Ralph Contreras, Author at RSC Arts

Live Long and Pattern: Inking Spock with a Splash of Color

Spock Blue Pattern Uniform India Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Bringing Leonard Nimoy Spock to Life with Pattern Color Ink

Ok for the prompt of pattern I really just wanted to let loose and do the ink illustration different. I decided to use color ink. This might actually be the first time I’ve ever used any color ink other than black for an ink drawing. For pattern I did the pattern that can be found in the reboot Kelvinverse Star Trek uniforms. When I think Star Trek I think of Spock.

I really tried to capture the likeness of Leonard Nimoy in this illustration. Although I did put him in the uniform from the reboot Star Trek film franchise. The fun thing about the new uniforms is the subtle repeated pattern of the Star Fleet insignia. I used blue ink to show the repeating pattern. I did get a little sloppy, I think I was a little impatient with the pattern. I still had fun illustrating it though.

For the star fleet badge I used yellow ink. I feel it really helps to pop it out from the pattern. Even though the pattern is based of the badge shape. The rest of the illustration was done with black India ink. For this ink drawing I did draw a pencil sketch first, then inked over the sketch what a Hunt 102 nib. The 102 nib is my preferred method of inking.

I had a good time with this pattern inked illustration, it was fun to draw a Star Trek character too. I usually draw Star Wars characters for prompted challenges. But in truth I’m probably just as much a Star Trek nerd/fan as I am for Star Wars. Live Long and Prosper.

Knocking Out Inktober: A Boxer’s Swing in Ink Wash

A Boxer’s Swing Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

The Power of Grey: Enhancing Swing with Ink Wash for Inktober

Every day working on an Inktober drawing is both fun and a challenge. For this day’s prompt of Swing, I knew I wanted to do something with movement. Then it hit me, comics can have action, which is usually a fight. In fights, characters take swings at each other. So I decided to draw a boxer throwing a punch in mid-swing.

For this ink drawing, I approached it very loosely. No sketch, just inks. I’ve drawn so many figure characters that I felt confident I would be able to draw an action pose without the sketch.

I used a pentel brush pen to give the illustration thick ink lines. I really like the energy I was able to get from this. I wanted to give the boxer a determined face caught in the moment. I added action lines off the glove to show the swing.

I’ve been trying to ink with an ink wash this year. So I added a gray ink wash to the boxing figure to try to bring out highlights and show shadows. I also used the ink wash in the background. I think it helps to show the movement of the swing jumping right out to us the views.

I’m pleased with the way this ink illustration of Swing came out. And I feel like I’m getting much better at using ink washes.

Capturing the Delicacy of a Frail Dry Leaf in an Ink Illustration

Dry Leaf Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Inktober Frail Beauty: Inking a Delicate Dry Leaf

For the Inktober prompt of Frail, I decided to ink draw a dry leaf. A dry leaf is very delicate and frail. It can scrumble very easily underfoot or in hand. I just imagined the crunching sound of dry leaves during autumn while I drew it.

I enjoyed drawing all the veins in the dry leaf. Like a glass mosaic or a spider web, the veining of the dry leaf can have both a pattern and great randomness.

I used a micron pen for this ink drawing. No cketch just straight to inking. Working on this took me back to my drawing classes in college when we did contour ink drawings of everyday items.

Enchanted Inktober: The Lady of the Lake and Excalibur Illustration

Enchanted Excalibur and The Lady of the Lake Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Exploring Legends with Ink: The Enchanted Sword of Excalibur

I got a little behind on my inktober illustrations this year. Here’s the illustration for the prompt Enchanted. There are so many great ideas that come to mind with this prompt. I was inspired to draw the famous enchanted sword of Excalibur.

Growing up one of my favorite movies was the 1981 film Excalibur. I always remember the scene where the lady of the lake both gives and takes back Excalibur. So for this ink illustration, I wanted to draw that: Excalibur and a magical enchanted scene with the lady of the lake.

This year I’ve been both drawing a sketch first or going straight to inks. For this one, I did draw a sketch first. Then I went over the illustration with an ink pen. I wanted the illustration to be simple and clear. So I didn’t draw that much in the way of background or foreground. I added ripples to show her hand reaching through the water. I also put a spark of enchanted energy as the center point of the ink drawing.

Video of Ralph Contreras inking Illustration

I’m pleased with the way my ink illustration of Enchanted came out. I’ve also added a video of my inking it with a drawing pen.

Inking the Spirit: Exploring the Energetic Husky in Ink

Hungry Husky, Husky Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Embracing Inktober: Capturing the Energy of a Hungry Husky

For the Inktober prompt of Husky, I decided to illustrate a husky dog. This might be the first dog I’ve drawn in years. The funny thing is I actually drew a husky, husky. He’s even eagerly waiting for food with his bowl. I had fun with this illustration.

I went straight to inking with this one too, with no sketching whatsoever. I used my new LePen Technical Drawing Pen. I’m really enjoying inking with this new pen. The LePen pen gave me contour lines that are all the same thickness. I tried to ink this husky, husky with a lot of hatching to give the appearance of thick fur.

This was a quick ink drawing, I wanted to capture the energy of a hungry husky, husky.

Embracing the Imperfections of My Ink Wash Illustration

Freeze Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

From Captain America to Cosmic Horror: Diving into an Ink Wash Illustration

Here’s my Inktober illustration for the prompt “Freeze”. This one is kinda all over the place, lol. Approaching this illustration I knew I wanted to try the ink wash technique. I’ve seen so many great Inktober illustrations done with ink wash I knew I wanted to do one too. It’s a cool technique that adds different tones of grey by adding more or less water to the ink.

