Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 5 Chicken - Rooster dude

I'm unfortuantely not a huge fan of how the inked version of this came out. The flaws of the pose became more apparent. Ah well. Good practice.

Watch me ink this handsome dude on youtube!
8x speed

1x speed

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 4 Spell - sleepover gone wrong

Had an inkblot accident on this one. And also can't spell?! haha get it... I can't spell a spell... I'll see myself out.

Watch me draw this craziness on youtube!
8x speed

1x speed

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober prep - day 4 Spell - sleepover gone wrong

This sketch was tons of fun and happened really quickly. I didn't do a mockup or thumbnail before hand, just went for it (hence the wonky perspective going on). I just knew I wanted a monster coming out of a closet or something with some girls trying to hold it back. That was a thing that happened at sleepovers, right? Slumber parties, whatever you wanna call them. Everyone would sit around and tell spooky stories after dark and try to scare each other. Inevitably, someone would get dared to do the 'Bloody Mary' thing in the bathroom, alone, in the dark. And sometimes, you'd get lucky and get a screamer that would freak themselves out so much, their parents would have to come pick them up and take them home at 1am. Definitely not speaking from experience. #imisssleepovers

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 3 Roasted - cute demons around a campfire

Aren't they just the cutest! I think this turned out considerably better than I thought it would. I was really expecting it to go sour, especially when I started doing the background. But I managed to pull it together in the end, I think. And isn't the pop of red fun! Idk why I did that. I just have all this colored inks and I wanted to make use of them. I maybe shouldn't have done the moon and stars in red... oh well. Still like it.

Watch me draw these cuties on youtube!

8x speed

1x speed

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 2 - Tranquil - mermaids relaxing on a beach

Surprise! I did some more mermaids for Inktober. When you're trying to work quickly and under a tight timeline, it's much less stressful to go with things that feel good or come easily to you. For me, it's definitely mermaids and female bodies lol. I have mixed feelings about this drawing, though, cuz while I like the mermaid on the right, the one on the left feels so wonky to me (especially the hair and tail). But her hands came out well so there's that. Also, hey look at me! I drew a background! Time to party!

Watch me ink these cuties on youtube!
8x speed

1x speed

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober day 1 - Poisonous - mermaid lounging on a jellyfish

I kinda love how this came out. I'm excited to eventually color it in and play with the transparencies of the jelly.

Watch me ink her on youtube:
8x speed

1x speed

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Mermaids lounging on a beach

This was an inktober prep drawing. A little too elaborate to sketch and then ink back to back so I had to do it over two nights. As you may have seen, I did some way too detailed drawings for the first half of inktober this year and then burned out and couldn't catch up. I learned my lesson! It was definitely great progress though and I had a ton of fun. I just got too excited about doing the prompts and pushing my drawings to have some kind of background if possible. No regrets. But next year, I'll be saving up drawings the month before and then only do the inking during inktober.

Also, I think I'll do some freehand inkings in between the planned out drawings. Cuz those take way less time over all. More chance to get weird and go wrong lol but that's what practice is for, right?!

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 26 - Freehand ink of Aragon

I love watching movies with great scores in the background while I draw and The Lord of the Rings always fits the bill for me. This was a freehand (no pre sketch in pencil or anything) drawing in ink using a brush pen of Aragon. It's a bit wonky lol and I didn't feel like inking in all of his hair... still fun though.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 25 - Death fanart

Freehand ink brush pen of Death from Sandman by Neil Gaiman. I was looking at images of both death and the woman that Gaiman says Death was based on - Cinnamon. I changed the gaze and orientation of the face a bit from the references. Being done freehand, I was just running with the mistakes hah. I love how it turned out though. One of my favorite characters. A great comic - check it out if you haven't.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 24 - Ergo Proxy fanart

A freehand brush pen drawing of a character from an anime I love - Ergo Proxy. Yeah I know, the face is wonky. Whatever. I still like it. Freehand is hard.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 23 - Pink cloudy hair

Another quick ink drawing, freehand (no sketching in pencil). And the pink is ink as well, not watercolor. I like how it turned out. Twas fun.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 22 - Whispy hair and purple lips

So I've been watching a lot of Artwork by Christopher Cayco videos lately so I've been all about the freehand brush pen drawings. Be sure to check out his live drawings at least. It's like watching a wizard do magic on paper, to me anyway hah.

