Inktober Finale

Inktober ended a few days ago and for me it was great for reviewing and relearning ink techniques, and it was a lot of fun besides. At first it was just something that sounded interesting but beginning to use unforgiving ink again and daily was harder than I thought. But gradually, over the course of more than thirty pen and ink drawings rust begins to fall off.

These last drawings were probably the most enjoyable I've made. Each of them was done for a specific reason. The first one (left), was actually done outdoors on a sunny day when the leaves were still clinging. I was interested in how to show the foliage without being too picky about the drawing. Omitting detail helps when sketching, in my practice.

This cellist is a drawing based on a quick sketch. Sometimes when attending concerts I sketch the musicians, as I did in a concert a year or so ago. Using a scribbled ballpoint sketch for this particular drawing meant inventing some parts and reinforcing others. The cellist was engaged and enraptured by his instrument and the music, which was the feeling I was hoping to convey in doing this particular ink. I sat him sideways on his chair simply because it was an easier way to draw the image.

The next drawing is the head of an African lion. Drawing animals isn't something I do that much, so this particular picture was done for the practice in drawing big cats. They differ a great deal from the typical house cat--the nose is very broad, for one thing--so it isn't really possible to practice drawing one of these huge creatures from a tabby. The drawing style is a traditional one.

Bristlecone pines are the longest-living species on our planet, some surviving 5000 years or more. They're a wonderful subject to draw because of their twisted limbs and sparse foliage. They live in harsh high altitude environments, often rocky and dry. The wood tends to be fissured and riven, making interesting patterns for the artist. I drew this one from a reference photo I had, concentrating on the flowing patterns in the wood and neglecting everything else in the scene.

Finally, for the last drawing of Inktober 2019 I tackled a chicken. Chickens have been domesticated for thousands of years of course, but they always seem wild to me--they compete viciously with one another, scratch and scrabble in the chicken yard and try to peck little boys. Roosters like this one eye you with unhidden malice, simply waiting for a chance to take a little piece out of your hide. When I was a boy, my grandfather's rooster used to terrorize me, so perhaps that's where the look in this particular bird's glinting eye came from.


If you're interested in doing any kind of art--drawing, painting, whatever--my best advice to you is to do it regularly. Inktober was a good stimulus to draw with ink every day. There isn't really any trick to regular practice beside developing it as a habit.

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Inktober Posts:
Inktober Plan
Another Shot of Ink(tober)
More Inktober
Halfway Through Inktober
An Inktober Update