Category: art

Drawvember 2019 Days 6-10

This series focuses on Japanese women in traditional attire.

Lantern

Ink drawing of a woman in a dark blue kimono, seen from behind, holding a paper lantern

Lantern. Woman in kimono, holding a paper lantern. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, indigo ink Cambio brush pen, my black ink Pentel Brushpen, and a touch of red watercolor.

Tea

Two women having tea, kneeling on a platform by the water

Tea. Two women having tea, kneeling on a platform by the water. Again I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, indigo ink Cambio brush pen, my black ink Pentel Brushpen, and a touch of yellow, green and red watercolor.

Wagasa

Delicate young woman, holding an umbrella and wearing a white veil over her head. Her long kimono is pale yellow outside and pale blue inside. Her obi is black with starry white motifs.

Wagasa (Japanese paper umbrella). Delicate young woman, holding an umbrella and wearing a white veil over her head. I used a Seiboku ThinLINE grey brush pen for the outline, a fine black line maker for the face and hands, my grey ink brush pen from Kuretake for the background, black ink Pentel Brushpen for the wagasa and Obi (belt), watercolor for the coat decorations and a white Posca pen for the motifs inside the coat and on the Obi.

Maiko

Grey ink drawing of a maiko (apprentice Geisha) checking her reflection in a portable round mirror, and adjusting her hair.

Maiko. Very quick drawing using a Seiboku ThinLINE grey brush pen. This maiko (apprentice Geisha) is checking her reflection in a portable round mirror, and adjusting her hair.

Onna Bugeisha

Very detailed pencil drawing of a seated Onna Bugeisha (female warrior) who carries a fan in her right hand and rests her left hand on the sheath of a sword. My iphone displaying the reference photo is at the left of my drawing. My mechanical pencil is visible next to the drawing.

Onna Bugeisha (female warrior). I got carried away sketching the detail work of her kimono, so I finished the piece in pencil and snapped a photo. But I wanted it in ink, so I erased much of it. See next.

Grey ink drawing of a seated Onna Bugeisha (female warrior) who carries a fan in her right hand and rests her left hand on the sheath of a sword.

Onna Bugeisha (female warrior) in grey ink.

Drawvember 2019 Days 1-5

One drawing a day in November: Drawvember! This time I chose to go with five-day series, exploring a particular technique or angle.

This series focuses on aspects related to trees.

Black ink drawing of two tree trunks side by side in an open artbook on a wooden surface.

Bark.

Detailing the bark of two tree trunks using a fine black pen.

Black ink drawing of a tree with three main trunks and dense foliage in an open artbook on a wooden surface.

Tree.

Finding the right shading: darker underneath.

Black ink drawing of several pine trees in an open artbook on a wooden surface.

Pine trees.

Trying to find the right repetition of lines to depict the pine tree boughs.

Black ink drawing of an alpine landscape in an open artbook on a wooden surface. The tree boughs are covered in snow. There is a waterfall in the stream and a snowy mountain in the background.

Snow.

Continuing with pine trees, and leaving enough white to suggest snow.

Black and grey drawing of a snowy forest scene where a hooded and caped character from behind stands facing a giant grey wolf.

Wolf.

Continuing with snow and trying to picture the depth of a forest with trees in lighter tones the more distant they are. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and a water brush.

Art: inktober2019

I had a blast this month! I am pleased with almost all of the pieces I drew. I really like ink, turns out. Here’s a gallery of all of the drawings and the prompt list is at the bottom.

