2018 Inktober - Recap

Well..........I've completed another year's Inktober challenge with a different objective than most.  Primary object was to practice hatching and other ink marks for texture, form, and value.

With this practice, I found there are certain hatching techniques I prefer over others.  I'm not a big fan of cross hatching as the diamond and square pattern that creates doesn't settle well with me unless needed to depict a particular pattern ......... like cloth.  I don't care for it to depict value unless I need near black areas.  Instead I would rather keep going over with same directional hatch marks or use stippling.  Stippling and/or tiny tick line marks are two of my favorites.

Tapping into some imagination and creativity with several of my sketches, I've come to really appreciate what illustrators face when designing anything from children's books to game characters.  A LOT of thought and work goes into that.  For me it can be a strain on the brain..........lol   Capturing something I see in front of me is much easier but at least if I push myself, I know now that I do have the ability to imagine and create fantasy sketches.........limited, though they might be.  :-)

This year as mentioned in previous post(s), I grabbed my Ipad and Apple pencil to work the Inktober Challenge.  Taking it a bit further so I have a paper copy, I set my sketches up in page format to print and bind together (to be stitched with a simple pamphlet stitch) and keep in one of my fabric midori style journals.

NOW I need to decide on what I want to do for November and December.  Do I take a break or do I set myself another challenge?

2018 Inktober - Final Day

This says it all.......

2018 Inktober - Day 30

Today's Inktober sketch - Painted rocks I did last year set up in a basket with a washcloth nest.  Representing types of coffee and caffeine content :-)

2018 Inktober - Days 23 - 29

Throughout the Inktober challenge, I have primarily worked in just black and white.   Although I love just pen and black ink, now and then I find I need to see some color.    :-)

Only two more days........

2018 Inktober - Days 20-22

Catching up with posting my daily Inktober sketches:

Pattern from one of my night shirts:

Couldn't resist this next one placing one of my mini bears in a bottle I have (not literally).

Using one of my dragon trinkets, representing headaches I get all the time.

2018 Inktober - Days 18 and 19

This one is thinking of my youngest granddaughter.  When she was last here, she left behind this little stuffed monkey.  My Granddaughter's nickname by her dad is Monkey.  As long as this guy is sitting around, I feel Morgan is here with me instead of over 900 miles away.

Printed out on watercolor background:

And of course, using Opal as a model representing the season..........lol

Adding a layer of color:

2018 Inktober - Days 15-17

This catches me up to date with the Inktober challenge.  :-D

From seeing the moss that hangs in our tree....

Back to a little imagination....

2018 Inktober - Days 12 - 14

I was in the mood to sketch trees so for two of my days, that is what I worked on.  One with a bit of imagination and one more realistic.

The Cicada was out on our front porch and thought would be great subject to sketch following the trees.

Inktober 2018 - Days 10 and 11

Still working my Inktober sketches using Procreate.

Inktober 2018 - Day 9 and Extra

Inktober - Day 9

Ballpoint in Fabriano Venezia sketchbook - worked last night.

Inktober 2018 - Days 6 - 8 Plus Extra

Here are those sketches for Inktober........days 6, 7, and 8.

This one is working in the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook using the Green Fude which I believe is 55 degree angle bent nib.  I find it awkward to handle compared to the Blue which is at a 40 degree angle.

Also worked in the Venezia sketchbook using a Sharpie pen.

I tend to avoid grabbing this sketchbook because of a promise I made not to use pencil before ink (in this particular sketchbook).  No matter how many times, how many challenges I work with straight on pen and ink, I'm still not comfortable doing so.  I guess as a positive..............if I want a more spontaneous and looser look, then leave the pencil out of it..........lol  However, on the negative side of that.......I don't really enjoy the process as I'm on edge the entire time my pen moves across the paper surface........often with shaky fingers that can show in my line work.  When using pencil first, I feel free and more at ease to then grab the ink pen making smoother lines.

Many say the more I do it, the more confident I'll feel.  You'd think after the last several years my challenging myself to pen/ink only, I'd start feeling that confidence.  Hmmmm......not happening yet.

This one is worked on Fabriano Artistico Soft 140 lb paper.  It's one of the gnomes in my fairy garden I recently set up.  The actual figurine holds a sign saying welcome but I chose to change it in my illustration.  And as a change of pace, I used an angular flat for painting rather than a round I normally grab.

Inktober 2018 - Day 5 and Other

Today's inktober sketch and two others I've completed.

Inktober - Day 5

Other sketches completed:

The frog is a trinket I have and decided to add a bit of creativity with the sketching supplies added.

Found three feathers outside by the car and worked this sketch adding beads for a little more interest.

Inktober 2018 Days 1-4

I've decided to go again this year with the Inktober Challenge.  This year's will be using the Procreate drawing/paint app on the Ipad (as I did last year).  I'm still trying to hone my skills with digital sketching with the brush tools I tend to favor.

When complete, I plan to print off and place in one of my fabric artist travel sketchbooks held together by the elastic bands.

Some of what I plan to do will be those prompts that jump out at me from the Inktober 2018 prompt list.  The remaining are just ideas that hit me and what interests me most.

Main Tool Brushes Used:

Fine - mainly for hatching
Technical - main sketch
Studio - when I need to emphasize an area or want to use pressure sensitive for line thickness and small areas of solid fill.
Stipple - shading or filling in an area without it being solid black.  Also pressure sensitive producing lighter and darker dots.