Inktober Early Planning

[olivermoss]

Hi all! I thought I'd start a post for Inktober preparation. Here we can talk inking materials, troubleshooting and sharing inkspiration. October is still two weeks or so away, but this gives people lead time to learn new techniques or order new supplies if they want to.

Feel free to ask any trad or digital inking questions in the comments so we can help each other. Also post tutorials you've found helpful, artists to study and whatever else might be relevant.

I am still not very practiced with any of them, but I've acquired a lot of supplies over the past year. I've got a variety of papers, inks, inking pens, ink pencils and also a small LED lightbox. In the picture above, the lettering is my first time using a pen you dip in ink. That banner is my pre-Inktober starting point. If people are interested I will list, talk about and/or demo my supplies.

The official Inktober prompt list is up is up here. I am not going to use that list, I am making my own unless I can find a really good one.

So, what are your Inktober questions, plans or hopes?

Comments

[jainas]

Some thematic inktober prompt lists: http://flo-nelja.tumblr.com/post/177943038175/sekhmet-heart-inktopber-prompts-sources-keep

I don't find the official prompts very insipiring for now... maybe we could build our own drawsome prompt list? That could be great!

I'm in full brainstorming! I will almost certainly do half of the inktober with quotes and free medium/style like last year, and the other half with prompts and the stylistic guideline that the drawings must be usable for silk screen printing, which means two colors max, flat tints (no color gradation) and well defined lines... That should be interesting.

Regarding the drawing material, last year Inktober was all in a single sketchbook (except two drawings that were meant to be gifts from the start), but this year I'll use single sheets for each day. I'll need to buy more thick paper, and probably a drawing folder because the sheets are slightly bigger than A4 and don't fit well in traditional folders.
I seem to have lost my pentel ink brush so I need to get a new one, as well as a gold posca. I thought I had bought one not so long ago, but looking for it I only found a ton on silver poscas, so...
Otherwise I'm good!

The quotes part of my Inktober will be decided day by day following my inspiration, so I'm once more building-up a gdoc filled with quotes where I'll be able to pick and choose... and I'm taking suggestions! Hit me up in the comments of this post: https://jainas.dreamwidth.org/209567.html

[goss]

I don't find the official prompts very insipiring for now... maybe we could build our own drawsome prompt list?

Oooh, that sounds like a cool idea! I too have been less than enthused about the official prompts list. ("drooling", "exhausted", wtf? o_O )

If we put our heads together, it might be fun to compile our own prompts list.

[minoanmiss]

Oh please yes!

Diaphanous
Float
Leaf
Flame
Paint
Shell
Cleave
Tap
Expect

[jainas]

Savage
Tea
Deep
Space
Meet
Reborn
Snow

[olivermoss]

I trend towards Octobery prompts and here is the start of my own list:
Potions and Bottles
Spirits
Sweaters
Scarves
Maize Maze
Cider
Candy
Mushrooms
Cats

[jainas]

What is Maize Maze??

[olivermoss]

Another term for Corn Mazes. They are a thing in parts of America. You leave a corn field unharvested and make paths through it. It becomes a maze for people to solve. They are a popular Autumn activity, usually in areas with farmstands, cider and fresh donuts.

[goss]

Even though some of these words would be more America- or Autumn-centric (eg. I live in a tropical country, and we don't have Halloween culture here), many here could be universal in use.

I like just plain "Maze" for example. Many possibilities there. I'm thinking Labyrinth the movie, gardens and topiary landscaping, lab rats, the brain/psyche.

"Spirits" too. Could have multiple interpretations there too. :)

[olivermoss]

Generalizing them out for a community challenge is great. This was me brainstorming my fall cozy and fall spoopy ideas :)

Ones that can go different ways is also fun. I am totally the sort who might draw rum for a 'spirits' prompt.

[syntheid]

I like the silk screen print restriction idea! Excited to see what you'll come up with this year. :)

[mekare]

Last year I did a resource post here in the comm and I def plan on rewatching the Alphonso Dunn videos. Others added good links too.

I love the idea of making out own prompt list! Mmmh....

