inktober 2018 Archives

Driving Toward Danger: Revving Up the Action

Cars Playing Chicken Ink Illustration by Ralph Contreras

Pedal to the Metal: My Inktober Day 5 Illustration

I was excited to tackle the Inktober prompt for Day 5, “Chicken”. Immediately, I thought of creating a high-action scene with two cars driving at each other, and I was thrilled to bring this concept to life.

For this illustration, I wanted to focus on creating a strong composition beyond simply drawing a figure. To achieve this, I decided to draw the point of view of one of the drivers from inside their car, complete with a gloved hand gripping the steering wheel. The skewed view of the incoming car adds to the sense of fast-paced action, and I even included dust from the second car, complete with a headlight glaring at the oncoming vehicle.

I am very happy with the final result of my ink drawing. I believe that the composition and cars capture nicely the “Chicken” prompt. Overall, this piece was a great opportunity for me to experiment with a new technique and push my artistic boundaries.

The Power of Resistance: Inking for a Revolution

Unleashing My Inner Rebel: Inktober Day 4

For Inktober Day 4, the prompt word was “Spell”. As part of my challenge to focus on composition this year, I tried to create depth. I used a solid black silhouette of a cityscape in the background. In the foreground, I drew a person spray-painting the word “resist.” I included a train cutting across the panel to further enhance the sense of depth.

I found that using solid black to separate the different sections of the composition worked in creating a cohesive overall image. I decided to use a ruler for this particular piece. It really helped with all the details on the train. Overall, I felt that this illustration was a success, and I enjoyed drawing and inking it.

One personal achievement for me during the creation of this piece was inking it at a Starbucks. I typically do not draw or ink in public, so this was a significant step in pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Fire and Fury: A Wurm Style Dragon Illustration

Sizzling Action: My Inktober Day 3 Masterpiece

For Day 3 of Inktober, I decided to have some fun with the prompt “Roasted” and created a piece featuring a wurm style dragon breathing fire and roasting an unfortunate victim. I originally thought about drawing a knight but decided to use a generic character to keep the focus on the dragon and the action.

Since I’m been focusing on composition in my ink illustrations this year, I made a conscious effort to create a piece that would guide the viewer’s eye. The dragon’s looping form helps to draw the eye toward the flames and the roasted character. I also used a solid black background to help make the dragon stand out even more.

As I was working on this illustration, I couldn’t help but notice that the dragon looked like Shenron from Dragon Ball Z. This was probably subconscious because I have been watching Super Dragon Ball recently. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this illustration and felt that it was a success in both the action and composition.

Power of the Third Eye: Journey of Artistic Discovery

Finding Tranquility in Ink: My Day 2 Inktober Drawing

For my Inktober 2018 Day 2 ink drawing, I tackled the prompt “Tranquil”. This time, I wanted to play around with composition and try something a little different from my usual comic-style drawings.

In this illustration, the figure is accessing a higher plane, with her third eye open and a jewel in her hand that has rays of light breaking through the illustration borders. I tried to make the jewel the focal point of the illustration and added a solid background to help the figure and light rays pop out.

This was definitely a departure from my usual style, I really enjoyed working on something different. Inktober and its prompts are a great way to challenge me and think outside of my regular art subjects.

245 Trioxin: The Poisonous Gas That Started It All

Tarman One Creepy Zombie: My Inktober Day 1 Drawing

For Inktober Day 1 the prompt was “Poisonous.”, I decided to draw and ink Tarman from the classic horror-comedy film “The Return of the Living Dead” with the title 245 Trioxin. This toxic gas is what creates the zombies in the film, and it’s a key element of the story.

I have a personal connection to this movie because I saw it in the theater when it was released, and it really influenced my joy of zombie movies (even though it also kind of traumatized me!). For this ink illustration, I tried a few different techniques, including an ink-wash background and a solid black figure. I also used a white gel pen to bring out the details of Tarman’s bones, skull, teeth, and eyes, and I tried to give him the creepy grin that he’s famously known for.

Even though my ink drawing doesn’t look exactly like the movie version of Tarman, I’m still happy with how it turned out. It’s creepy and unsettling, just like a good zombie should be. I usually don’t draw scary or horror subjects but I had fun with this Inktober prompt.