Saturday 18 November 2017

INKtober final wrap up

As mentioned in a previous post, I didn't finish INKtober all the way to the end but I did get to #27 which I'm very happy about as I beat my efforts of 24 sketches last year.

So here is the final wrap up...

INKtober 21/31 - Aussie Magpie - I sketched this beauty with Sumi ink in a Strathmore grey toned sketchbook. The highlights are done with white gouache.
I have a huge soft spot for magpies as, apart from being very clever birds, I adore how their babies are so loud and demanding when it comes to wanting food. They certainly keep their parents busy. Even now, as I type this post, I can hear a young magpie badgering their parents for food in a neighbour's yard. An interesting note is that the Aussie magpie is actually an entirely different bird species to the European magpie so they are quite different in nature. They were only called magpies due to their black and white markings.

I found a video on YouTube of our Aussie magpies and butcher birds looking for a feed. Not my video but it shows exactly what I mean about the magpies' loud and demanding babies. Too funny! We have had magpies fly into our kitchen waiting on us to put out some food, just like you see in the video. Please watch it all the way to the end as there is more than one baby.

Click HERE if the video below does not play for you. If an advertisement pops up on the video, just click the little 'x' on the top right corner of the ad to close it off.


INKtober 22/31 - Country Church. This time sketched with Speedball India ink in my Moleskine watercolour notebook.  I sketched this from a photo I took when we went on a country drive out past Beaudesert earlier this year.

INKtober 23/31 - Pineapple - I started with a loose pen sketch in my Moleskine watercolour notebook.

Then added some Kuretake artist quality watercolours

As a child, my favourite fruit juice was fresh pineapple juice...still is. Pineapple is so refreshing diced up on a hot summer's day. Sometimes, I will spoil myself even further by adding a large dollop of either vegan coconut or soy ice-cream. SO delicious!

INKtober 24/31 - Bat - I used the official INKtober prompt for that date which was BLIND. I thought of the saying 'Blind as a bat'.  But, funnily enough, bats aren't blind and their vision isn't all that bad...just better suited to night time. I sketched this fruit bat, also known as Flying Foxes here, in my Moleskine watercolour notebook using Sumi ink.

INKtober 25/31 - Boo! - My Scribble Picnic pals would have seen this one already. Sketched with a Platinum Carbon fountain pen then inked in with a Pentel Pocket brush pen. The green shoes were done with a Tombow brush pen.

INKtober 26/31 - Mouse - I used the official INKtober prompt for the date which was SQUEAK. This little cutie was sketched with a mix of ballpoint pen, Dr Ph. Martins Bombay ink, and Speedball India ink. The pinks and yellow tones were done with a touch of watercolour with white gouache to highlight.

INKtober 27/31 - Climb - which was the official prompt for the date. My final INKtober for 2017 sketched with Speedball India ink in my Moleskine watercolour notebook.

Even though INKtober is now done and dusted, I hope you will continue to follow my posts as there will be lots more sketches to come...

Thank you for all the wonderful and encouraging comments. I plan to catch up with your blogs very soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!

5 comments:

  1. I always love your art so much Serena. That little mouse is so adorable I can hardly stand it, and the PINEAPPLE and the BAT. And Don't forget your magpie which looks so real I'd have thought it a photograph. So glad to see you loving toned paper. About the Strathmore hardbound 400 mixed media or sketchbook, It opens up flat about 10 pages in, the first few pages "fold over" much like any hardcover book but when you get a little into it, you can open up the binding and it lays flat like a watercolor moleskine does or a softcover still man & bird does so you can work across the gutter. Hope that helps. Hugs, have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMGosh! Your sketches are just magnificent--all month!! I loved the greedy baby--LOL! Reminds me of the grackles here in the summer. Really--your artwork all month was stunning. Sweet spot for the mouse. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. You're so talented Serena. I love all of your inks, but especially the critters! Congratulations on being able to do 27!!! That is quite a feat.

    ReplyDelete
  4. good for you for getting further this year for inktober :) never know, might get the whole month done next year :)

    love your hanging bat :) they are such neat animals

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful work. I am not the best sketcher, my talent runs more to painting. I love your work. Great job.

    ReplyDelete