End of Inktober 2014

Inktober has come to an end.  What an intense month!  I tried to do a drawing everyday but missed a few days.  I had a couple of ideas on how to end it with a bang but the last few days of Oct were full of work and Halloween events in the evening so it didn't happen.  That's ok, I can take my time now and do them when I feel like it.

I think I upped my game from last year (which is nice to see). I've learned some new techniques and have been using more reference this time around.  I dedicated more time to them too which helped.

On some days it was really hard to figure out what to draw.  The pressure of wanting to post them online for people to see doesn't help with that either. I think I want to take some time to try out some ideas I have without the pressure of posting them - if they turn out great, if not, no one has to know!

I'm glad people have enjoyed them. Thanks to those of you who've shown support, it's really appreciated!  A few of them will be going to new homes shortly, which is really nice.

Overall, it was lot's of fun and I recommend it to anyone who wants to gain motivation and the habit to draw everyday.

Here are some of my faves from the last half of the month.

I recorded a couple of them here:

Inktober 2014 - Progress

Inktober is in full swing! I've been trying to do one everyday (except for yesterday - I was in a Canadian Thanksgiving turkey coma).

So far, I've tried a few different papers and tools.  One of my faves is a gold leafing pen (Krylon Leafing Pen) but I've only used it in one drawing so far.  I also love using a pen with a #101 nib and sepia ink - that's my go to right now.

It's not always easy coming up with ideas on what to draw everyday but it's a fun challenge.  I try to get a rough sketch of an idea done during lunch at work and then when I get home in the evening I'll find some reference and ink it; it keeps me busy!

Inktober 2014

It's that time of year again!  The ink-fest that is Inktober.  The deal is, you're supposed to do an ink drawing per day through the month of October and then post them online.

I took part in this last year for the first time when I was just starting to draw in ink.  It was a challenge to keep up with it but it was so much fun!  At the end of the month, I had a bunch of pretty drawings which I eventually sold at conventions.

One of the reasons I love it is because you only have a day to figure out and execute a pretty much finished drawing. It doesn't give you time to over-think anything or tweak things to death (guilty).  You just have to come up with stuff from you head and just do it.  It's also fun to experiment with different inks/pens/papers.

I started an evening pen and ink class recently. So far it's been great and I've learned some new techniques.  What perfect timing.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!

Here's day #1:

I'll be posting them all on Twitter: @ArtOfMichelle and on my Facebook Page (which hasn't seen a lot of action lately, until now): https://www.facebook.com/MichellePapadopoulosArt

Inktober

It's Inktober!  I jumped on the bandwagon a bit late (hadn't even heard about it before) but I did 3 ink drawings the first day to make up for it.  It's a lot of fun so far!  I have been interested in doing more ink work and more traditional work in general, so this was a great opportunity to get motivated and jump right in.

I'm trying to free my mind and draw whatever I want without thinking too hard about it.  My creativity sometimes gets killed by over-thinking things; For example: Would other people like this? What should I have in my portfolio if I want to illustrate for X or Y? Maybe I should have more of this or that in my portfolio, it has to be PERFECT! (and it never ever is)...  Those kind a things.
So, none of that!! I will just draw whatever is in my head at that moment.  I think this will give me a better idea of what I really love to draw because I have had trouble figuring that out.

Here is my arsenal:  various pens, markers, and inks.  I love the look of toned paper with black and white ink.  I also bought a couple "fancy" inks, one in gold and one that has an iridescent green shimmer to it.  While I was at IMC in June, I bought a Winsor & Newton Series 7 Sable brush and I can't say enough how much I love it!  It is a little pricey but it should last for quite a while.  You can paint a line that is about a centimeter think to as thin as a hair with it, no problem.

I'll be posting them all on my Tumblr.
Here are the first 6 sketches:

More to come!