Inktober 2018

For the last three or four years, I participated/tried to in the Inktober challenge. The guy who started it about ten years ago releases a list of [optional] one-word prompts each October, which you then do a daily drawing from. The only stipulation is that you do the drawing in ink. You can use pencil first (I do), you can use pens, markers, quill and ink, whatever you want. There are dozens of other prompts lists released each year, or you can make your own, etc. — the point is to further your drawing skills and get you in the habit of creating!

In 2018 I got the farthest yet, with 26 out of 31 prompts done before I “got too busy” to finish (so close! How could you stop then, Bethanie??!) I spend hours on each one though, employing the extremely inefficient technique of using a regular black ink Uni-ball Signo pen, and going over the drawing over and over to achieve my style of thick black lines. A few of mine even ran over into the next day (so despite doing 26 prompts, I have a few less actual drawings).

The 2018 prompts list was:

In order, beginning October 1st, here are my Inktober 2018 drawings:
1. Poisonous

2. Tranquil

3. Roasted

4. Spell

5. Chicken

6. Drooling AND 7. Exhausted

8. Star (AND 9. Precious – I just spent two days on ‘Star’ because I didn’t like the Day 9 prompt)

10. Flowing

11. Cruel

12. Whale (I love Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (see also: my fully illustrated and handmade book), which is what this is from. I even ended up getting a tattoo of this on my left knee.

13. Guarded

14. Clock

15. Weak AND 16. Angular – I had/have a bad habit of falling behind by more and more days, so I combine prompts when possible since my drawings take so long.

18. Bottle AND 19. Scorched AND 20. Breakable

21. Drain[ed]

22. Expensive

23. Muddy – I almost trashed this one because it’s so lame but I needed something super quick. It’s just too cutesy for my liking.

24. Chop

25. Prickly

26. Stretch