Written by For today’s Doodlewash prompt of berries, I opted for a little bird eyeing some, since I’ve exhausted all options of berry desserts I can think of in previous sketches. Since “exhausted” was the Inktober 2018 prompt today, and that weirdly fit into my random line of thinking, I decided to switch to black ink and ink things up a bit more before quickly splashing on some watercolor. In truth, I meant to switch to black ink all month to truly celebrate Inktober, but was too busy to refill my empty black fountain pen until today. While I love to draw with ink in either sepia or black, I can’t possibly give up color or, more specifically, adding a bit more dimension with watercolor, so this is my compromise. But, I’m thrilled by all of the graphic and wonderful ink-only sketches flooding my social feeds for Inktober. It’s wonderful and inspiring to see what people are creating in only a bit of black ink! Though I have painted some watercolors with just a pencil sketch first, I love sketching with ink most, and nearly everything I make always starts there. So, I happily celebrate #Inktober2018, and hope everyone participating is having a fabulous time! (if you’d like to see the ink-only version of this and other doodlewashes, please read on for the full story!)
Inktober 2018 Drawings
What I’ve found most fun about using ink is the permanency that creates little imperfections along the way that you simply can’t edit. I sometimes sketch with pencil first and other times just launch in with ink, when it’s something I’m more familiar with drawing. And though I have tried just splashing color here and there over the ink, I’m never as satisfied with the results. So, my personal approach always seeks to add dimension and modeling when applying color. This is simply what I find the most fun. In a word, I purposely “overdo” it in an effort to add a touch more depth. Today’s little doodlewash exhibits the extent of my restraint when it comes to adding watercolor. As you you can see from the initial sketch of this doodlewash, my ink sketches themselves are a bit more like pages in a coloring book, since I know that watercolor will be added shortly after. And my inner child, of course, thinks this is really pretty cool.
Drawing is perfectly fundamental to painting, even if you end up creating incredibly abstract works. So, I applaud each and every one of you who have taken up the Inktober 2018 challenge! It’s a wonderful way to practice those core skills that make our future paintings more awesome! When I very first started painting, I realized I needed to brush up on my drawing skills a bit more. Though I gleefully painted all through that first July, I joined the Drawing August challenge the very next month. You can see those ink drawings by clicking here. These I only posted to the Twitter group for the challenge, and then I added the watercolor version to each one that actually appeared in this blog. I contemplated showing both versions all month long for Inktober 2018, but I’m often so rushed these days that I have to just jump in with watercolor before I have time to scan the original. I did, however, manage to snag a scan of one of my recent flowers in a jar, which I’ve shown here. Yep, just another piece of a coloring book page that I make each and every day. I blame that child inside and happily thank him for the inspiration. I adore ink so much, and so you’ll always find me happily celebrating Inktober 2018 with a bit of watercolor!
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Aureolin, Vermilion, and Indigo (my “Vintage” Trio!) + Quinacridone Red. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with black ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Your pen sketches are quite nice, although I prefer the added color in your doodlewashes. The modeling on today’s berries is just right!
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃Yeah, my ink sketches are more of a pattern… hehe… I know that watercolor will come in to add more dimension!
Your bird is so sweet! It sounds like our process is pretty similar. If I had a better scanner, I might post the B&W versions too, but they always end up Black and Bluish instead.
Thanks, Sandra!😃💕Yeah, the scanner Philippe bought me for Christmas really rocks! So I had to add to to my Recommend Art Supplies in my shop. It’s not even the latest version, but this version seems to get those contrasts just right! hehe
I’ll have to check it out! Maybe Santa will bring me one this year.
hehe… tell Santa I can confirm you’ve been nothing but nice! 😉
Well done! Your little bird isadorbslpp
Thanks so much, Lisa! 😃💕
Oops! Your little bird is adorable!
haha! Yeah, I was struggling to understand waht isadorsbslpp meant, but I assumed it was positive! lol 😉
Nice sketch, like the pen and wash you have achieve on this one….