How it works is you need some kind of ink and brush - brush pens are definitely easier than using raw ink and brushes. Or at least cleaner and takes up less space. Cuz for raw ink you need the ink well, some kind of palette, some kind of towel, glass of water, brushes, and heavy duty paper. Anyway, you have your brush and ink and then you just draw! No pre-sketching in pencil. Just brush to paper and go. I haven't drawn in straight ink like that in ages and it was so freeing and fun and I felt like my wrist was opening up more. Super nice. Highly recommended.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 21 - doing the up-do

Another quick inked drawing. I wasn't thrilled with the original pencil sketch but I like this inked version a bit more.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober 20 - Slender all over

Ain't she cute?! I don't usually draw thin styles like this but it was really fun to try. I hope to keep trying more varied shapes of people.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober 19 - 'the page is too small' portrait inked

Quick inked sketch using a new brushpen. Gotta use it on bigger paper. I don't have the brush control for those tiny skinny lines yet.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 18 - Birdperson inspired inked

Ooooo isn't he just the hunkiest. I'm not sure why but I love how this turned out. For a goof around sketch, I'm pleased as punch.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 17 - Short hair portrait practice

Working on my lineart skills. Feel free to color - but please give me credit, link back here, and tell me! Cuz I wanna see it.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 16 - Moana inspired

I know. Inktober is over. But I told myself I was gonna do 31 ink drawings for Inktober 2017 and if it takes me all year, then it takes me all year. I wanted to start the new year on the 'right' foot so here we go. A drawing inspired by Moana, sketched in July, inked in November.

Did you participate in Inktober 2017?

with love - M

Inktober: Some fav artists and thoughts on failure

This being the first year that I've done Inktober, I wanted to take a moment to break from my barrage of drawings and talk about some other artists also working hard at their Inktober drawings. I also want to take a moment to discuss my thoughts on failure and why it's a good thing but more on that later.

First, let's give round of snaps to all the artists out there putting out drawings for Inktober! Even if you only did one drawing this month, it still counts! There are so many wonderful artists out there! It feels great to through my lot into the mix. Now I want to talk about some of the artists that are killing it this Inktober.

Heikala @heikala_art
The artwork below is the one that got me hooked on this artist. Really reminds me of Ghibli style art because it's so transporting. It's a whole scene! Not just a character. They also do great process videos so you can see how they ink each piece! Very inspiring and helpful.

Inktober day 6, Ghost Migration☄️☄️ pic.twitter.com/iwODam5Qkr

— Heikala (@heikala_art) October 6, 2017

vickiscream @vickisigh
I just love this artist's use of colors. Each piece has that little spark of personality, very important to me.

day 15 of #inktober ! she spends time with plants to recharge her powers~ 🌵🌼🌻🌱🍃 pic.twitter.com/T9Dxos7rag

— vickiscream 🌵 (@vickisigh) October 15, 2017

Sibylline M @Sibylline_M
What's not to love! The line quality, the colors, ...those buns!

✨ Space buns ✨ pic.twitter.com/e6Y2F5KD46

— Sibylline M 🚀💫 (@Sibylline_M) October 13, 2017

And that's it for now! I'm finding new fabulous artists everyday so I might do another post like this after Inktober wraps up.

Now about what I said about failure - Last year was when I first discovered Inktober, though I did some sketches with the hopes of inking some before the end of October... it didn't happen. I was left feeling poopy about not putting up a single inked drawing even thought being a part of Inktober was clearly something I really wanted. But I guess I just wasn't ready. I suffer from some pretty lame imposter syndrome stuff.

But I've been working hard at it all year. When this October came around, I was ready this time. I had created an environment at home where my pens and sketch books were easily accessed, where I had a clear desk and lap drawing table so that I could easily grab a sketch book and get to it whenever I was able to make a moment for myself. And that first day when I inked a drawing, it was the best feeling in the world. I scanned that thing and threw it up on the internet and BAM! I was already a step ahead of where I was last year.

Listen, all I'm saying is be kind to yourselves. I see and hear so much self-deprecation about not drawing 'enough'. I've seen artists that draw constantly but barely progress an inch and I've seen others that draw here and there, spend more time observing and doing training instead of drawing their own works, and they jump light years ahead in their art skills. And neither of those paths is wrong! There's a million different ways to 'be an artist'. For me, I know I'd rather love myself and do my art for me first and foremost. I can only do what I can do in any given day. And I need to recognize that I make the art, it doesn't make me. (I'm saying it like that because yes, I STILL struggle with it).

Seeing all these other wonderful artists out there being so successful at drawing daily for Inktober can be rough. Especially if we carry ourselves with the attitude of 'I'm not doing what they're doing so I must be failing'.

Whatever you're able to do, in that moment, is enough. Even if you just sat down on the couch and stared at a blank page for 10 minutes and drew a circle. Even if you glanced longingly at your sketch book from afar. It's what you could do so it's enough. I'm a big believer that tomorrow is a new day and another chance so give yourself a hug, get some rest, and try to make time for yourself tomorrow.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 15 - A leeward gaze

I almost called this 'a windward gaze' but decided to check the definition and yup, I mixed them up. Since she's looking away from the wind, it's a leeward gaze. The more you know...

I'm halfway through Inktober!! It hasn't been easy but I'm happy with the outcomes so far. Gonna make it to that finish line... eventually.

with love - M