Melodious
Wafting
Lush

[olivermoss]

Awesome links! I will def watch some. His video on drawing fire will be useful, I've got some in my current drawing. I was actually kind of proud of figuring out how to indicate fire well in practice sketches for my current D&D drawing, but will gladly take tips for my finished piece.

[amberdreams]

A friend posted two Halloween inspired lists so I'm thinking I might do a mixture of prompts from the official one and these two, depending on what takes my fancy on the day.

https://www.instagram.com/drawtober/
https://mabgravesart.tumblr.com/post/178079980698/alright-yall-the-mabsdrawlloweenclub-is-here-i

[olivermoss]

Those are some great prompts!

It's also good to point out that some people use the 'drawtober' tag if they aren't focusing as much on inking. I'll use inktober if inking it at least a strong element and I plan to focus on inking this year.

[amberdreams]

Me too - inking is the Thing. :D

[mific]

I plan to try and do some of the days, but this year I also have a big writing challenge so I’ll be more limited with what I can fit in. Will try to do more of my quirky postcard prompts, using copics for colour and markers for inking. At least that limits the size!

[olivermoss]

Ah, the balance of both writing and arting :)

[syntheid]

I missed this post, but I've been ... sort-of Inktober prepping? I'm definitely not doing Inktober proper at all, probably not sticking to ink-only and doubtful that I'll post a thing a day. But I have been using the official prompt list to brainstorm ideas since it's got that gross-creepy vibe a little. (I'm a little amused so many of you really dislike this year's list, ahah, I usually am not very inspired by prompts but this year I seem to be getting more inspiration from it.)

Last year I focused on actually 'finishing' a sketch in some sort of ink-medium and posting it every day, which was interesting. But my other goal of really pushing the creepy/unearthly factor in my artwork didn't happen at all. So that's more what I'm focused on this year, trying to push the conceptual side of my art.

Supplies-wise, I'm not really sure what I'm going to end up using/how much finished work I'm actually going to do; I've had so much stress lately I kinda just want to do whatever/however much seems fun so there might not be any finished work at all. Sketching has mostly been either col-erase or ballpoint pen and some water-based markers because the sketchbook I'm using lately is terrible for pretty much all other mediums. I did buy myself a new brush pen because I was curious about one brand I hadn't tried that is waterproof, but otherwise I've always got fountain pens or fineliners, ink wash brush pens, and a variety of watercolor papers, too... I might end up trying to do watercolor pieces instead of ink/washes for some of the ideas I've come up with.

[olivermoss]

Even if you aren't being hardcore about it Inktober is still fun because artists sort of band together and share a lot during that time. I hope to see some of your stuff.

I think I got back into drawing last year just after Inktober was over.

[goss]

Yeah, even if it's not done to the letter, it's still a good opportunity to motivate ourselves to create, whether it's experimenting with unfamiliar media or working on something daily, etc.

Last year I thought I'd do Inktober everyday for just a single week (well, 5 out of 7 days) and it was quite productive, and not too stressful, and then I took it week by week. I knew that the rest of the month would have been hectic in RL, so I gave myself a challenge time frame that would work for me. Plus, I hadn't really tried drawing with inks before, so that was interesting.

This year, I might try to do a drawing twice a week, or something like that.

Also, it's great that you're finding this year's official prompts inspiring. Looking forward to seeing your take on them. :)

(Do you have any words you'd like to contribute to our own community prompts list?)

[eller]

I guess I'm also not going to use the "official" inktober list, but I've also been preparing by buying suitable paper and filling my fountain pen. Last year I wanted to use a sketchbook and promptly lost it at the beginning of october. This year, it's going to be a pad with removable sheets!

[goss]

Hi there! Welcome to the community! Looking forward to seeing your take on the challenge. :)

Also, please feel free to contribute suggestions towards our own Inktober prompts list, if inspiration strikes.

[eller]

Aw, thank you! :) Okay, I'll add some ideas for a prompt list:

Dance
Hesitation
Smoke
Clockwork
Writing
Connection
Playful
Metamorphosis
Flying
Mirror
Protect
Spiral

[goss]

These are wonderful prompt ideas! I added quite of a few of them to our community list. :)