So I got up to 24 inktober pieces posted. I do have another 2 in my sketchbook but they are unfinished and I have no desire to finish them so therefore I am letting the official count to be 24.
So question is, did I fail Inktober? The challenge is to draw for 31 days and in ink (though this can be adapted to people’s needs and some do digital etc). Now I certainly didn’t hit that criteria, I certainly didn’t draw all 31 days or finish with 31 drawings but I don’t think I failed.
The whole point of challenge is to walk away learning something, whether it is just proving something to yourself, to improve your skill, to experiment and see if a medium is for you, whether ideas are for you etc etc etc. Thought I didn’t do the whole 31 days, for me personally I don't felt I failed, I certainly acknowledge I didn't achieve the full potential but I feel happy with what I have done, what I have learnt.
The things I have learnt/reflected on etc
I did better than last year. I came close to the end. Next year might be my year or maybe mermay next year or march of the robots or whatever it is.
I need to do more studies. I knew this before but it really brought it home. I like to draw, I like learning to draw, in all honesty I am not great at it, I am ok at it but I want to be damn good at it so therefore though I know I need studies, I have to do them. So less of this “finished pieces” as a majority and more sketches.
I need to look into more realistic practice. I think as artists or people interested in art, there is a lot of concentration of “finding one’s style”. Yet there was someone who once said ( i can’t remember who) and many people who have echoed, style is deliberate, style is where you know the rules, know the fundamentals of art and adapt them to make your style, have the skills and too often the word style is used to cover the lack of skill and knowledge. That is what I have, I have a lack of skill and knowledge, I draw how I draw not out of style, not out of choice but because I don’t know enough not to, I am not trying to find my style, I am trying to improve. Though I had heard artists say, always look to do realistically first and then you can go into stylised things or different types of art, I thought oh no I will go down the more cartoony route to learn some basics of anatomy and improve slowly that way. Though I think there has been some improvement, I think I am certainly at the point where I need to look more realistic to try to understand. Mouths elude me, hair is a puzzle I cant figure out, eyes....how the heck do people get them to look the same at different angles? Haha.
Bad art is ok. This is another thing that artists say and I have learnt this month. Just accept that sometimes you can’t get the drawing right, you sometimes ruin it, to make good art sometimes, you must make bad art sometimes. Though you want to hide it away and not show anyone, accept it, post it on the internet or keep it so you can have a record of it, look back at it and see improvement. As they say, you learn better from your mistakes than from your successes.
Winsor and Newton gold ink is my absolute favourite. I appear to be having a secret love affair with it. Seriously though it is gorgeous, a great metallic coverage and also water based so you can plop it in your palette, use what you need, let it dry and reactivate it.
I want to maybe look into more silhouette art. I did a piece that I liked and would be interested in doing more similar down the line but not yet cause.....
The Plan:
Oh yes to learn more from all the things above, I have a plan. I am going on an art detox. For the next couple of weeks it is going to be just me, a graphite pencil/s, eraser, sketchbook and studies. I want to walk away with a minimum of 14 pages of graphite sketches and pages properly filled. If I don’t achieve this in 14 days then I have to continue until 14 pages are filled, it is for whatever one comes last.
I am going to study the fundamentals. Starting off with boring spheres, shading etc as this will help with values and light and dark.
Doing this 14 day/page detox I am not allowed to do one finished piece of art. At the end I can, maybe a redraw of an inktober piece perhaps to put it into practice and see if there is any improvement in this little course, perhaps not. We will see.
So all watchers, apologies if you like the ink drawings but hold onto your hats as we are in for a sketchy fortnight. See you on the other side!