*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :) Do you want to start giving your art the importance it deserves, but find it difficult to make time for it with everything you have going on? Are you frustrated (and maybe even depressed) that your day-to-day responsibilities don't allow you the time you need for those activities that bring you an immense amount of joy and fulfillment? Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don't let anyone limit your dreams.
-Donovan Bailey
In today's post, I'll be sharing eight useful tips that will help you make time for your art, even while having a crazy, busy schedule. These are things I set in place myself that allowed me to advance my art skills while working overtime at my last full-time position. By putting these tips to use and staying consistent, you'll be able to make steady progress towards your artistic goals, too. For me, becoming a full-time artist and making a living from my art/art skills didn't even register as an option until I was around thirty years old and having had worked high-stress full-time jobs for over ten years. It was only after I had spent all that time building up personal and professional skills (as well as having saved up enough money) that I finally allowed myself to consider creative entrepreneurship. For the longest time, I let my fears and limiting beliefs stop me from diving head-first into those activities that made me happier than anything I'd ever experienced. Not to mention, those jobs left me tired and completely drained of creativity. The last thing I wanted to do in my free time was focus, yet again, on another task. However, as time went by, it dawned on me that life is too short not to prioritize my dreams and take action now. I had already wasted too much time! It was then that I began absorbing all I could from other artists that were making a living from their art and doing those things I wanted to be doing. I decided to make my artistic growth a priority, no matter how tired I was from "adulting" and doing those things I had to keep doing in order to pay the bills and put food on the table. In time, people started showing their interest and wanted to buy my work, which led to a huge increase in confidence. This helped me move on to larger, more complex projects which led to even more opportunities. It was after this that I finally planned out how I would be leaving all those years of working at "normal" jobs. It was extremely scary, as full-time work was all I knew. But something inside me told me it was now or never, so I decided to go for it full-steam. This is what I've been doing for the last year and, even though I've been working non-stop day-in-and-day-out, it's the happiest I've ever been! I talk more in depth about how I prepared to leave my last full-time job in my blog post/YouTube video titled How I Left My Job and Became an Artistpreneur. I'm very, very thankful for the job opportunities that I have had in the past, as they allowed me to grow personally and professionally in so many ways. Honestly, if it wasn't for those jobs and the experience they provided, I don't think I'd have the skills and confidence to be doing what I'm doing today. 8 Tips to Progress Artistically Even While Being Incredibly Busy
1. Acknowledge (and embrace) that you're an artist/creative at heartGetting to know yourself and learning to love who you are is absolutely essential for anyone to be happy. If your creative spirit and art-making is what distinguishes you from others, embrace it. What's more, actually believe that you have it in you to become an artist if that's what you want and decide to give your true passions the importance they deserve. My greatest fear in life is reaching old age and regretting not having pursued my dreams as best I could. I may be idealistic, but I believe every single one of us was born for a reason, and it's through growing in that area that we're then able to inspire those around us and make an impact in the world. You may be in the same situation I was in, working full-time jobs that don't fulfill you or that have nothing to do with art, but think of these jobs as stepping stones that are allowing you to grow in different ways and are giving you the resources to live and develop yourself artistically while not having to worry that you won't be able to pay the bills. Be thankful for these opportunities but always keep your end-goal in mind, no matter what. 2. Prioritize your artistic growth and rearrange your current routinesTo make significant improvements in any area of our lives, it's essential to prioritize our goals, create plans and stick with them. Accept the fact that this will involve having to make certain sacrifices, but always remember that a year from now you'll be incredibly happy that you started today. As busy people with "regular" jobs, families to take care of, and all the responsibilities that come with being adults, we have to accept the fact that things are going to pop up that we have to take care of. However, focus on the things that you are able to control. You may not be able to change the fact that you'll be busy working 8-10 hours a day at your job, but you can certainly reduce the amount of time you spend watching t.v. or scrolling on social media on your off time. By scheduling in your art time there is a much greater possibility you'll actually do it. Depending on your personal situation, this could mean setting aside one hour three times a week after work to follow a tutorial on your topic of choice or perhaps waking up 30 minutes earlier so that you can do a quick sketch before going to work. If you absolutely can't find time during the week, then schedule in time on weekend mornings. Another huge thing that goes hand-in-hand with using your time wisely is the ability to say 'no' to those activities that aren't going to get you closer to your goals. I know how hard this can be for people-pleasers like myself, but it's imperative to establish clear boundaries with others and to be able to discern between activities (and even people) that are helpful, from the ones that may be a waste of time and energy. Remember that time is the most valuable thing we have. One question I always as myself whenever I'm feeling like I'm wasting too much time is: Is this activity helping me improve my work, my health or the relationships I have with my loved ones? 
