Hey Zack! Prepping for my first Inktober. Grateful for your ball point pen and printer paper tip. It's important for artists to know Inktober is an inclusive event with the simple intention of getting people drawing. Planning on starting out w materials on hand, then ordering a few things to try, since I haven't done ink before, beyond markers as a child and doodling in notebook margins as a student. Looking forward to seeing everyone's creations. 🎨
That sounds great! Ball point is a terribly undervalued resource. I love it, it is subtle, controllable, and all around a joy to use. Good luck this year! Hope you have a community to work with, and consider our discord server if you don't...once the month kicks in or you start working!
Thank you for your video and being so encouraging ❤❤❤ this will be my first one so excited to give it a go, but worried about having lack lustre creative ideas
@@zack_feldman well I’ve taken your advice and prepped tools, I have a set of pens, pencils and sketch book from the cheap shop. I’ve also been thumbnailing and sketching ideas like you suggestedfor each prompt on scrap paper. I would’ve liked the drawings to be thematic, but the ideas haven’t really connected to each other so I’m not going to worry about it for this one. I’ve listed the thumbnails in what I perceive to be time needed to do, so when I am wanting to spend big chunk of time or little chunk of time I can pick the prompt that fits in with that. Oh and looking at reference pictures too. I want to make some idea refernces boards (digital) but haven’t done that yet.
Can't wait to go on this awesome journey! Oh and you can get a 24 set of Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils with a nice color range. Ever since I got them I don't sketch with anything else. It has changed art for me for the better!
I think the one thing I am most worried about this year is freezing up and coming down with a convenient case of art block on October 1st. I've got a few things sketched and prepared already but on the day it's due I might get cold feet and decide none of the prep work is 'good' enough material to use. So, I will most likely be fighting that mindset during the Inktober challenge.
If it helps, remember that Inktober was started to help one improve one's inking skills. It doesn't matter what you ink, and daily masterpieces are not required. 😉
I totally get it. You can de-stigmatize it by just starting now. Then, the first day of October is just another day, and it doesn't matter. Rory is right, its about getting better and improving, and having fun. It doesn't matter how big the drawings are, or how sophisticated...its about doing the thing with a lot of other people, and getting some cool drawings out of it!
Every year, I try to use a different form of ink medium. this year, I'm really stepping out on a limb and attempting alcohol inks. I'm also doing "scenes" that combine prompts... I think. Anyway, got a ton of thumbnail pencil sketches done in prep, to get the ink flowing in my brain. :)
That sounds like a lot of fun! Have you worked with alcohol ink before? Are you using alcohol markers or something different? I've been working with the markers lately, and they are quite different from the other forms of ink I am more accustomed to.
@@zack_feldman I think I played with one once a long time ago...don't really remember anything but smell. So, I consider myself a new by first class. This is going to be a fun adventure! Oh, and I'll be moving mid month too
Thanks much! I love dip pens, but right as I went to dive in to them this season, I realized my black ink was dried and gross! I have to try to bring it back to life, but also bought some new ink as well. Inkwell pens are really how I got into ink in the first place. It took years for me to find fineliners and things like them, I just used India ink, haha!
@@zack_feldman wow that’s very interesting. I might have to try them. My experience has been the opposite. Only fineliners… and I’ve only used India ink with a watercolor brush for shading.
Good! The sketches ahead of time really seem to help. I know some people feel strange about it, as if they are "cheating" but I really think that misses the point.
I'm sitting here thumbnailing ideas for the prompts as I watch. I'm planning on using the Moleskine sketchbook (that I used last year) again. The paper was thick enough for fineliner ink to not bleed through, which allowed me to use both sides. Alcohol ink bled through, so I stopped using that after the first drawing.
@@fuzzydragons If you can...I think it might be a good idea. I have no idea how much those kinds of things cost over the pond, but often I can grab a normal, small sketchbook with about 30 pieces for about $14-20.
I'm going to join but got other ones going too. But I'm going to be using Procreate on my iPad mini 6 as i use that more then traditionally but drawings will be black and white.
So I have a question this will be my first inktober I am a beginner artist and my Drawing skills are not where I want them to be my drawing sometimes doesn't always turn out the way I want them to. So my question is does your drawing level matter for this challenge or does not matter? I'm also very interested in ink that's something I've been gravitating to but my inking skills are still in the beginner stages I'm a little nervous whether to do it or not so I thought I'd ask for any advice if you have some?
