In this video : Watch a full tour of my #Inktober2018 sketchbook. You will get to see the materials i used this year and 31 different cat breeds.
Art challenges have always been a fun way to experiment with my illustrations. But every time I decided to start one I would never get to finish it. This year I told myself i have to finish it so I prepared in advance. I got some new art supplies before the month of October so I would get excited about using them and also I made my own prompt list which I found really helped me stay motivated. I decided to paint 31 cat breeds because I knew this way I would paint something I love everyday and also build up my portfolio.
Before Inktober I was on vacation so I started my illustrations in advance because i knew i wouldn’t have time for the first few days of the month . This was really helpful in the sense that i was on track the whole month and did not skip a day because I always had something to post on social media.
The sketchbook I used is from Daco, a romanian brand and i think it was an excellent choice because it comes with three different types of paper in it. This way after completing ten drawings on white paper I could move on to kraft paper and later to black paper , which made the whole process much more interesting and also challenging.
The inks I used were from three different brands : Kuretake (white ink), Winsor and Newton (black ink) and Koh-I-Noor for all the colour accents. Also I cheated a bit because I used a Posca Marker for all the teal accents. But i really loved the colour pay-off and I said screw it this it my challenge and not yours.
Overall this year’s Inktober was a really good experience for me. It helped me be more relaxed about what I paint and not stress over the end result. It made me be more efficient with my time management ( I kept every drawing under 1 hour). It made me think of new ways to use ink because of the different types of paper I used. I am pretty sure i can draw the anatomy of any feline now.
My top 5 tips for getting through Inktober and actually enjoy the process are:
Plan in advance. Buy your art supplies in time. Think ahead of what prompts you will be using. Schedule your drawings if you know your time is limited
Chose something that will be fun for you to draw. If you feel the official prompt list is to abstract just find another one or make your own.
If you miss a day don’t give up . Make two drawings the next day or finish the challenge in November. Just set a goal for yourself and stick to it.
Keep it simple and small. Don’t try to do very elaborate pieces because you will end up screwing yourself over. Unless of course you have a lot of free time. But otherwise if you have a job or go to school and are just living life my advice is to not over complicate things.
Chose art supplies that will make you happy. If you want to do colour don’t shy away from it . If you love black and white go for it. Think about what you like in terms of materials and stock up.
Here are all 31 drawings . You can also check them out on my Instagram or watch the fip-through video.
I hope this post will help you with your next art challenge and will keep you motivated.