3. Establish deadlines and goalsIn my blog post Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive I explain how I go about setting yearly goals in personal, professional and interpersonal areas in order to then chunk them down into clear, doable monthly objectives. I then divide those smaller monthly goals into even smaller chunks that must get done each week. Three examples of how to go about applying this in regards to artistic growth: a) Large goal: Complete an online art course in three months. Depending on the amount of modules/classes/assignments included in the course of your choosing, divide them into three "chunks" to be completed by the end of each month. Then, divide those chunks once again into 4 (number of weeks in a month) and schedule your to-do's each week. b) Large goal: Fill 12 pages of your sketchbook in one month. Complete 3 pages each week so that by the end of the month you'll reach your goal. c) Large goal: Get really good at drawing portraits by the end of the year. Set incremental goals each month starting with the fundamental knowledge you should understand and progressing onwards until you get to month 12. Ex. Month 1: Understand basic facial proportions and locations of facial elements within the head shape, Month 2: Drawing eyes, Month 3: Drawing noses, Month 4: Drawing lips, Month 5: Drawing heads in angles, and so on. I'm aware that this process might sound too constrictive or boring for free-flowing creatives out there. While I totally agree that it's incredibly important to stay flexible, if we don't establish deadlines, most of us tend to push things back to the point they never get done. We're constantly bombarded with distractions and it's important to stay focused in order to ensure we're moving the needle forward consistently, even if it's a tiny bit at a time. 4. Connect with others that share your same love for artBeing an artist can be lonely and not having other people to talk to that share your same wavelength can make things even harder. If you're lucky to have friends you can chat with or even create art with in person, treasure them and make sure you're scheduling in time to hang out every so often. It's so important to maintain connections with other people we can learn from and who'll inspire us to keep going! The Internet is such an invaluable tool, as it not only enables us to learn and improve our artistic skills through articles and videos, but we're also able to connect with other people all over the world that share our same passion for art. Even if you're in a situation similar to mine, in which you don't have many artists around you that you can hang out with in person, you can very easily meet other artists through social media, groups and art communities. Whether you create and/or share art with others in person, online or a combination of both, make sure you make time for brainstorming new ideas with others, as well as obtaining (and providing) feedback. Learning from more seasoned artists and participating in online art communities has helped me stay accountable and consistent, which has allowed me to progress my skills significantly in shorter periods of time. 
*Click to subscribe!
5. Keep your art supplies handy Get in the habit of bringing a small sketchbook and a couple of drawing tools of your choice with you wherever you go. This way, you'll be able to progress your drawing and observational skills in free pockets of time throughout the day. I talk about the importance of sketchbooks and tips to make the most of them in my post Why Sketchbooks are Essential Tools for Artists. Aside from this, also place your art supplies somewhere where they'll be visible for you at home. Don't keep them locked away in a closet or drawer! By having them on hand, there is a much greater chance you'll actually remember to use them.
6. Never underestimate the power of quicker studies
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7. Collect ideas as you go through your day
As artists, it's important to stay open to inspiration coming from all kinds of sources. A new idea can come up after seeing a nice combination of colors in someone's outfit, the texture of a piece of fruit or the shape of a flower vase! Not to mention, emotions or ideas for new projects can come up during a quick trip to the supermarket or a night out with friends.
Even if you don't have enough time to put pencil/pen/paintbrush to paper during a crazy week, by keeping your art in the forefront of your mind and collecting ideas as you go through your day, you'll be staying creative! Always be thinking of how you can use everyday experiences as inspiration for future projects and get in the habit of writing down notes, as well as taking reference pictures that you can use in the future.
8. Stop overthinking and just get to work
It's incredible to me how we're our own biggest obstacles. Oftentimes we stop ourselves from doing things we know we need to get done in order to reach our goals because we overthink everything and waste way too much time doing so.
In time, I've come to realize that it's through taking imperfect action that we're able to move forward and that staying paralyzed with laziness and/or fear is a huge waste of the precious time we have.
If there's anything you really want to do in life, please do it! You owe it to yourself and to those around you who will be incredibly inspired by the fact that you pursued your passions.