Yeah, of course! First of all...none of our skills are ever really where we want them to be. I'm much better than I was, but still yearn for better, so you are not alone there. Its a very normal feeling, regardless of where you are on the journey. Your particular level does not matter, in fact - doing it as a beginner can be great, because you will see your progress, and if you do it next year, you might be stunned by the improvement. As for ink, I would use whatever you have, or can get for very cheap. Ballpoint pens are great, sharpies are fun, and microns - if you have access to a local art store, might only cost a few dollars (here in the US.) If you are nervous, use a pencil first, with light lines, and just go over it with ink. If its waterproof ink, you can usually erase the pencil after it dries completely. I hope you will join in! Its a good excuse to practice, honestly, so if you want to improve...I would encourage you to do it!
I have little doubt that anyone doing this challenge ends up with 31 drawings they're super happy with! Zack has another video with ideas to limit the scope of Inktober so you don't get carried away trying to do big pieces every day.
You can think about it this way - every art supply you use is a little art lesson. So if you "waste" paper or blot your ink, there's a lesson in it. And there are options for approaching inked work with preparation and opportunities to fix errors: any thin paper can be used as a tracing paper(although a "real" tracing paper is a little bit nicer) and used to practice a line before you commit to it. A lot of inked work made for reproduction, such as comics illustration, is generous with white-out or equivalents(acrylic paint markers, white gel pens) and use it for effects. Bristol paper is heavy enough that you can cut it out with a razor, flip it over and tape it back on to give yourself a second try. There's also a style of sketchbook I see mostly among animation students where they cover up their errors with sticky notes, which I've started to adopt lately, and I even mix in a bit of glue stick to make it permanent. The aspect that might be more difficult is whether you want to post your work anywhere when you're done. That's not really about the quality of the work, but whether you're prepared to potentially get unsolicited criticism. Criticism is an art skill of its own, both in asking it and receiving it: you don't want to be left asking "I don't know, what do you think" and getting random advice or negativity from people who are also doing bad crit. It helps to have enough awareness of the art fundamentals that you can present something you know has issues with "I'm working on my proportions" or "I still need help learning perspective".
Hey Zack! Prepping for my first Inktober. Grateful for your ball point pen and printer paper tip. It's important for artists to know Inktober is an inclusive event with the simple intention of getting people drawing. Planning on starting out w materials on hand, then ordering a few things to try, since I haven't done ink before, beyond markers as a child and doodling in notebook margins as a student. Looking forward to seeing everyone's creations. 🎨
That sounds great! Ball point is a terribly undervalued resource. I love it, it is subtle, controllable, and all around a joy to use. Good luck this year! Hope you have a community to work with, and consider our discord server if you don't...once the month kicks in or you start working!
Happy Inktober 2024
Thank you for your video and being so encouraging ❤❤❤ this will be my first one so excited to give it a go, but worried about having lack lustre creative ideas
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it! Any plans for how you might approach it?
@@zack_feldman well I’ve taken your advice and prepped tools, I have a set of pens, pencils and sketch book from the cheap shop. I’ve also been thumbnailing and sketching ideas like you suggestedfor each prompt on scrap paper. I would’ve liked the drawings to be thematic, but the ideas haven’t really connected to each other so I’m not going to worry about it for this one. I’ve listed the thumbnails in what I perceive to be time needed to do, so when I am wanting to spend big chunk of time or little chunk of time I can pick the prompt that fits in with that. Oh and looking at reference pictures too. I want to make some idea refernces boards (digital) but haven’t done that yet.
Can't wait to go on this awesome journey! Oh and you can get a 24 set of Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils with a nice color range. Ever since I got them I don't sketch with anything else. It has changed art for me for the better!
That sounds exciting! Might be a good Christmas present idea...for myself, haha!
@@zack_feldman it was mine to myself last year! I think you'll enjoy them!
I think the one thing I am most worried about this year is freezing up and coming down with a convenient case of art block on October 1st.
I've got a few things sketched and prepared already but on the day it's due I might get cold feet and decide none of the prep work is 'good' enough material to use. So, I will most likely be fighting that mindset during the Inktober challenge.
If it helps, remember that Inktober was started to help one improve one's inking skills. It doesn't matter what you ink, and daily masterpieces are not required. 😉
I totally get it. You can de-stigmatize it by just starting now. Then, the first day of October is just another day, and it doesn't matter. Rory is right, its about getting better and improving, and having fun. It doesn't matter how big the drawings are, or how sophisticated...its about doing the thing with a lot of other people, and getting some cool drawings out of it!
Every year, I try to use a different form of ink medium. this year, I'm really stepping out on a limb and attempting alcohol inks. I'm also doing "scenes" that combine prompts... I think. Anyway, got a ton of thumbnail pencil sketches done in prep, to get the ink flowing in my brain. :)
That sounds like a lot of fun! Have you worked with alcohol ink before? Are you using alcohol markers or something different?
I've been working with the markers lately, and they are quite different from the other forms of ink I am more accustomed to.
