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
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.
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.
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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