Many of us may be extremely busy or may be going through a particularly rough time, but it's up to us to stay positive, use our experiences to our advantage and do what we can with the time we have. Motivate yourself by thinking of the artist you'll be a year from now if you just make the decision to prioritize your growth. A year from now, you'll be thankful you started today.
Cheers!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
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*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Welcome back, fellow artists!
I'm very excited to share that I made it through my first time participating in the Inktober drawing challenge!
In today's blog post, I'll be sharing my last time lapse compilation of Inktober sketches, as well as things I learned by having pushed myself through it. Though the drawings I'll be sharing were created specifically for Inktober, most of the information I'll be including throughout the post (and video) can relate to any type of daily art challenge.
There's no question that being able to produce a new piece every-single-day for an entire month (no matter how small), is extremely difficult. However, there's a ton to learn from participating in art challenges like this one, as they allow us to improve not only our cold-technical skills (drawing, shading techniques, etc.) and our time-management abilities, but also test us mentally in many ways.
This is why I made the decision to finally take on Inktober this year!
If you visited my blog or YouTube channel at any point throughout October, you're probably aware that I've been sharing time lapses for every-single-one of my Inktober sketches! I've also talked about a variety of topics pertaining to it.
Make sure to check out my past Inktober blog posts and find the rest of my time lapses over at my YouTube channel:
5 Tips to Make it Through Inktober and How I'm Going About It
My Inktober Supplies and Time-lapses for Sketches 6-11
Inktober Sketches 19-25 + Reviewing My Supplies
If you enjoy this video, I highly recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel. I publish a new one every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for beginner/intermediate artists! :)
What I Learned from Inktober
Technical Aspects
1. Stay present/mindful while you're creating art
I noticed pretty quickly as I was starting with Inktober, that when I was tired and/or my mind was just not in the art-making process, my drawings turned out much sloppier. I either went overboard with my mark-making, which led to certain areas appearing very flat or I created too much of a texture where I wasn't intending to.
Now I know that, no matter how small a sketch or study I'm working on, I have to do my best to stay present (whether it be 5 minutes or an hour). If I'm too tired or unable to concentrate, I'll consider resting and getting back to work the following day, or take a break to do something else that will allow me to de-stress before getting back into it.
Now I know that, no matter how small a sketch or study I'm working on, I have to do my best to stay present (whether it be 5 minutes or an hour). If I'm too tired or unable to concentrate, I'll consider resting and getting back to work the following day, or take a break to do something else that will allow me to de-stress before getting back into it.
2. Take it slow and respect the process
With this, I don't necessarily mean to force yourself to lay down each line or brush stroke super slowly if this isn't your thing. Personally, I love working at a faster pace and leaving some sort of expression, rawness and imperfection in most of my work.
What I mean with taking it slow is learning to enjoy the different phases of creation (brainstorming, preparation, preliminary sketch, developing marks/colors/values, etc.) and acknowledging each as an essential part of the process. I realized this halfway through the challenge. Whenever I skipped a phase, my piece didn't turn out as well as it could have.
With a daily challenge like this one in which I had limited time, many of these phases were done simultaneously with other tasks, but I made a point to go through them, nonetheless.
What I mean with taking it slow is learning to enjoy the different phases of creation (brainstorming, preparation, preliminary sketch, developing marks/colors/values, etc.) and acknowledging each as an essential part of the process. I realized this halfway through the challenge. Whenever I skipped a phase, my piece didn't turn out as well as it could have.
With a daily challenge like this one in which I had limited time, many of these phases were done simultaneously with other tasks, but I made a point to go through them, nonetheless.
Mental Aspects
1. Practice increases confidence (and speed)
The only way to really improve your self-confidence with any particular activity is practicing it and experiencing it first-handedly on a continuous basis. The more you do something, the more skilled you become, which makes you more comfortable doing it, which translates into doing things better and faster.
I had previous experience drawing with pen and ink, and have even shared different tutorials on mark-making and shading techniques both here at my blog, as well as over at my YouTube channel, which I highly recommend you check out:
Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Scribbling and Others
Pen and Ink Sketching: 6 Shading Techniques
Shading a Hand Using Pen and Ink
However, I had never drawn with pen and ink as continuously as this drawing challenge pushed me to. By the end of the month, I was creating my sketches a lot faster than in the beginning. I was also able to tell when I was making a mistake quicker, which enabled me to stop in my tracks and succeed at making them less noticeable.
