Mid-month Inktober update

October 18, 2016 | 7 Comments


Have you been able to keep up with inktober?

I haven’t! I knew it would be a struggle but I wanted to try anyway. I missed a few days last week, but instead of feeling guilty, I am just going to pick up and start doing one ink sketch per day from now on.

I knew it would be a struggle but I wanted to try anyway. I missed a few days last week, but instead of feeling guilty, I am just going to pick up and start doing an ink sketch a day from now on.

The funny thing is that regardless of how busy I am, I always seem to manage a latte sketch in the morning. Actually it’s not really that funny, it’s more a great example of how to create a habit that becomes second nature. I don’t think about whether to sketch my coffee or not, I just do it. In the old days when I had an office job, my set time for sketching was during my post-dinner cuppa. These days. I generally just go straight back to my computer and continue working (a bit tragic, hey?) Maybe that is a habit that needs to change.

Ok, enough rambling thoughts.


Here are my inktober sketches from last week. The top image is the result of spending as much time as I could outside on Saturday.


Monday: An ’emergency’ visit to the dentist this afternoon meant I was stuck in traffic that wasn’t going anywhere. Time for a quick almost blind continuous line contour drawing and a few swipes with my water brush.


Tuesday: Another simple sketch. This time it’s a gift I got from a friend who I chat with during my morning cafe visits. He just saw this book on the weekend and thought of me. Perfect #inktober gift hey? Thanks Travis!


Coffee interlude: latte sketches affected by filming Instagram stories at the same time.


Wednesday: No sketch so here is the second half of the week’s latte sketches,


Thursday: I had another unscheduled dentist appointment today so managed this quick sketch with lots of continuous lines from where I parked my car. In terms of ink this was actually done with a brand new fountain pen. More later – how is that for a tease!?!


Friday: hmm, no sketch but I did create this schedule to help with my new commitment of reducing caffeine. I have an accountability buddy Shannelle – a hand lettering artist but this schedule helps too. Erin from Larrypost kindly attitbuted the inktober prompt of battle to this sketch. I’ll take that!


Monday: Quiet day off so I just sketched my reading corner. Brown De Atramentis in Sailor Fude 55 degree nib.


I am thinking that maybe I should look at the prompts each day in order to get some inspiration. I don’t want to be tied down to them, but there is no doubt that prompts help keep you going.

So how are you going with inktober?

7 Comments

  • Diane says:

    Hello Liz, It’s always a pleasure to read our posts and look at your sketches. It’s very inspiring. Yes, to my surprise, I am keeping up with the Inktober project. I should thank you for this, I took one of your tips : choose my daily subjects in advance. I am also limiting myself to one theme every week. This is really making things easier for me. I explore a new ink medium every week also, from fountain pen, to Pentel brush to Japanese brush. A world of fun ! Diane

  • I bolted at Day 1 and kept a steady pace but at Day 15 – no sketch until Day 17. But i’m not giving up because I believe the daily ink sketching will help me stretch and learn and enjoy “playing” more with inks. To bolster my determination, I purchased a 12 bottle pack of Winsor and Newton darwing inks, a Tachikawa Comic pen holder and a pack of 10 G nibs – not just for Inktober but beyond in this new ink sketching adventure to enhance my watercolour addiction..

  • First time I’ve managed to do an ink sketch a day.(So far) My trick this time is to simplify: I’ll sometimes draw the same thing over and over a few days in a row. Taking the ‘what to draw’ out of the equation helps me. Also, I think finally, at the halfway point, I feel like I’m getting to where it’s becoming a habit. My daily warm-up, almost.

  • Peggy Annabel says:

    Thanks for the challenge-great practice for us (ShireSketchers). I cheat a bit. Sometimes take a photo on a busy day & use it to sketch a ‘catch up’ later. It’s true that ‘increased pen mileage’ is the only way to improve.

  • Cassandra says:

    Thank you for sharing, inspiration to keep pressing on! Yes, mileage and habit are the two most important items to have! Hoping to improve in both areas.

  • Great to see your Inktober sketches! I have been able to keep up but on busy days I do quick sketches and on the other days a more lengthy one. I don’t like letting a day pass without a sketch.

  • Liz, thank you for sharing your experience and sketching adventures with us. I loved a lot your research on fountain pens ( though the choice here in Spain is very poor) but noe I am hooked on them! So your introduction of InkTober was a wonderful opportunity and challenge for me. I work best with a very simple school pen and as I am still shy to sketch in public my models are often reduced to my reading man and my cat…but not only. I have great fun, anyway, so thanks a lot! Gerrit

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