Halfway Through Inktober

As of this writing the weather in Iowa has turned cool and windy and the month of Inktober is just over halfway. So far I've managed at least one ink drawing a day, some not so good and some okay. The main thing for me so far is simply using this event as a way to keep practicing my work with real ink and paper. In the beginning I dedicated a bound sketchbook to the event as well. Here are a few recent Inktober dailies.

This particular clown (right) was originally a digital painting from several years ago. Unlike all of the others in this series, the clown is done on toned paper, and is much larger at 8.5x11. This particular ink drawing was toned using Copic markers in two or three values. It was an experiment in drawing given that I've never used this kind of mark maker. Although the original digital format painting was more frightening, this clown still makes me uncomfortable--an appropriate segue to Halloween, I suppose.

The next Inktober daily is a copy of a drawing by Jacopo Pontormo, dating to the early 16th century. The original was done in sanguine, a kind of natural chalk. Pontormo's study had been worked over several time, it seemed, but my interest was only the central features. The hatching the artist did in sanguine didn't translate well into ink.

From Italy I traveled artistically to Japan for Inktober 10-13 in doing a copy of an ink and brush drawing by Hokusai. This particular drawing is Shoki, the demon-killer in Japanese history. Shoki killed a demon that had afflicted an emperor. The Hokusai original is full length and printed in three colors as was the artist's custom. He drew the original in ink with brushes; the original was translated into woodcut by craftsmen working with him and then printed in three stages. Hokusai lived in the 18th century and published many books of manga. In this copy my interest was the elaborate folds of his kimono and how the master drew hands and figures. Doubtless there is considerably more to learn from sensei Hokusai.

And last, for this post, is a portrait drawing of Bob Woodward of Watergate fame (All the President's Men), who is lately warning about the state of the government, particularly the Executive Branch. This is a simple line drawing with minimal hatching, a discipline that doesn't get much use these days.

A daily ink drawing is a great way to keep up the practice of slinging ink, but it's also a significant commitment to oneself in terms of time and thought. These subjects aren't always obvious to me, but in most cases they have been really useful.

More to come.