I had previous experience drawing with pen and ink, and have even shared different tutorials on mark-making and shading techniques both here at my blog, as well as over at my YouTube channel, which I highly recommend you check out:
Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Scribbling and Others
Pen and Ink Sketching: 6 Shading Techniques
Shading a Hand Using Pen and Ink
However, I had never drawn with pen and ink as continuously as this drawing challenge pushed me to. By the end of the month, I was creating my sketches a lot faster than in the beginning. I was also able to tell when I was making a mistake quicker, which enabled me to stop in my tracks and succeed at making them less noticeable.
2. Creativity is a muscle that gets stronger with consistent use
I'm sure you've heard this saying about creativity being a muscle before, but there's really nothing like participating in a daily challenge to really understand what pushing our creative limits every-single-day for a long(ish) period of time can do for us.
At the beginning, I really struggled to come up with the ideas behind my drawings. I was also really unsure about what arrangement/composition would look best and took a long time to decide these things. By the end of the month my ideas came to me a lot faster and I was able to visualize more visually-pleasing compositions quicker. I knew whether an idea would work or not right off the bat and, if I thought it wouldn't, I moved on to thinking of a new one.
At the beginning, I really struggled to come up with the ideas behind my drawings. I was also really unsure about what arrangement/composition would look best and took a long time to decide these things. By the end of the month my ideas came to me a lot faster and I was able to visualize more visually-pleasing compositions quicker. I knew whether an idea would work or not right off the bat and, if I thought it wouldn't, I moved on to thinking of a new one.
3. Persistence and determination are essential in order to reach any meaningful goal
In my blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive, I explain how important it is to get to know ourselves so that we can truly come to a conclusion about what we want in life. This is the only way, really, that we can set meaningful goals so that we can then work towards them consistently.
Many of us are able to set those goals initially, but we fail at sticking to what we have to do because we lack motivation or life simply gets in the way.
It has been through gaining clarity on what I want in life and sheer persistence, that I've been able to get to where I am today. I think I owe my completion of Inktober to this basic understanding. I knew that participating in this challenge would be difficult, but that it would help me progress my skills further, faster. This is important for me at this point in my life, and I honored my decision by sticking with it.
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
Many of us are able to set those goals initially, but we fail at sticking to what we have to do because we lack motivation or life simply gets in the way.
It has been through gaining clarity on what I want in life and sheer persistence, that I've been able to get to where I am today. I think I owe my completion of Inktober to this basic understanding. I knew that participating in this challenge would be difficult, but that it would help me progress my skills further, faster. This is important for me at this point in my life, and I honored my decision by sticking with it.
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
4. Chasing perfection is counterproductive
Perfection is probably the biggest enemy of creativity. It cripples us as artists and stops us from producing the work we need to create in order to keep moving forward. Getting something done, no matter how small (or flawed) is better than not doing it at all.
In art, exploration and learning to embrace the process is incredibly important. Even more important, I would say, than creating a finalized masterpiece. Once I learned this, my skills progressed a lot faster. Perfection is overrated.
Something I've come to realize is that constantly chasing perfection has a lot to do with an innate fear of not being enough and having to prove to the world, in some way, that we are. You don't have anything to prove to anyone but yourself, and what matters is to strive for progress, not perfection.
Life is way to short to let our fears stop us from doing the things we want to do in life. It is usually the people who are able to acknowledge their fears and move on despite them that succeed in achieving their goals.
In art, exploration and learning to embrace the process is incredibly important. Even more important, I would say, than creating a finalized masterpiece. Once I learned this, my skills progressed a lot faster. Perfection is overrated.
Something I've come to realize is that constantly chasing perfection has a lot to do with an innate fear of not being enough and having to prove to the world, in some way, that we are. You don't have anything to prove to anyone but yourself, and what matters is to strive for progress, not perfection.
Life is way to short to let our fears stop us from doing the things we want to do in life. It is usually the people who are able to acknowledge their fears and move on despite them that succeed in achieving their goals.
5. Staying flexible is a must
Life is unpredictable. We can plan as much as we want to, but things will always come up and we have to be okay with shifting things around. As someone that thrives on routine, I'm still learning to be okay with modifying my schedules and specific things I had planned.
It's perfectly okay to take a break if you feel you need to (I did this a couple of times myself throughout the month). However, keep your priorities in check and get back to it as soon as you're able to.
