Letter No. 32 [prepping for Inktober2020]
Dear Friend,
It’s that time of the year again, and the prompt list is out for Inktober—the month-long illustration challenge Jake Parker runs every October.
If you want to find more information about the challenge and creator, follow the links, but right now, I just want to share a few tips and tricks for preparing yourself for Inktober, especially if this is your first time participating. There are a few factors and decisions, that once straightened out, will help this challenge go smoothly for you. :)
Mediums/Materials:
You don’t have to use ink for this challenge. You can use whichever mediums you prefer, but I’ve found it helpful to pick one or two specifically for each year. This helps you grow in those mediums and challenges you, because some days you might not want to use them. Last year, I used ink pen and watercolor, and this year, I’ll be using watercolor and pencil, since I’d like to get better at drawing with pencil.
You can also pick a specific palette, paper, and size of paper to work with.
Form:
Will you be creating an illustration every day? Or will you do them in batches ahead of time, or out of order? It all depends on how you work best and how you want to be challenged. If it’s too overwhelming to do an illustration every day, you can also choose to do one every week, or two every week (you get the idea).
Prompt List:
Jake Parker’s prompt list is not the only one out there—many artists create their own prompt lists and have communities that follow their lists, so if you feel like you’ll be more inspired by some else’s prompt list (or by your own), go ahead and try it.
(click the picture to go to the Inktober website)
(click the picture to go to Sha’an’s website)
Social Media Community:
Now, there is a huge, global community that participates in Inktober every year, but if it intimidates you to share your work, then you don’t have to post anything. I have found the community very supportive, friendly, and encouraging, so it is an excellent opportunity to grow, be inspired, and expose yourself, but you should do whatever you think will be best for you. :)
Extra Tips:
-deciding on a time of the day when you illustrate is also helpful—you get in the mindset of making art before you even start, so it’s easier to get into (and stay in!) a rhythm.
-sometimes choosing a specific design for sharing your illustrations can be fun—are you scanning in your artwork, showing the process, doing time-lapses, or sharing your illustrations all in one format?
-you can also plan out what you’ll illustrate for each prompt before the challenge starts—this isn’t cheating! Then when you get to that day, you already have an idea in your mind, which you can then choose to do or not.
Hopefully these tips and tricks set you up for success this Inktober—I’m going through this list as well as I plan for this challenge. If you have any more questions, you can of course contact me, and if you want to follow along with me, you can find my illustrations here.
Wishing you all the best!
Tara