Inktober - the final few

Hello all!  If you fancy some really vibrant colour, don't miss my Love this Life tag trio, but for now I'm back with the last three Inktober line and wash paintings.  31 is an awkward number, but that's the number of days in October, so we're stuck with it!  As usual, I'm not going to hang around long at the top of the post.  I'll let the last few paintings speak for themselves... 

... but below that I'm sharing just a few process photos from the month so that you can see some of the different ways I went about conquering my fear of drawing. 

Day 29

Day 30 

Day 31

One of my reasons for taking up the Inktober challenge was that I'm still wary of the whole drawing thing.  I'm much more comfortable with painting.  But there was a time (and not so very long ago - only a couple of years) when making my own marks with paint was also scary and unsatisfactory, and I found my way to more confidence and more proficiency by ignoring the wobbles and just doing it... especially by doing it daily - you learn so much.

There were some days when I started out with the paints - doing a loose watercolour of whatever my subject for the day was, and often that made me so happy that I would be worried about adding the pen work in case I spoiled it.  

But the Inktober is really a drawing challenge so I made myself add the pen detailing, and more often than not I loved the result!

As the month drew on, I started to get more confident - exactly as I hoped - and in the last couple of weeks my method was to start with the drawing far more often.  And by late October I had got to the point where I enjoyed some of the drawings so much I was worried that I might spoil them by adding the paint... that's a pretty dramatic shift for me!  After the paint, I would often add a few more pen and paint details together to finish things off. 

 

There were still times I started with loose watercolour sketches, but now I was more confident that I would enjoy the pen stage too.

So the challenge I set myself - despite being in the early stages of sorting my life and starting to pack it up at the same time - really paid off.  And of course having that time set aside for creativity each day was one of the things which helped keep me sane through the packing process too.

I will definitely be making time for both drawing and painting in my new life - I know there's lots more to discover and new fears to conquer.  I hope to keep learning and growing and building confidence, because I'm always happiest on a learning curve!

If you'd like to see the whole progression, here are the links for Week 1, for Week 2, for Week 3, for Week 4.

I hope you are finding ways to keep learning and growing despite the chaotic times we are living through.  Thanks so much for your company on this journey and for your amazing comments on all my Inktober work - it's been really heartwarming and helpful to hear your feedback.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I'll see you again soon.  Happy crafting all!

It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover, to your surprise, that you have rendered something in its true character.
Camille Pissarro 

Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see - to see correctly - and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eye.
Kimon Nikolaides

I'd like to join in the fun at Paint Party Friday with these - it's time for the Year 10, Week 38 Check In over there

Inktober Week 4

Hello all, I'm overdue with posting the last of my Inktober line and wash paintings.  I'm sorry I'm so late posting them here... there's just been too much going on.  But I promise I did keep to schedule with the challenge, and completed one a day all the way to the end of October.  So here are the week four offerings, and then there'll be another post with the final few to complete the thirty-one days.

So, no messing about (if you want details of what I'm using to create these, or what the heck Inktober is, then it's all in the first post Inktober Week 1)... here they are.

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

There you have it - again some clear favourites for me (I never knew I loved berries of all kinds so much!) and some that don't make me quite so happy.  I wonder whether yours are the same as mine (probably not, going by previous weeks!).  Next time, with only three more to share I'll also try to include a couple of process photos from various paintings, so that you can see the different ways I was working.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you again soon.

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
Dr. Seuss

I'd like to share these at Paint Party Friday - sorry I missed a couple of weeks! - where it is the Week 37, Year 10 Check In

They're looking for Anything But A Card at Country View Challenges

#newbloggersucks

Inktober Week 3

Hello all, thanks so much for your company on this bright autumn day (well, it is here anyway).  I'm keeping it short today but with lots of photos, as it's time for another Inktober catch up.  Here are days 15 through to 21, and the daily challenge is definitely paying off in terms of what I'm learning as I go.  (You can find out all about what I'm up to and what materials I'm using in Inktober Week 1.)  With no further ado...

UPDATE - dash it all, I was in such a hurry I completely forgot to say that some of these are from photo inspiration by Helen Lindfield of stampingbyh and photosbyh, from her weekly visits to Kew.  It's the rosehips on Day 17 and the Physalis on Day 20.  Sorry, Helen - I'm going to blame it on moving-brain!

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

That's your lot and I hope there are some new favourites for you to enjoy... I know I have my own particular delights (and frustrations - but we won't go into those!).  

I hope you are all managing to stay safe, well and creative.  Take care out there and I'll see you again soon, either here or elsewhere in Craftyblogland.

The tastiest berries are often hidden.  Do not despair if you haven't found true love.  Look under the leaves and branches of convention.
Khang Kijarro Nguyen

I'd like to join in at Paint Party Friday where they have reached the Week 34, Year 10 check-in

And the lovely Chris still wants us to Hold the Line at Art Journal Journey - my line and wash technique is how I'm holding the line

Again, there's one painting where I've got Purple, Orange and Green, so I'd like to play along at the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog too

#newbloggersucks