There are two main ways that I stayed flexible throughout Inktober. For one, I had to accept that I would have to move my sketching to a different time of the day because things came up that I had to prioritize, or certain tasks simply took longer than expected. Sometimes I had to accept the fact that I would have to work on my Inktober sketch at the end of a long day of work.
Another way that I stayed flexible was with my supplies. The pages of the original Leuchtturm1917 sketchbook I planned on using ran out about 3/4's of my way through Inktober (I talk more about the specificities of my Inktober suppliesin this blog post).
Initially, I thought it would hold all of my sketches, but my heavy application of ink made it necessary for me to skip pages in between each piece. I had to make due with what I had on hand and be okay with using another sketchbook that didn't exactly match the characteristics I was looking for with this project. I accepted it and moved on.
It's perfectly okay to take a break if you feel you need to (I did this a couple of times myself throughout the month). However, keep your priorities in check and get back to it as soon as you're able to.
There are two main ways that I stayed flexible throughout Inktober. For one, I had to accept that I would have to move my sketching to a different time of the day because things came up that I had to prioritize, or certain tasks simply took longer than expected. Sometimes I had to accept the fact that I would have to work on my Inktober sketch at the end of a long day of work.
Another way that I stayed flexible was with my supplies. The pages of the original Leuchtturm1917 sketchbook I planned on using ran out about 3/4's of my way through Inktober (I talk more about the specificities of my Inktober suppliesin this blog post).
Initially, I thought it would hold all of my sketches, but my heavy application of ink made it necessary for me to skip pages in between each piece. I had to make due with what I had on hand and be okay with using another sketchbook that didn't exactly match the characteristics I was looking for with this project. I accepted it and moved on.
6. Always focus on the good
There are two ways in which I applied this throughout Inktober: throughout the creation process and whilst analyzing my finished pieces.
If you've been following my Inktober work, you're probably already aware that I decided to go with following the official prompts this year. There were honestly some prompts that weren't inspiring for me at all and I struggled to think of a good idea for my piece. However, in these situations, I decided to focus on what I could enjoy and what could go well. Even if I wasn't smitten with my idea, I set out to use the opportunity to improve my cross hatching/line work, etc.
To be perfectly honest there were several sketches that I didn't like very much, either because the idea just wasn't that great, or because I feel the execution was sloppy. Nonetheless, I decided to take it easy, pat myself on the back for getting the work done for the day, and always focused on the good.
There are always things that go well, no matter how much more our mistakes stick out to us. Being able to recognize both possible areas of improvement as well as our strengths is essential for us to improve our skills and find our artistic style.
If you've been following my Inktober work, you're probably already aware that I decided to go with following the official prompts this year. There were honestly some prompts that weren't inspiring for me at all and I struggled to think of a good idea for my piece. However, in these situations, I decided to focus on what I could enjoy and what could go well. Even if I wasn't smitten with my idea, I set out to use the opportunity to improve my cross hatching/line work, etc.
To be perfectly honest there were several sketches that I didn't like very much, either because the idea just wasn't that great, or because I feel the execution was sloppy. Nonetheless, I decided to take it easy, pat myself on the back for getting the work done for the day, and always focused on the good.
There are always things that go well, no matter how much more our mistakes stick out to us. Being able to recognize both possible areas of improvement as well as our strengths is essential for us to improve our skills and find our artistic style.
My Inktober Supplies:
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Thanks so much for checking out this blog post! Did you participate in Inktober this year? If not, are you planning to in 2019? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section below! :)
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Hey, there!
In today's blog post/YouTube video, I'll be sharing Inktober sketches 19-25, as well as a review of the supplies I've been using throughout this challenge. I wanted to really put these products to the test and have a good amount of experience with them before I actually expressed any opinions.
I have released several blog posts sharing tips and tutorials about pen and ink drawing that I highly recommend you check out if you haven't already (two very popular ones are this one and this one). In past YouTube videos, I've shared how much I enjoy using this drawing medium and why I think it's so effective at helping us progress our artistic skills.
All this said, I had never used pen and ink as consistently as I have with this drawing challenge. I committed to participating in Inktober this year because I knew that creating a new piece every-single-day for an entire month would lead to amazing growth in a short period of time. The challenge would help me not only exercise my creativity continuously and gain confidence in my pen and ink technique, but would also test my time-management skills and even more mental/personal aspects.