Thanks so much, Walt! 😃💕
AAa what to say weather chosen ink or colour both are remarkably sweet.my Inn er kid says ,this is my bird give back to me.haha.wonderful. thanks kidlie for sharing beautiful art.
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕 I do love to sketch, but I adore the dimension that comes when watercolor is added!
Love your bird and berries! Your original Inktober drawings are amazing!!!
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 I’m not even posting the drawings this time around, but I figured it would be fun to show them! I still prefer things with a bit of lovely watercolor.
Really lovely drawings and I love the idea of Inktober! Is it A Thing or is it a Doodlewash special?! Lovely idea either way.
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Inktober is a Jake Parker thing that has no direct affiliation to Doodlewash, but I happily support it because it gets more people drawing! 😉
Oh my gosh! Your ink sketches are over the top! I can not seem to get myself to sketch in just ink. I erase a lot and have a one inch eraser to prove it! Lol The perfectionist in me hasn’t completely left me, even though I have been working on it very hard for the past 5 years. I also can’t leave sketches uncolored and you may have helped me find out why. I loved to color when I was a child and I believe that child resurfaces every time I see an uncolored image. That made me happy to realize! Thank you. 😉
Oh I definitely sketch in pencil first for many sketches, but sometimes I feel bold enough to go in with just ink! hehe 😉 So happy you enjoyed this post! 😃💕
I forgot to comment on your darling bird/berry sketch. Too wonderful. When I saw berries were on the list, I thought, “we don’t have any berries this time of year.” You just made me remember there are those berries out there that we don’t eat….the ones for the birds.
aww yay! Thanks! 😃💕 Yeah, I always interpret prompts as broadly as possible… hehe… it’s just more fun that way!
What a cute little bird eyeing those beautiful red berries. My first Inktober drawing is today, the owl. I usually have a pencil in one hand and an eraser in the other so I am finding that I may be overdoing the ink. A challenge fir me but still fun. Love your drawings.
Thanks so much June! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, I know I overdo it pretty much all of the time, but I think it’s just become part of my style! lol Doesn’t matter at all in the end as long as were having fun in the process!
“What I’ve found most fun about using ink is the permanency that creates little imperfections along the way that you simply can’t edit.” You are SO brave! I’m too much of a Type A control freak to let myself do anything like that (I don’t even draw/sketch/paint…). But just the concept of enjoying a little imperfection? Very fascinating. 😀 I should calm down and do that too before I get high blood pressure hehe!
hehe! Yes! 😃💕 Totally calm down and just play a bit. Sketch what you see and don’t worry about what comes out! That’s really the most fun, and after you do it a lot, you’ll find that what comes out is rather cool! 😉
Cute bird! And an interesting selection. The sepia flowers are refreshing and distinctive in their way, but the colours have IT, especially where flowers are concerned. I tend to reserve sepia for ‘old’ things/landscapes (a cliché surely worthy of next month’s celebrations) but you can’t argue with results!
Thanks, Jacob! 😃💕 Yeah, my sketches are really a bit like a coloring book page. I couldn’t live without my watercolor! hehe I use sepia to hide the ink a bit and let the watercolor shine through. This month I’m bringing black back a bit more for Inktober. But since most of my sketches are old memories, sepia works rather well! 😉 lol
Love that little bird!
Aww thanks, Sarah! 😃💕 Glad you liked him… or her… never sure really.
I really liked your sepia ink sketch. Thanks for sharing your pre painting process. I was little curious to know when do you apply sepia ink to your painting. Well..Now I know it ! He..he…
Yay! Glad you liked this Anita! 😃💕 Yeah, I don’t really have too many mysteries. Always ink first because the little kid in me likes the coloring book effect! lol 😉
so cute
Thanks so much, Mireya! 😃💕
Skillful and smooth style. ❤️🦋🌀
Thanks so much, Sheila! 😃💕