I’ve done a few ink-wash illustrations in the past. But for this illustration, I kinda feel like I lost myself in it. I tried to compensate by adding a solid black background and foreground. I added hatching with both thin and thick brush strokes.

The illustration was done with a pentel brush pen and a LePen Technical pen. For the subject of Freeze, I illustrated a figure frozen in ice and discovered by a mountain climber. I was trying to evoke a cosmic horror feel to the piece. like something out of At the Mountains of Madness being discovered in the ice, but I think it might actually look like Captain America when he frozen in ice.

The ink illustration is a bit of a mess, but I did have fun with it and the inking does have a lot of energy. So I feel like it’s a success in my inking progress.

Inktober Unleashed: Embracing the Energy of Spontaneous Inking

Bait and Trap ink illustration by Ralph Contreras

The Art of Letting Loose: Finding Inspiration on Inktober day 3

So I really struggled with Inktober’s third day prompt of Bait. I think it actually shows in the inking too. I had no real idea what I wanted to ink. Then it came to me, if there’s bait then that equals a trap. So I illustrated a box trap with a bushel of carrots as the bait.

I went straight into the inking with this illustration, no pencil sketch to start with. I think you can tell with the unevenness of the line work. But I think that really worked for this ink drawing. There’s an energy that I would have lost if I had over worked it. I used a Pentel brush pen and I feel it created really nice organic ink strokes.

I really wanted to focus on the composition of shadows and light in this illustration. The the box is bright with light against a very dark background. Then the inside of the box is also dark with a deep shadow. I tried to use the rope as an eye leading element to the bushel of carrots bait.

Even though I originally had a hard time with the prompt concept of Bait, I had fun just letting loose on this illustration. You can really see and feel the energy in the brush strokes on the background and in the box. I’ll need to remember to bring this energy to my future ink illustrations.

Robot Revolution: Unplugged and Unleashed for Inktober’s Mindless

Mindless Android Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Mindless and Mighty: Inking an Android to Life for Inktober Day 2

Here’s my second inking for this year’s Inktober. The prompt was “Mindless”. I had a few ideas of what I could draw. A crazy person or maybe someone lobotomized. But I liked the idea of illustrating a robot or android with the top of its head coming off. Showing that there’s no traditional brain, just tubes, and wires.

Unlike my previous Inktober illustration, I did start with a pencil drawing instead of going straight to inks. Just to get a general idea of what I wanted the android to look like, I drew a quick sketch of the head. I inked over the pencil sketch with my new LePen Technical Drawing Pen I picked up at Blicks art store for this year’s Inktober. The pen gave nice control that let me ink with steady contour lines. I also tried to add some hatching and solid black areas to give the illustration some depth.

Video of Ralph Contreras inking Illustration

I had fun with this illustration and who doesn’t enjoy drawing robots? I also embedded a video of me doing the final inks of my “Mindless” Android.

Inking the Flames: My Johnny Cash Inspired Ink Illustration

Ring of Fire Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Brushing Life into Flames and Faces: Inktober Day 1

Here’s my first inking for this year’s inktober. The prompt is “Ring” and I knew exactly what I wanted to illustrate when I read that. I was inspired to do an ink drawing of Johnny Cash’s song “Ring of Fire”.

For this Inktober illustration, I went straight to inking, with no pencil sketch to start off with. This is a bit of a challenge for me because I usually like to start with a pencil sketch. I used a small brush and India ink, I wanted organic flowing lines. When I ink with a pen or nib my illustrations can look stiff sometimes. And I wanted to capture the movement and feel of the flames, I felt a brush would help there.

I inked a face inside an engulfing ring of fire. There are deep shadows and highlights from the flames cast across the face. The face was supposed to be Johnny Cash, but it kinda looks like a young Jack Kirby to me, lol.

I also used my Exacto knife to scratch off some parts that I messed up. It’s the first time I’ve done this. I’ve seen other inkers fix or add details this way, so I gave it a try here. I’m really happy with this first Inktober illustration and I like that it kinda looks like a woodcut print too.

Meeting Felicia Day: Embrace Your Weird Book Signing Adventure

Geeking Out and Getting Inspired at Felicia Day’s Book Signing Event

This week I had the honor of meeting the fun and talented Felicia Day at a book signing for her newest book “Embrace Your Weird”. It all started when my girlfriend called to tell me she had bought me a ticket to a book signing to meet Felicia Day. She knew I was a fan of her work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and The Guild. Wow, what a great surprise. I didn’t even know she had written a new book or that she was coming to town for a signing.

So on October 1st, the day of the event, I drove to Changing Hands Bookstore. The place was packed and it was a challenge to find a parking spot. The line of people with tickets was long and went around the whole building by the time the doors opened. Luckily I was in the middle of the line so my wait wasn’t too long. I talked to the people in line next to me, it was fun to nerd out with other fans. I was even invited to join a Felicia Day fan club on a Discord server.

When I finally got to meet Felicia Day she was very nice and engaging. She didn’t try to rush our conversation. We talked for a few minutes, I told her I really enjoyed her character of Charlie Bradbury in Supernatural. She seemed truly happy to meet me. She signed my copy of “Embrace Your Weird” and offered to take a picture with me.

I didn’t know this until I was at the event but this was the 1st stop on her United States tour for promoting her book. “Embrace Your Weird” is a fun interactive book with tasks and exercises. It’s such a positive book and I give it high recommendations. I’m so thankful to have such an awesome girlfriend who knew this would be a fun event for me to go to!