Over at my YouTube channel, I've shared all of my Inktober sketch time lapses so far:
1. Time lapses 1-5 + A Bit About My Thoughts and Process
2. Time lapses 6-11 + How I Come Up With the Ideas Behind My Sketches
3. Time lapses 12-18 + My Struggles So Far
*The video included in this post is my fourth compilation of sketch time lapses and I'm closing this Inktober series with a last video including my final drawings, as well as a bit about what I've learned. Make sure to subscribe to my channel and stay tuned for the last compilation of sketches coming up next Friday (Nov. 2)!
If you enjoy this video, I highly recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel. I publish a new one every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for beginner/intermediate artists! :)
If you enjoy this video, I highly recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel. I publish a new one every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for beginner/intermediate artists! :)
My Inktober Supplies
I knew since before starting the challenge, that I wanted to make a careful selection of supplies and stick with them throughout the entire month. This way, I would be able to come up with solid opinions about them.
All of my supplies were acquired online through either Amazon or ConsumerCrafts.com, which are both excellent online options to find quality art supplies at great prices.
1. Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook
This was my first time using a Leuchtturm sketchbook and I really enjoyed it, especially in combination with drawing pens and ink. These sketchbooks are definitely on the more expensive side, but I'm really glad I invested in one and decided to use it for this drawing challenge!
The sketchbook is 15 x 21 cms. in size and is made up of 96 pure white 180 g/m drawing paper that is quite smooth. I love that the sketchbook includes two bookmarks and an elastic to keep it safely closed. These characteristics make the sketchbook perfect to take out for drawing in plein air or coffeeshops.
I had a couple of different sketchbooks to pick from laying around that I could go for, but I went for this one for two main reasons:
a) I knew that I wanted some areas of my Inktober sketches to have thick applications of ink and the thickness of its pages would allow for this.
b) The pure/brilliant white of its pages would really allow my black ink lines/shapes to contrast and pop out!
Though I find this sketchbook amazing for drawing purposes, I wouldn't recommend it for sketching with watercolors, as its paper is too smooth and I don't think it would hold/absorb water very well. I think it would, however, work pretty well for gouache and even acrylics.
It's always a smart idea to give thought to what kinds of mediums you're planning on using in your sketchbooks before making a decision about which one to buy.
The sketchbook is 15 x 21 cms. in size and is made up of 96 pure white 180 g/m drawing paper that is quite smooth. I love that the sketchbook includes two bookmarks and an elastic to keep it safely closed. These characteristics make the sketchbook perfect to take out for drawing in plein air or coffeeshops.
I had a couple of different sketchbooks to pick from laying around that I could go for, but I went for this one for two main reasons:
a) I knew that I wanted some areas of my Inktober sketches to have thick applications of ink and the thickness of its pages would allow for this.
b) The pure/brilliant white of its pages would really allow my black ink lines/shapes to contrast and pop out!
Though I find this sketchbook amazing for drawing purposes, I wouldn't recommend it for sketching with watercolors, as its paper is too smooth and I don't think it would hold/absorb water very well. I think it would, however, work pretty well for gouache and even acrylics.
It's always a smart idea to give thought to what kinds of mediums you're planning on using in your sketchbooks before making a decision about which one to buy.
2. Staedtler Pigment Liners
I've had this set of drawing pens for a while and I've always used them interchangeably with my Micron pens. I think these two brands/products are pretty close in terms of quality and price, and produce almost the same results. I will continue buying Staedtler drawing pens for the time being, as I found throughout this challenge that I really enjoy them.
The four-pack of drawing pens that I have includes .1, .3, .5, and .7 millimeter points. The majority of my Inktober sketches were created using only the .3 and .5 points. I find the four pack includes a perfect variety of point thicknesses and don't think I would personally need anything smaller or larger.
The ink in the Staedtler Pigment Liners is waterproof, bleed-proof, smudge-proof and fade resistant, which leads me to think they would be perfect for use in combination with watercolors. The lines created by these drawing pens are also very crisp and dark.
Lastly, the ink in these pens also lasts a very long time. Even though I used them every-single-day for 31 days (and pretty roughly-I might add), they never started drying out.
3. Speedball Drawing & Calligraphy India Ink
I acquired this little 2 ounce tub of black ink a while back for exploratory purposes and I'm very glad I had it on hand for this Inktober! It allowed me to create the flat black geometric background shapes that I decided would be the unifying aspect of my drawings prior to starting.
