Inktober – a month of doing ink drawings – is just around the corner. I’ve never managed to do 31 ink sketches during October – I’m not big on doing challenges anymore as I sketch most days anyway. But this year I would like to attempt it again. There is an official optional list of prompts which you can find here, but I’m not going to attempt to follow that.
Instead I want to do 31 simple line drawings of everyday stuff, focusing on my observational skills, looking at relationships and intersections between different objects and creating interesting compositions. This sketch of overlapping people from a few days ago is the type of ink drawing I’m aiming for.
Many of them might be continuous line (such as this sketch which I’ve shared previously) and I might try various pens and different coloured lines. But the goal is to keep it really simple!
So, are you going to be joining the Inktober challenge too? Do you have a plan?
11 Comments
I don’t do too many continuous lines so maybe I should do some of those for Inktober. I always participate so I am getting my pens ready! I tend to want to do full sketches, so by the end of the month I am ready for it to be over. Maybe quicker sketches would make it easier on me.
Hi Liz! YES! This will be my fourth Inktober. My first was in 2016, the year I started sketching. That year I missed the last week, so did not complete it. But 2017&2018 I was able to complete it. I really saw an improvement on my sketching, even within the 30 days! But I do not post online as I am not much of a social media person. Maybe this year i will…. I dont mind the classroom forum or galleries in your courses because we are all in similar learning journeys, so it is less intimidating! I have an instagram account but there are no posts, Lol! IThis year I want to 31 days of simplification. I want to get a busy scene, on location or photo, and do a 30 minute max simplification directly on ink. I hope this will help me loosen up and not do a sloppy sketch just because it is faster! If I have time, I want to apply a watercolor value study (markers would be faster but I think they would bleed thru watercolor paper ( at least they have in the past!) Have fun on your challenge! (PS: What an awesome course so far Watercolor on Location!!! I finished watching the videos last night and wanted to try the exercises right away but it was so late! I kept thinking about it though so it took quite a while to fall asleep! I will add large rocks and boulders to my element library as there are many of those here where I live- Take care!)
Sounds great Yvonne.
I was so proud of myself for completing Inktober last year for the first time. I have my sketch journal all set up and ready to begin this year. I am still in the process of learning to draw. Looking over last year’s drawings, I did all natural subjects. Birds, landscapes, fruit/vegetables, plants, etc, and all of these were from photo reference. This year I am setting goals for myself to stretch my skills. I will do 6 series of 5 drawings under a topic. My topics are: Figures and Faces, Houses & Buildings, On Location (Urban sketching… I still lock up when out and about), Everyday Objects (from life, not photos), and From the Garden (photos ok here, but my garden). So this should make me stretch out of my very comfortable zone. I’m excited.
That sounds fantastic Susan!!! All the best.
So cool to read about your Inktober plan! That was exactly what I was talking to my friend about, bringing inktober to urban sketching and using your lessons as a springboard. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Arlyna – great minds think alike hey?
Hi Liz,
I really like your idea Liz, this sounds like its something I would like to do also. I’m going to use my Sailor Pen, or Lamy so that I can get used to drawing with them. I’m going to be drawing hands and faces in a continuous contour drawings. Thank you Liz for your idea, I love it and it sounds fun!!!
Sounds great Wendy
Hi Liz,
I plan a daily continual line drawing in ink with a subtle wash over it. My style of sketching seems to be pencil sketch, wash, and final inking overall, but I do love continual line drawing, so thank you for this blog! You have helped me with my Inktober focus!
I should add that I have a number of ink pens, micron to brush to fountain, so I’ll try different ones throughout Inktober to see which I like best. Whee, fun 31 days!!
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