inktober 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.

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.

Spooky Cartoony Fun: My Inktober Vampire

Cartoony Vampire Ink Drawing by Ralph Contreras

Inktober Fang-tastic: My Cartoony Vampire Drawing

In 2015, I participated in Inktober and decided to draw a cartoony vampire for one of the prompts. I wanted to challenge myself to draw in a style that I don’t usually use, which is inspired by anime and manga with big eyes.

To create the ink illustration, I used a combination of Pentel Brush, Micron pens, and Sharpie pen. I tried to give the vampire some movement by drawing his flowing cape. To make him stand out, I added a black background. One of the rules of Inktober is to draw only with ink and no pencil sketching. I enjoyed the process of creating something spontaneously.

Overall, it was a fun time drawing this spooky cartoony vampire for Inktober. It allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and experiment with new techniques.

Fury on Paper: Mad Max Drawing in Micron Pens

Sharp Lines and Cross-Hatching: Inking of Mad Max for Inktober

In October 2015, I participated in Inktober and did an ink drawing inspired by the Mad Max: Fury Road movie. The drawing is of Max wearing a metal muzzle when he was strapped to the front of the villain Nux’s roadster. I used Micron pens and a Sharpie pen for the ink illustration.

For this drawing, I experimented with a lot of cross-hatching, more than I usually do. I wanted to try a new approach to inking and challenge myself to use only ink pens without a pencil sketch underneath. While the result is a little wonky and stiff, I’m really happy with how it turned out.

What new techniques have you experimented with, and what were the results? Share your experiences in the comments below!

First Order Stormtrooper

First Order Stormtrooper from Star Wars the Force Awakens. Done with a pen brush and a micro pen. This was done last year for Inktober in October 2015. Had fun with this drawing. I really dig the new helmet design.

Exploring the Dark Side: Inktober Quick Sketch of Rae Sloane

Rae Sloane Ink Drawing by Ralph Contreras

From Page to Pen: Bringing Rae Sloane to Life for Inktober

For this Inktober illustration from October 2015, I did a quick sketch of Rae Sloane from Star Wars using a pen brush. At the time, I had been reading Star Wars: Aftermath where she was an admiral. Little did I know that she would become a big deal in the First Order too.

Normally, I would have penciled the drawing before inking, but for Inktober, I decided to follow the original rules by Jake Parker and go straight to inking. The result was a little stiff, but I’m still happy with it.

To give the drawing more depth, I added a black background around her head and shoulders. Overall, I enjoyed creating this ink drawing and exploring the character of Rae Sloane.

Embracing Cosmic Horror: My Cthulhu Inktober Sketch

Cthulhu Inktober Drawing by Ralph Contreras

Cthulhu Inktober Ink Sketch

For Inktober 2015, I did a quick sketch of Cthulhu using a pen brush. As a fan of cosmic horror, I had a blast drawing this iconic character. I liked playing with the details of Cthulhu’s tentacles and wings, I also added a skull-like head.

Inktober 2015 Day Three

BB8-Star-Wars-Force-Awakens — BB-8 drawing by Ralph Contreras

Inktober Day Three

A quick BB-8 from the new Star Wars The Force Awakens film. This was done with a pen brush. I think this little droid is going to totally steal the show.