This Speedball drawing/calligraphy ink is a rich black and a bit on the thick side. However, it can be diluted to create a variety of values and a runnier texture. I used a small, angled, soft-bristled brush to apply it onto my paper and the wash always came out quite even. I never noticed any granulation, even in areas where I applied the ink thickly.
I also loved the fact that it washes off from skin pretty easily and that it has no overpowering odor to it. Lastly, the shape of its bottle is genius, as the bottom of it is wider than the top and makes it more stable. This avoids it from tipping over and creating a huge mess!
This Speedball drawing/calligraphy ink is a rich black and a bit on the thick side. However, it can be diluted to create a variety of values and a runnier texture. I used a small, angled, soft-bristled brush to apply it onto my paper and the wash always came out quite even. I never noticed any granulation, even in areas where I applied the ink thickly.
I also loved the fact that it washes off from skin pretty easily and that it has no overpowering odor to it. Lastly, the shape of its bottle is genius, as the bottom of it is wider than the top and makes it more stable. This avoids it from tipping over and creating a huge mess!
That's it in terms of my Inktober supplies for 2018! I hope that you found this blog post/YouTube video helpful and inspiring! :)
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Why, hello there! Thanks so much for visiting my little artistic corner of the Internet today!
Today's post includes a video in which I'll be sharing the sketching time lapses for Inktober prompts 6-11, as well as how I came up with the ideas behind these quick pen and ink illustrations. It's definitely a challenge to come up with a new original idea every-single-day, but I'm still going strong and am hoping to make it through!
I'm also sharing links to the exact sketchbook, drawing pens and ink that I'm using for this year's challenge, so make sure to find those at the end if you're interested in buying some new supplies for yourself.
Check out my previous Inktober-related blog post/video titled: 5 Tips to Make it Through Inktober and How I'm Going About it for specific tips to get the most out of this drawing challenge.
Also, here are a few past blog posts in which I share a ton of helpful info about pen and ink drawing/shading. They will definitely help you step up your game throughout the rest of this challenge!
If you enjoy this video, I highly recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel. I publish a new one every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for beginner/intermediate artists! :)
My Inktober Supplies
Here are the supplies I'm using for all of my Inktober sketches this year. I buy a lot of my art supplies through Amazon myself and, because I really enjoy sketching with pen and ink, I already had them in my arsenal!
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That's it for today! I hope that you enjoyed this post/video!
I'd love to know in the comments section below which Inktober prompt has been your favorite so far. If you haven't been able to participate, are you planning to next year?
Cheers, friends!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Are you an artist looking for a foolproof way to improve your drawing/creative skills in a short period of time? Have you always wanted to participate in #Inktober or other daily drawing challenges but find them a bit intimidating? Are you a beginner looking to make drawing and creativity a part of your daily life?
Month-long drawing challenges like Inktober are no joke. Most of us have a lot going on in our lives and committing to producing one drawing a day (and actually sticking with it for the entire month) requires a huge amount of discipline. Even if one starts with the project excited and has proper fun creating those first few sketches, that initial burst of inspiration is probably going to dwindle at some point mid-way.
And when that happens, it's going to take sheer determination to keep going!
This said, if we are able to stick with it, growth will come inevitably and fast. By the end of the month, our drawing skills will have progressed and our creative abilities will be heightened. This type of experience is also incredibly valuable as it helps us make way towards finding our artistic style and voice. Committing to any sort of series like this one is a great way of pinpointing our strengths and weaknesses, which is essential.
In this blog post, I'll be sharing my top five tips to ensure that you are progressing your drawing/creative skills as much as possible with this drawing challenge, but also staying sane along the way. These are all things I'm making sure to do myself throughout this month. I'm also including links to a few very helpful pen and ink drawing blog posts/YouTube videos that will help you step up your inking game.
The video included in this post is a compilation of time lapses for my first five Inktober sketches.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up-to-date with my progress throughout the month.
I'm sure I'll be missing a few days here and there, but I am planning to make up for them as soon as I'm able to.
Check out these helpful pen and ink sketching blog posts/YouTube videos!
1. Pen & Ink Sketching: 6 Shading Techniques
2. Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Crosshatching, Scribbling and Others
3. Shading Simple Objects Using Hatching, Crosshatching and Other Drawing Pen Techniques
4. Shading a Hand Using Pen and Ink (Complex Subjects)
Inktober Tips
1. Be practical about it
As creatives, we have tons of different ideas popping up in our heads non-stop. This is great, but it can definitely hinder us from moving forward and actually finishing things. Think of an idea that you feel could work and that feels practical in terms of time, and just go for it. If you look back constantly, there's a huge possibility that you won't finish drawings on time and they're going to start piling up, which can lead to overwhelm.
Remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I like keeping this sort of project practical by giving a bit of my energy each day instead of giving it all right at the beginning and burning out fast. I'm not striving for masterpieces, but for growth.
Remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I like keeping this sort of project practical by giving a bit of my energy each day instead of giving it all right at the beginning and burning out fast. I'm not striving for masterpieces, but for growth.
2. Avoid looking at others' work until after you have finished yours
It's important for me to keep my work as original as possible and I hope this is the case for you as well. I'm sure there will be other artists in the world creating work that is similar to mine in some (or many) aspects. But when this happens, I know that it's due to the fact that those other artists and I are somehow influenced by similar things and not because I'm copying their work.
For challenges like this one, I find it super helpful to stay away from social media until after I have finished my work (or at least my initial sketch). This way, I'm not allowing other artists' ideas to infiltrate my mind.
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
For challenges like this one, I find it super helpful to stay away from social media until after I have finished my work (or at least my initial sketch). This way, I'm not allowing other artists' ideas to infiltrate my mind.
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
3. Brainstorm ideas and create sketches
Before going to bed, I'm reading the prompt for the following day and allowing myself to start brainstorming. I start sifting through ideas in my head, setting aside those that might not be practical (no matter how amazing they might sound). I don't actually put pencil/pen to paper until the next day.
I recommend creating at least a couple of quick sketches prior to actually starting with your piece. Doing quick thumbnails is an excellent way of arriving at great compositional arrangements. For several of the drawings above, I was unsure whether I wanted my main subject to be facing forwards or whether I'd be sketching him/her/it in profile or at an angle. It wasn't until I created those sketches and actually saw my ideas come to life that I could make a decision about what would be most appealing.
I recommend creating at least a couple of quick sketches prior to actually starting with your piece. Doing quick thumbnails is an excellent way of arriving at great compositional arrangements. For several of the drawings above, I was unsure whether I wanted my main subject to be facing forwards or whether I'd be sketching him/her/it in profile or at an angle. It wasn't until I created those sketches and actually saw my ideas come to life that I could make a decision about what would be most appealing.
4. Incorporate some sort of element of coherency (or a theme)
When creating any sort of series like this one, it's useful to think about how you can bring an aspect of consistency to your work. A lot of artists like sticking to a specific theme for Inktober and I think this is very useful, as it limits the broad range of ideas that might lead to indecision and not doing anything at all.
I decided to incorporate coherency in the format/layout of my overall design. However, there are many ways that we can add a sense of consistency to our artwork. Perhaps you want to make sure to incorporate human figures in all your drawings, stick with a specific color scheme (if you're using color), create some sort of frame around your drawing, integrate handwritten lettering, or think of a specific layout like I did.
I decided to incorporate coherency in the format/layout of my overall design. However, there are many ways that we can add a sense of consistency to our artwork. Perhaps you want to make sure to incorporate human figures in all your drawings, stick with a specific color scheme (if you're using color), create some sort of frame around your drawing, integrate handwritten lettering, or think of a specific layout like I did.
5. Have fun and don't strive for perfection
Being a perfectionist and expecting too much from yourself with every single thing you do is a surefire way of burning out and not enjoying the creative process. It also keeps you from producing the amount of work you have to create in order to really improve artistically.
Not to mention, this challenge (in my opinion) is a way of improving our personal skills, not about showing off masterpieces and/or comparing them with other peoples'! Stay in your lane and remember that the purpose of this project is to improve your drawing and creative skills, as well as to make art a daily habit.
I hope you have fun throughout the month and wish you lots of artistic growth!
Not to mention, this challenge (in my opinion) is a way of improving our personal skills, not about showing off masterpieces and/or comparing them with other peoples'! Stay in your lane and remember that the purpose of this project is to improve your drawing and creative skills, as well as to make art a daily habit.
I hope you have fun throughout the month and wish you lots of artistic growth!
My Inktober art supplies
*Click on images to check out the specific supplies I'm using for Inktober that I've bought through www.consumercrafts.com and www.amazon.com:
Staedtler Pigment Liner Sketch Pens: Black (4 pack) $15.67
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Prismacolor Drawing Pencil Set: Turquoise, 12 pack $13.99
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is a participant in the Shareasale.com Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Shareasale.com partner companies.
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