Inktober Week 4

Hello all!   We've reached the end of Inktober, and my final tally was 28 out of 31 days.  Having lost two days (see last week's post for why), I decided 29 was a silly number, so I knocked off one more day to make it 28.  That makes four sets of seven - perfect to divide into weekly posts and/or to combine into perhaps a little "zine" at some point for sale.  So here's your final set 22 - 28...

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

As always, I'm going to share a few process photos with you (you can click for them to be larger).  My main challenge to myself this year was to improve my drawing skills, and become more confident in them, and I'm pretty happy with how that's gone.  And also the learning curve on using darks in a braver way has been a good one.

And here's a screenshot of the complete set in my Photos app - the only way to get them all on the page at once, I think!  Do you see what I mean about 28 being a better number than 29?

Thanks so much for stopping by and for the lovely comments over the month - every single one is very much appreciated.  Despite the increasing confidence, it's still a little miracle to me when one of these drawings and paintings appears on the page in front of me.  I never thought I would be able to do anything like this.  Just goes to show what a little (or a lot!) of practice can do!

Hope you have a spooky but not too terrifying Halloween.  My scariest thing is that I have to come back from the relative safety of the Czech Republic to the horrifying infection rates of the UK this week for some work.  Masks at the ready...

I plan to be back on the blog soon to share the accordion album I've been creating for the season... lots of creepy stories to enjoy by the fireside over the winter months ahead.  Stay safe and happy crafting all.

Every artist was first an amateur.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

...and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?
Vincent van Gogh

Inktober Week 3

Hello again all.  I hope you're all doing well.  It's taken me a bit longer than seven days to collect the next seven paintings.

I took a deliberate day off from Inktober halfway through the month (it was starting to feel a bit of a chore and I wanted to release that pressure valve).  Then on Thursday I took delivery of a van load of boxes/furniture from the UK which meant I couldn't settle to anything while I was waiting for it to arrive, obviously couldn't do anything while we were unloading, spent some time doing a bit of sorting, and then the light had gone a bit too far, so I gave myself that day off too!

Long story short, at day 23 I finally have 15 - 21 to share with you, so I should really stop calling them "day x" and call them "painting x", I suppose...

Painting 15

Painting 16

Painting 17

Painting 18

Painting 19

Painting 20

Painting 21

I know which are my favourites... I wonder whether they're the same as yours...?!  As usual, here are a couple of process photos to give you an idea of what goes on along the way.  

I'm continuing to enjoy getting some proper darks in for contrast and depth, but I'm still struggling not to overwork things in the final stages... sometimes I remember to stop in time, sometimes not!  Onwards and upwards (hopefully)...

I promise to try to do some catching up with non-watercolour projects soon - there are plenty waiting in the wings, since I've been so neglectful of the blog.  And I'll also aim to do some proper catching up around Craftyblogland with those of you who don't do (shhh, whisper it) Instagram.  Hope you're all enjoying a lovely weekend and see you soon.

Practice what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know.
Rembrandt

Creativity is the brain's invisible muscle -- that when used and exercised routinely -- becomes better and stronger.
Ashley Ormon

Inktober Week 2

Hello all!  I'm dropping in for another Inktober update.  The last seven days have had their ups and downs, but I've managed to keep up the daily practice.  It's been a battle some days, and others the pen and paint have definitely been flowing with more ease.  See what you think...

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

And once again, since the point of Inktober is really the drawing, here are a couple of process photos so you can see how they start out...

 

I continue to learn huge amounts as I go.  I think the drawings themselves are getting better (last year I was very dependent on the watercolours to rescue me from rather inadequate drawing skills), and I'm really starting to understand the value of proper darks.  

I hope you're all doing okay and are getting to enjoy some autumn sunshine.  It's pretty glorious here in the Czech Republic most days, and the leaves are just starting to turn from green to gold to red.

There's the odd grey day in between, but really not many of them.  It's chilly now though, and I'm starting to prepare the garden for what's forecast to be a long hard winter.  Stay safe, stay well, and I'll see you all again soon.

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.

Elizabeth Lawrence

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.

From Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Inktober 2021 Week 1

Hello all.  Yes, I know, I've been shamefully neglecting Words and Pictures - I'm sorry!  Life is busy, and I'm afraid writing blogposts has been the thing which has dropped off the bottom of the to-do list.  But I'm tackling Inktober again this year, so I'm going to use that as a way to make my way back towards the blog.

Just like last year, I'm not following the official prompts.  I'm just using it as a way to get back in the swing of some daily drawing and painting practice... another thing which dropped off the radar - I've barely touched the watercolours since last October.

So I've been feeling a little rusty, but I'm back on the learning curve and enjoying the process.  So here are days one to seven.  I hope you like them...

And here are a few work-in-progress sequences, just so you can see a bit of the process...  Sometimes you get to see the middle stage, sometimes we're just going straight from the sketch to the end, because I wasn't stopping to take pictures half way!  (Remember you can always click to see the images in a larger size.)

 

      

 

       

 

I've been using a Sakrua Pigma Micron 05 pen in brown (except for day one when I used the wrong pen - all black and strong and way too much for me!!) and Daniel Smith watercolour paints in a Moleskine watercolour journal, which is cold pressed paper.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I should be seeing you again soon (or at least not with as long a wait as we've just had here in complete silence!).  Hope you're all doing well and crafting creatively.  Have a great weekend, all.

Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature.

Marcus Tullius Cicero