Grey and white ink drawing of the silhouette of a boxer in a ring. The open artbook is on a wooden table next to a red 'frixion' red ballpoint pen, a white ink brushphen, a bottle of black ink and two brushes resting on black water in a plastic cup.
Day 1 – Ring
Black ink drawing with thin parallel lines representing the Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai
Day 2 – Mindless
Black and grey ink drawing of the earth as bait attached to a fishing bob floating in the water.
Day 3 – Bait
The character Freeze wearing goggles and a glass helmet around his head is throwing a ball. The ball and his hand are bigger because of perspective. I used purple ink for the outline and the background, which I applied with a flat brush in a way that the texture of the brush is visible. I applied some white ink to correct mistakes. The ink bottle, brush and white ink brushpen are on the wooden table next to the open artbook.
Day 4 – Freeze
Black and grey drawing of geometric shapes and volumes forming some building.
Day 5 – Build
Black and grey ink drawing of a smiling husky dog. The tongue is red and there is a grey circle around him.
Day 6 – Husky
Drawing of a white stag in a forest. The animal is surrounded by trees of various shades of black to indigo to pale blue and the background is light pink.
Day 7 – Enchanted
Black outline of Rosie the riverter, arm raised and rolling up her sleeve. The background if done with filler motifs in indigo.
Day 8 – Frail
Silhouettes of a smiling man and woman dancing drawn on tracing paper glued to my artbook. The ink stamp and theme are visible underneath.
Day 9 – Swing
Rows of grey dots of various sizes applied more or less regularly as to create depth
Day 10 – Pattern
Black ink drawing of a winter scene: grass, fence, house, trees.
Day 11 – Snow
Lots of ink in black and grey around a traditional looking Chinese dragon
Day 12 – Dragon
Black and grey drawing of bodies and rubble. A man at the back props himself up on his arms.
Day 13 – Ash
Black and red ballpoint pen drawing of overgrown vegetation covering abandoned vehicles and the San Francisco golden gate bridge.
Day 14 – Overgrown
Black and grey ink drawing of hands on the handle of a Japanese sword. I wrote a quote by Miyamoto Musashi from the Earth book in 1644: 'The way of the warrior is the brave acceptance of death.' The open artbook is resting on top of the book on Miyamoto Mushashi: the book of the five rings.
Day 15 – Legend
Baby panda bending forward to grab a bamboo stick, next to a few upright bamboo sticks. The pens I used are visible next to the open artbook.
Day 16 – Wild
Black and grey drawing of the ornament at the front of a vintage car which is a stylish Native American head. The pens I used are next to the open artbook.
Day 17 – Ornament
Black and grey ink drawing of an animal that has the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. The grey brushpen and black brushpen I used are visible next to the open artbook.
Day 18 – Misfit
White ink drawing on black ink showing hands holding a sling around the Earth
Day 19 – Sling
Lots of black and a bit of grey ink to draw a couple of large gears levitating in space, in one of which ten people walk by following each other and all look down at the luminous screens in their palms.
Day 20 – Tread
Lots of black and grey for this drawing of a pirate diving to fetch a treasure. He's bare chest, wears short trousers and a red belt. The treasure is an open treasure chest. Not far is the broken front of a ship with prow figure. The pens I used are visible next to the open artbook.
Day 21 – Treasure
Black and grey ink drawing of a sad woman sitting in front of a mirror and looking down. In the reflection only there is a man standing behind her and looking at her, his comforting hands on her shoulders.
Day 22 – Ghost
Black and grey drawing of an Egyptian marble statue against a black backdrop.
Day 23 – Ancient
Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a man progressing along a cliff, on narrow wooden planks and holding a chain. There are trees behind him and other mountains in the background.
Day 24 – Dizzy
Very simple drawing in sepia ink of a tea pot, a bowl and spoon, dim sum and chopsticks, a plate of gyoza and a small cup.
Day 25 – Tasty
Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a man walking at the end of a wooden plank pier toward a flock of birds in a lighter spot in the otherwise dark sky.
Day 26 – Dark
Black and grey ink drawing of a Caucasian-Japanese mixed-race woman wearing a flowery coat over her kimono. Her hair is done in the traditional Japanese fashion. There is a grey background.
Day 27 – Coat
Black, grey and blue drawing of a young girl mounted on a buffalo. She wears a flower over her ear and a summer dress. She's barefoot.
Day 28 – Ride
Black and grey ink drawing of two sword warriors fighting each other. One's sword is through the other warrior's body.
Day 29 – Injured
Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a young boy jumping with legs wide apart. He wears a baseball mitt over his right hand and a cap over his head.
Day 30 – Catch
Simple grey ink drawing of two peaches. One is cut in half and the other half is cut in half.
Day 31 – Ripe
Inktober 2019 prompt list
Inktober 2019 prompt list

Inktober 2019 Days 26-31

I’m doing Inktober again in my small sketchbook Canson art book universal (14×21 cm / 4×6 in), in which I used half pages every day.

Day 26: “Dark”

Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a man walking at the end of a wooden plank pier toward a flock of birds in a lighter spot in the otherwise dark sky.

Dark is back! In this piece a man wanders at the end of a wooden pier, toward a source of light among the darkness and the fog, where a flock of birds seem to gravitate. I used and blended my grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen, and black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.

Day 27: “Coat”

Black and grey ink drawing of a Caucasian-Japanese mixed-race woman wearing a flowery coat over her kimono. Her hair is done in the traditional Japanese fashion. There is a grey background.

Japanese inspired piece, it had been a while (no) I draw a woman wearing a coat adorned with flowers, her hair made traditionally like geishas. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake for the background and shading, and a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen.

Day 28: “Ride”

Black, grey and blue drawing of a young girl mounted on a buffalo. She wears a flower over her ear and a summer dress. She's barefoot.

Going not too far from Japan, this is a Vietnamese scene: a dreamy-looking young woman is riding a buffalo. I used the grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, green ink brush pen by Sketchbox and indigo ink Cambio brush pen by Kuretake. The outline was done with a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen. I really like how it came out.

Day 29: “Injured”

Black and grey ink drawing of two sword warriors fighting each other. One's sword is through the other warrior's body.

And we’re back in medieval Japan with two sword fighters in action, one transpercing the other. I started with my black Pentel Brushpen for broad strokes to give movement, and then for finer detail, and added grey ink using a brush pen from Kuretake. It took me merely a few minutes.

Day 30: “Catch”

Highly contrasted black and grey drawing of a young boy jumping with legs wide apart. He wears a baseball mitt over his right hand and a cap over his head.

Other than the kid’s face, I am very happy with this piece. Little boy jumping, mitt in hand, and legs spread wide apart. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake and black ink Pentel Brushpen. The outline was done using a 0.05 mm black Uni Pin pen.

Day 31: “Ripe”

Simple grey ink drawing of two peaches. One is cut in half and the other half is cut in half.

After “Tasty”, the second abstract prompt of the month is “Ripe”. Someone over at Inktober 2019 headquarters really was hungry! I drew peaches. The minimal drawing focused (badly) on shading using dots and some hatching. I used a black 0.05 mm Uni Pin pen.