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. :)