One of the world’s biggest drawing challenges is just around the corner and for those of us that have tried taking on the challenge before know it isn’t an easy task. Here is a quick guide to help you get through this epic 31 day adventure into the world of ink with Inktober.
#Inktober was created in 2009 by a Utah based illustrator, writer, and teacher: Jake Parker.
Originally Inktober was created as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits, it has quickly grown into a world wide challenge taken up by thousands of artists.
31 Days 31 illustrations
On paper Inktober seems like a reasonable enough challenge but many artists that have taken up the challenge in previous years will tell you it isn’t an easy task. Making time to draw and holding onto inspiration to keep going starts becoming an uphill battle a few weeks in and falling behind can be disheartening.
This guide is here to help you prepare to take on the challenge and get you to that finish line. Let’s start with the rules:
Official Inktober rules:
1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).
2) Post it online
3) Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2019
4) Repeat
Note: you can do it daily, or go the half-marathon route and post every other day, or just do the 5km and post once a week. Whatever you decide, just be consistent with it. Inktober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more consistent the better.
Goals
It is helpful to set yourself achievable goals to keep you motivated in the weeks ahead.
Your goal could be as simple as wanting to work on your line work or learning to draw with a dip ink pen, it is important to challenge yourself as an artist to improve your skills.
Time Management
Finding the time to draw every day is going to be more challenging than you might think, life happens and some days are just busier than others.
Plan ahead with how much time you can realistically devote to drawing each day of the week. During the week you may only have half an hour to draw, while on weekends you can comfortably put in an hour of drawing time.
Understanding how much time you can realistically spend each week should help you decide how you will approach the challenge.
Choosing what to draw
Inktobers official prompt list is useful if that is how you are planning on tackling the challenge, there are plenty of alternative prompt lists online that might appeal more to your interests if you like. To save yourself some drawing time, you can plan ahead a thumbnail of each prompt so that when you sit down to draw, you don’t have to find inspiration to match the prompt or decide on compensation.
While these prompt lists are helpful, nothing is stopping you from setting your own theme for the month. Choosing a theme you are comfortable with will allow you to work on your goals comfortably. If you are comfortable drawing fairies then playing to your strengths gives you more time to spend on the technical skills you want to improve set by your goals.
Choosing to work on one large drawing over a month can be just as rewarding, the main thing is that you work on a drawing every day. BIC® Art Master 2019 (https://www.bicartmaster.com/contest) is running for the month of October and closes on the 31st of October 2019, you could use this challenge to work on a submission for this awesome competition.
Find Inspiration
A Pinterest board is an easy way to store work that you find inspiring, it will be a useful resource for you to recharge your creative batteries if you are feeling the strain of the challenge. It will also allow you to incorporate different artistic styles into your own work.
Following the Inktober official hashtags on your social media platform of choice can also be inspiring, allowing you to see what artists all over the world have done in previous years as well as show you their work throughout the challenge.
#Inktober #inktober2019
Getting Your tools together
Getting your tools in advance will give you time to test each of them, helping you get used to how each of them works and dries as well as act as a helpful test sheet to refer back to later.
Here you will find our helpful guide to the official tools you may need in the month ahead.
Inktober doesn’t have to be an expensive experience, you can just as easily use the tools you have already. Deciding on what tools you will be using for will help you budget. Ask our helpful staff for the most cost effective solution to your drawing needs if you are on a tight budget.
It is also important that you use the right paper for your chosen medium for the month!
If you are going to be using drawing inks to wash colours you will need a thicker watercolour paper for your artwork. If you are just doing line work a lighter paper will do.
Prepare your workspace in advance, storing all your tools in one accessible place will allow you to start working on your artwork easily. Write out your goals and prompt list, and stick it to the wall above your desk so that you always have them on hand if you need a reminder.
Have fun
The most important part of surviving Inktober is having fun.
You will soon realize that the time you can dedicate to your artwork will dictate the quality of your work. Don’t compare your work against another artist who may have more time to spend on drawing than you.
Inktober isn’t a competition, always remember to create to progress your own skills and celebrate your own creative spirit.
Tag The Deckle Edge in your artwork and connect with local artists, support each other and the growing community of participating artists.
It is okay to skip a day or two, it is okay if you don’t get to finish as long as you are learning , it will be a rewarding experience..