@@zack_feldman I think I played with one once a long time ago...don't really remember anything but smell. So, I consider myself a new by first class. This is going to be a fun adventure! Oh, and I'll be moving mid month too
I love using bristol paper for Inktober as well. How did you like using the inkwell/fountain pens? Your drawings are phenomenal btw
Thanks much! I love dip pens, but right as I went to dive in to them this season, I realized my black ink was dried and gross! I have to try to bring it back to life, but also bought some new ink as well.
Inkwell pens are really how I got into ink in the first place. It took years for me to find fineliners and things like them, I just used India ink, haha!
@@zack_feldman wow that’s very interesting. I might have to try them. My experience has been the opposite. Only fineliners… and I’ve only used India ink with a watercolor brush for shading.
Nice tips!! It's the first time I'm going to do the whole challenge (instead of a few days🤣🤣). I'm very excited and making little sketches already🥰🥰🥰🥰
Good! The sketches ahead of time really seem to help.
I know some people feel strange about it, as if they are "cheating" but I really think that misses the point.
@@zack_feldman I do the inking on the "right" day, so that's not cheating to me🥰🥰🥰🥰
@@Esther-rehtsE Fair!
I'm sitting here thumbnailing ideas for the prompts as I watch. I'm planning on using the Moleskine sketchbook (that I used last year) again. The paper was thick enough for fineliner ink to not bleed through, which allowed me to use both sides. Alcohol ink bled through, so I stopped using that after the first drawing.
That sketchbook has been great for fineliners and for pencil...but I've had the same experience with things bleeding.
i want to try the arches paper, but then im scared i will love it and wont want to use anything else lol😝
It is worth getting at least a little bit to try it. It is quite expensive though...unfortunately.
i will have a google and see if i can find some smaller cheaper pieces/book of it :)
@@fuzzydragons If you can...I think it might be a good idea. I have no idea how much those kinds of things cost over the pond, but often I can grab a normal, small sketchbook with about 30 pieces for about $14-20.
I'm going to join but got other ones going too. But I'm going to be using Procreate on my iPad mini 6 as i use that more then traditionally but drawings will be black and white.
No problem in using a digital approach! I kind of want to try that at some point...
So I have a question this will be my first inktober I am a beginner artist and my Drawing skills are not where I want them to be my drawing sometimes doesn't always turn out the way I want them to. So my question is does your drawing level matter for this challenge or does not matter?
I'm also very interested in ink that's something I've been gravitating to but my inking skills are still in the beginner stages I'm a little nervous whether to do it or not so I thought I'd ask for any advice if you have some?
Yeah, of course!
First of all...none of our skills are ever really where we want them to be. I'm much better than I was, but still yearn for better, so you are not alone there. Its a very normal feeling, regardless of where you are on the journey. Your particular level does not matter, in fact - doing it as a beginner can be great, because you will see your progress, and if you do it next year, you might be stunned by the improvement.
As for ink, I would use whatever you have, or can get for very cheap. Ballpoint pens are great, sharpies are fun, and microns - if you have access to a local art store, might only cost a few dollars (here in the US.) If you are nervous, use a pencil first, with light lines, and just go over it with ink. If its waterproof ink, you can usually erase the pencil after it dries completely.
I hope you will join in! Its a good excuse to practice, honestly, so if you want to improve...I would encourage you to do it!
I have little doubt that anyone doing this challenge ends up with 31 drawings they're super happy with! Zack has another video with ideas to limit the scope of Inktober so you don't get carried away trying to do big pieces every day.
@@zack_feldman thank you I appreciate the advice.
@@RoryChronicles thanks I appreciate it I will find the video and watch it.
You can think about it this way - every art supply you use is a little art lesson. So if you "waste" paper or blot your ink, there's a lesson in it. And there are options for approaching inked work with preparation and opportunities to fix errors: any thin paper can be used as a tracing paper(although a "real" tracing paper is a little bit nicer) and used to practice a line before you commit to it. A lot of inked work made for reproduction, such as comics illustration, is generous with white-out or equivalents(acrylic paint markers, white gel pens) and use it for effects. Bristol paper is heavy enough that you can cut it out with a razor, flip it over and tape it back on to give yourself a second try. There's also a style of sketchbook I see mostly among animation students where they cover up their errors with sticky notes, which I've started to adopt lately, and I even mix in a bit of glue stick to make it permanent.
The aspect that might be more difficult is whether you want to post your work anywhere when you're done. That's not really about the quality of the work, but whether you're prepared to potentially get unsolicited criticism. Criticism is an art skill of its own, both in asking it and receiving it: you don't want to be left asking "I don't know, what do you think" and getting random advice or negativity from people who are also doing bad crit. It helps to have enough awareness of the art fundamentals that you can present something you know has issues with "I'm working on my proportions" or "I still need help learning perspective".