art supply companies for people who participate in Inktober. Keep an eye out on our posts because we will be announcing those contests here. 〰 There's more more info about Inktober on out offical website: inktober.com 〰 Lastly, HAVE FUN! If Inktober is stressing you out, or making your life too hard, dial it back a bit do what you've got to do to make it fun. 〰 That's all. Now go make something beautiful! 〰 #inktober #inktober2018
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I was really excited to start. I would take some time to draw everyday and no matter what it looked like, I would post it with the appropriate tags for the day. It did this very consistently for ten days. Some days I loved what I drew and others, I didn't even want to post it online. However, I was really enjoying the challenge and my own quest to become a better artist. 








I found that on the days I really sat down and thought about the theme and what I wanted to express, it came out a lot better. There were some days that I just couldn't connect with the theme. That is something I need more creative time to figure out. I am not very confident in my ability to draw, so anything I put on paper triggered a little bit of anxiety. I tried to overcome it though and just draw, like a child would with no abandon and no fear of judgment. 








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This one above almost did me in. I wanted to draw an up close photo of a baby drooling. I think you may be able to tell it was a baby, but I don't think I did the picture justice. I still need some work on facial features and the proportions to go with it. 


Then I drew this one (above), just on notebook paper because I was writing at the time. I think it came out really well. I even fixed some of the proportions as I drew. This is one of my favorites from all of my creations. 





Life got really busy in these last couple of days. I didn't really spend very much time on #inktober. You can tell from the quality of the pictures. But I was still taking part and moving forward.


Then my friend came to visit from South Carolina. We were enthusiastically expecting her arrival and when she got here, we had a great time hanging out and exploring Seattle. We even took a trip up to Vancouver Canada for the weekend. All of this did not leave much time, or energy, for drawing, so I let it slide for a day, then two, then before I knew it I was almost a week behind. 

 I tried to catch up by posting four at once...




A couple of them came out great and the others were fun to draw. But after that, I was pretty much done. I was too busy enjoying the extra activities and spending time with my friend to stop and draw. Especially since it takes me so long to plan and follow through on even the most simple of pieces. 

 I did one more piece that I just realized I never posted ...

I completed a total of 15 drawings during the month of October. I keep thinking I should look back and try to do a couple more, but I am overwhelmed with other obligations, so I just haven't done it. I also realized, I really like drawing in small areas better. I like when I make a frame so I can focus on the details instead of feeling like I must cover the page, like the picture above.

 The weather has gotten to us a little and I'm behind on writing, which makes me feel anxious, so I am focusing on that. In many ways, these are just excuses, but it is what it is and I am ready to let October go. Besides, November is Nanowrimo and writing naturally keeps my focus a little more. Inktober has helped me practice balancing priority when it comes to projects like this. I need all the help I can get since we have another visitor coming in November.  

 I've really enjoyed #inktober. I found out that I can draw if I really focus on what I am trying to share. That is a great feeling. I am kind of sad I didn't finish this challenge, but in the end, I did something that I wasn't sure I could do at all. In that, I am proud of myself.
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1 comment:

  1. Teresa BOctober 31, 2018 at 8:42 AM

    Sounds like an interesting challenge. I have no talent for drawing or painting, so I really admire you for doing this.
    Thank you for joining The Really Crafty Link Party this week!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for the comment -- I love to hear your positive thoughts!

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