Themed ink illustrations
Inktober Illustrations
Inktober is a global art movement created by Jake Parker in 2009. Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day for the entire month, based on daily prompts.
This is one of those challenges that I find really inspiring – I discovered the project several years ago and I’ve loved immersing myself in a world of ink illustrations.
Inktober 2024
In 2024, my idea was to follow the journey of a black cat through a series of Polaroid style pictures.
I loved illustrating the cat in many different settings, following the prompts and using a limited colour palette of black, white and yellow. As usual, I used Procreate with my trusty ink brushes.
Inktober 2024: prompt list
1: Backpack
2: Discover
3: Boots
4: Exotic
5: Binoculars
6: Trek
7: Passport
8: Hike
9: Sun
10: Nomadic
11: Snacks
12: Remote
13: Horizon
14: Roam
15: Guidebook
16: Grungy
17: Journal
18: Drive
19: Ridge
20: Uncharted
21: Rhinoceros
22: Camp
23: Rust
24: Expedition
25: Scarecrow
26: Camera
27: Road
28: Jumbo
29: Navigator
30: Violin
31: Landmark
Inktober 2023
In 2023, I approached Inktober with the concept of an empty window: with every prompt, I used the window concept to anchor me, finding expression and fresh ideas on my digital canvas.
As in previous years, the consistent format helped me to add a sense of simplicity and exploration. Each window had its own unique theme, capturing the essence of my Inktober experience.
Inktober 2023: prompt list
1: Dream
2: Spiders
3: Path
4: Dodge
5: Map
6: Golden
7: Drip
9: Bounce
8: Toad
10: Fortune
11: Wander
12: Spicey
13: Rise
14: Castle
15: Dagger
16: Angel
17: Demon
18: Saddle
19: Plump
20: Frost
21: Chain
22: Scratch
23: Celestial
24: Shallow
25: Dangerous
26: Remove
27: Beast
28: Spark
29: Massive
30: Rush
31: Fire
Inktober 2019
In 2019 I participated in the Inktober challenge digitally using Procreate with some awesome ink brushes – I decided to follow a specific theme, so I illustrated 31 films based on the prompts. Totally loved it!
My process was very streamlined – I used black as the main colour, choosing accent colours based on the mood of the film. During the planning phase, I picked the movies that I wanted to illustrate for each prompt. By using the same format for all of them, with the same background, textures and brushes, I kept all the illustrations consistent and developed a unique cohesive style for the project.
Inktober prompts
1: ring / Big Fish (2004), directed by Tim Burton
2: mindless / Fargo (1996), directed by the Coen brothers
3: bait / Fish Tank (2009), directed by Andrea Arnold
4: freeze / Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), directed by Michel Gondry
5: build / Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), directed by Colin Trevorrow
6: husky / Game of Thrones
7: enchanted / Edward Scissorhand (1990), directed by Tim Burton
8: frail / 500 Days of Summer (2009), directed by Marc Webb
9: swing / Forrest Gump (1994), directed by Robert Zemeckis
10: pattern / The Shining (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick
11: snow / Into the Wild (2007), directed by Sean Penn
12: dragon / How to Train Your Dragon (2010), directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
13: ash / Burn Burn Burn (2015), directed by Chanya Button
14: overgrown / Jumanji (1995), directed by Joe Johnston
15: legend / Where The Wild Things Are (2009), directed by Spike Jonze
16: wild / Beast (2017), directed by Michael Pearce
17: ornament / The Grinch (2000), directed by Ron Howard
18: misfit / Little Miss Sunshine (2006), directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
19: sling / The Hobbit (2012), directed by Peter Jackson
20: tread / Pin Cushion (2017), directed by Deborah Haywood
21: treasure / King of California (2007), directed by Mike Cahill
22: ghost / Russian Doll (2019), created by Natasha Lyonne
23: ancient / The NeverEnding Story (1984), directed by Wolfgang Petersen
24: dizzy / Memento (2000), directed by Christopher Nolan
25: tasty / Ratatouille (2007), directed by Brad Bird
26: dark / Joker (2019), directed by Todd Phillips
27: coat / Napoleon Dynamite (2004), directed by Jared Hess
28: ride / American Honey (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold
29: injured / Lady Bird (2017), directed by Greta Gerwig
30: catch / Moonrise Kingdom (2012), directed by Wes Anderson
31: ripe / Call me by your name (2017), directed by Luca Guadagnino
Inktober 2018
2018 was the first year I participated in the Inktober challenge.
That October I was travelling and I didn't get a chance to complete all the prompts, but I cherished the ones I finished. (Talk about constraints of a challenge!)
Inktober prompts
Poisonous
Tranquil
Exhausted
Star
Precious
Flowing
Cruel
Guarded
Clock
Light (#adobedrawing prompt)
Build (#adobedrawing prompt)
Drain
Muddy
Jolt