Category: art

#Inktober2023 week 2

inktober2023 prompt list

It’s the 8th year in a row I’m participating in Inktober. The rules are simple: A different prompt every day. Use ink. Enjoy. Learn new techniques, or not.

Some choose to not use the prompt list, or create their own, or follow a different list. I prefer to stick to those proposed by Inktober creator Jake Parker, because I find it easier, even though some prompts are less inspiring than others!

Day 8: “toad”

Night scene of a toad emerging next to carnations and a black ball

This is after a photo I took. The medium-sized toad is one of the two that I am aware live in my garden. I used a light grey Kuretake BrushWriter, a Sakura micron 003 black pen and Pentel black ink Brushpen.

Day 9: “bounce”

Black and grey ink drawing of a girl bouncing a basketball

Young girl playing basketball. I used only the Sakura Micron 003 black fineliner and the Kuretake light grey BrushWriter.

Day 10: “fortune”

Black and grey ink drawing of a cup of team and fortune cookie split in two. The fortune reads: you will make a name for yourself in the field of entertainment.

This is after a photo I took in a restaurant in California. The fortune promises that I’ll make a name for myself in the field of entertainment. It hasn’t come true but I haven’t tried very hard. I used the black micron 003 fineliner for the text, and for the rest the Kuretake BrushWriter in light grey ink, and the black Pentel Brushpen.

Day 11: “wander”

Black and grey drawing of a person with long hair and a coat, seen from behind, standing in a snowy forest, looking at the foggy nothing at the end of the path.

Gloomy forest scene where a young woman stands on a path, looking at a lighter hazy spot on the horizon. Again I used the micron 003 black fineliner, Kuretake light grey BrushWriter, and black Pentel Brushpen.

Day 12: “spicy”

Black and grey ink drawing of a handful of peppers on a wooden table

Hot peppers on a wooden table. I used once more the same light grey Kuretake BrushWriter, a Sakura micron 003 black pen and Pentel black ink Brushpen. For the highlights I used a white acrylic paint marker.

Day 13: “rise”

Black ink drawing of a character dressed in black flying upwards as geometric elements in the background suggest explosions.

Tribute to Moebius. I used the Sakura Micron 003 black fineliner and black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Day 14: “castle”

Grey ink drawing of a castle on a small island and its reflection in a lake on a grey cloudy day

Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands. My favourite castle on earth. I discovered it when I lived in Scotland as a student. I used the Sakura Micron 003 black fineliner, Kuretake light grey BrushWriter, and black Pentel Brushpen. Ah and a water brush as well, to get lighter and more diffuse light grey.

(See the posts for week 1, week 3, week 4-5)

#Inktober2023 week 1

inktober2023 prompt list

It’s the 8th year in a row I’m participating in Inktober. The rules are simple: A different prompt every day. Use ink. Enjoy. Learn new techniques, or not.

Some choose to not use the prompt list, or create their own, or follow a different list. I prefer to stick to those proposed by Inktober creator Jake Parker, because I find it easier, even though some prompts are less inspiring than others!

Day 1: “dream”

Black ink drawing of a dream catcher against a grey background

A dream catcher. I used my beloved light grey Kuretake BrushWriter because if I’m fast enough to beat the air or warmth and the ink is still wet enough, there are very few layer marks. The grey is also beautiful. I also used a micron 003 black pen and Pentel black ink Brushpen for the fine feathers.

Day 2: “spider(s)”

Black and grey ink drawing of the “Maman” sculpture by Louise Bourgeois which is a giant metallic spider. Someone is standing up under it and someone else is crouching to take a picture.

This is after a photo I took in Bilbao: the “Maman” sculpture by Louise Bourgeois, near the Guggenheim museum. Micron 003, light grey BrushWriter, black Pentel Brushpen.

Day 3: “path”

Black and grey ink drawing of a character seen from behind, wearing a helmet and carrying a long staff whose top is shining. The man climbs up a ridge from which a cluster of tall crystals are visible. The sky is clear, dark and starry.

Moebius-inspired drawing. I used the black micron 003 fineliner, and three Kuretake BrushWriters: light grey, white and grey. The latter turned out to be too blue-indigo for a grey. The way the ink behaves is also different between the light grey and the grey, so I will not mix them anymore.

Day 4: “dodge”

Black ink drawing of a sports car

The prompt didn’t inspire my very much. I love the look of the Dodge Viper, though. Again I used the micron 003 black fineliner, Kuretake light grey & grey BrushWriters, as well as a staedtler black 0.3-2.0 mm pen for thin to thicker lines.

Day 5: “map”

Black outline of Antarctica and a compass all showing the north

This is after a funny meme from “Terrible Maps”: a map of Antarctica showing “south” near the middle and “north” everywhere else. The compass too shows the north everywhere. I used a black Kuretake fudegocochi pen, which sometimes drips black drops (but didn’t this time) because I can achieve some thicker lines depending on how I tilt the pen.

Day 6: “golden”

Black ink drawing of a Japanese woman in traditional outfit and hair style. A large golden circle is around her head.

Based on a doodle I made a fee years ago to test a black brushpen (but less well done, *sigh*) I used a Pentel black ink Brushpen, and gold paint from Pebeo moon fantasy, which creates some hammered effect (except the paint wasn’t thin enough and the effect isn’t obvious).

Day 7: “drip”

Black and golden ink simple outline of a drip and golden drop

The drawing I spent the least time on (maybe ever): a stylized medical drip filled with golden content and a big golden drop at the end of the tube. I used the Staedtler 0.3-2.0 mm black pen, and a gold metallic felt tip pen from Stabilo.

(See the posts for week 2, week 3, week 4-5)

Art: Lago di Como, 3 (step by step)

The final piece in the series of Lake Como poster art that I’m painting with acrylic paint markers.

This is a flowery balcony overlooking the lake and coastline under a grey sky.

Finished piece, dated and signed in thin black ink, next to the 15 markers I used.

The final result.

I used 15 acrylic paint markers, including the white to delineate snow on mountains on the horizon, and mark villages on the green hills.

The size of the painting is 8.5 x 12.5 cm.

It took me 4 hours to complete.

An entire hour was spent choosing the right colors among the 60 markers that I have.

Step by step

Loose pencil sketch on textured watercolour postcard. The outline marks a bush of flowers in the foreground and where the land it around the lake.
Preparatory sketch on a sheet of regular printing paper where I tried out many of my paint markers which are scattered around the pages on the wooden table.
Two shades of warm grey for the sky
Two shades of pale blue for the mountains and white for the snow
Pastel light green and medium blue for the middle-ground mountains
Two shades of blue for the lake
Three shades of green for the land
Two shades of pink and red for the flowery bush in the foreground, white marks on the land to suggest villages.
The back of the postcard where I painted small rectangles of the colours I used and their reference number.
The three pieces in the series, framed, and propped against the reflective surface of my piano
The framed three postcards in the series of Lake Como poster art interpretation

Art: Lago di Como, 2 (step by step)

Second piece for my series of Lake Como poster art interpretation. I’m having such a nice time with the acrylic paint markers!

View on an island in a lake seen from behind a couple enjoying the view. In the background are mountains. On the island are a few houses and a tower amidst a lot of greenery. The entire foreground (couple, plants, balustrade, cypress trees) are silhouettes.

Finished piece framed in black wood with a white mounting mat on a white table

The result framed in black wood.

I used 15 acrylic paint markers with a thin nib.

The size of the painting is 8.5 x 12.5 cm.

It took me about 3 hours from start to finish.

Step by step

Loose pencil sketch on a textured watercolour postcard. The outline marks an island with a few houses, mountains in the background and a couple of people, plants, balustrade, cypress in the foreground.
Soft yellow for the sky
Pale yellow for the lower part of the sky
Yellow-green for the top of the mountains
Grey-blue for the shadows of the rocky mountains
Another light green to paint the parts of the mountains that have vegetation
More of the grey-blue to give contrast and shadows to the mountain vegetation
Dark blue, bright blue, subdued bue and pale blue for the lake
Two shades of warm grey to paint the main building and tower at the top of the island, as well as the outer wall around it.
Yellow for the facades of the two houses and orange for the roofs. I used a think black ink pen for the windows and to give an outline to the boat and its passengers, the building and the tower.
Four shades of green to paint the vegetation on the island.
Dark burgundy for the parts of the foreground that are lit by daylight
Darker burgundy for the rest of the silhouettes in the foreground
Date and signature in white