Class News plus FINAL INKTOBER 2021

 It is good news! Announcing that all classes will resume this November!

VAS: Monday November 8 - Monday December 13.
4-6.30pm (6 weeks)

MMAG: Thursday November 11 - December 2.
1.30 - 3.30pm, and 7.30 - 9.30pm (4 weeks)

If you need to confirm attendance, defer your attendance or wish to book a place, you must contact the Art Group via the links above.  I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

With that bit of good news to start your morning, I must also remind you that to attend any of these classes you must be fully vaccinated, have the appropriate Vaccination certificate on your phone or in hard copy available for recording, and sign in using the app or hard copy. You are also required to wear a properly fitted mask through out the class (no noses to be seen!) as well as maintain the 1.5metre distance.

These are requirements mandated by the Government and both VAS and MMAG are required to comply with the same.

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So with that in mind, my final drawing for Inktober is #31 Risk. To be precise,
Avoiding the Risk:

#31 Risk, by Linda Weil

It has been a journey this Inktober! Sometimes it was really difficult to come up with an idea for the prompt. Other days, during the height of the lock down it was hard to stay motivated enough to do a work every day and I think that shows in some of the more half-hearted of my attempts. But I did it!

And you did too! Thank you to all of you the contributed and followed along. It was great to see your works and the different ways you each interpreted the prompt.

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Although this is the final day, I hope to see some more of your Inktober works in the coming few days before class resumes. I will post them here as usual - which brings me to EM and her rather special little work for #30 Slither/#31 Risk. Breaking the fourth wall, she slithers and slides down the slope with UNIpin fineliners, some Caran d'Ache water soluble crayon in a black/purple wash for the outside of the box, red UNI Posca pen acrylic in the pants and Uniball Signo white gel ink in the pen itself.

This is a fun drawing! Well done EM.

A Risky Slither by EM

Inktober 2021: #30 Slither

 Penultimate Ink!

With all the spring rains, my garden is very damp. As a result it is party time for the the snails and slugs. So many slugs and snails this year, nothing seems to discourage them. And every morning the slugs leave silvery, glittering trails over the concrete as they slither their way home after feasting on my seedlings.

Inktense pencils, Staedtler pigment liners, Faber Castell metallic (silver) watercolor pencil.

Slither by Linda Weil

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EM has used fineliners, bronze ink gel and Inktense pencils for this Patch depicting an ice cream cone that will be sewed onto fabric to make a quilt. Very pretty - the drawing and the quilt.

Patch by EM

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And DH has drawn a spark plug for Spark! He was a little worried about the symmetry due to the angle of the subject, but I cannot see any real issue at all. Its a very good free-hand ink drawing, created using fine liner pens, with some graphite. The colored spark was added with a nib pen and liquid ink.

I think its a great drawing!

Spark by DH

Inktober 2021: #29 Patch

 As it is almost Halloween, I thought immediately of a Pumpkin Patch for this prompt. So although it is the wrong growing season here for these orange Jack O'Lantern pumpkins they were colorful and fun to draw. I used Inktense pencils washed to blend hues and tones, then the Staedtler Fineliner pens.

(Pumpkin) Patch by Linda Weil

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This work by GW I am especially pleased about. GW has had no previous experience with ink and she asked for some assistance as without in person classes she was unsure where to begin. I sent her some hints, pen recommendation (Staedtler) and some work sheets on different ways to create tone and texture with pens. She sat down and did some home work then created this patchwork quilt in a log cabin design using each of the different pen widths and types of textures. Clever, innovative and a great idea well executed!

Patch (work quilt) by GW

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OLE also has Halloween on her mind. Once again she has been exploring the ink settings in her drawing program and has created this work based on the character of Sally in Tim Burtons great animation film 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. You are really starting to excel with this digital work OLE.

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And EM has been out and about enjoying a coffee and crispy (#28) Biscotti - open coffee shops at last! She has used Inktense pencils and black fineliner for this work.

Crispy by EM

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JM has sent in this work that she says could work for two prompts, #25 Splat and #31 Risk - because any fly that buzzes into her kitchen risks getting splatted fairly quickly! She created the work with Inktense pencils, graphite pencil and black ink fineliner. Rather good! 

Splat Risk! by JM

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Inktober 2021: #28 Crispy

 Yummmmmmm....bacon.....
Guess what I had for breakfast!

Crispy by Linda Weil

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JH is dreaming of travel again now that we are 'Open'... and was reminded of this cute sign she saw outside a hotel in Amboise, France. She did this in Inktense pencils with some Derwent watercolor pencil highlights on hot press paper.

Open by JH

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And more 'Open' news - ALL classes will return in November. If you have not yet received notification from the art group contact MMAG or VAS to confirm your spot. Please contact them directly (not me).

Inktober 2021: #27 Spark

 I'm no Michangelo, but his image of The Creation with the Spark of Life always has inspired me, so I thought I would do a study of the hands in this work. It was tricky to do in ink and the result is not quite proportionally correct, but it was an interesting study to do. To try and follow The Master's style, get the same shapes and proportions and then create the shading using cross hatching. The cracks in the plaster seemed to emulate sparks as well.

When I saw the Sistine Chapel frescos I cried, they are so beautiful. I hope to return to Rome someday to visit them again - I did throw a coin into the fountain so here is hoping!

Spark (after Michangelo) by Linda Weil

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EM has submitted this work for Spark - a very nice composition and arrangement of elements.

Spark by EM

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And remember that Strawberry Ice Cream Cone? - well it seems that Buddy may have been the one who dropped it! lol - SW tells me that Strawberry is Buddy's favorite flavor and he was most distraught.

Splat by SW

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Inktober 2021: #26 Connect

 I was in a bit of a quandary over this one, until I noticed the cord/plug thingie connecting my computer to the power that connects me to the world!

Connect by Linda Weil

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EM sent in this somewhat frightening and grim image of Extinct:

Extinct (Life Nearly Extinct) by EM

And a smaller scale tragedy for Splat:

Splat by EM

And EM shows us all the different ways we can and have connected, past and present:

Connect by EM

Inktober 2021: #25 Splat

 Well, strawberry was never my favorite flavor anyway.

Splat! by Linda Weil

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Here is a very interesting design and thought from KM on #19  Loop. She did this with Faber Castell and Trombone pens.

Loop by KM

Inktober 2021: #24 Extinct

Extinct. A few of you found this prompt exciting and sent your work in a well before the deadline! It is a prompt that inspires many different ways of expression.

I chose to illustrate one of the most famous cases of man-made extinction, The Dodo. 

Extinct (The Dodo) by Linda Weil

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We haven't seen GW post for Inktober before, but this prompt inspired her to create a drawing that works on two levels. As she says it illustrates: 'A current desire to make politicians extinct and the vulnerability of koalas under their power'. With rising seawater flooding Canberra's Parliament House to illustrate climate change and the stranding of the last koala it is a strong work and statement.

It is her first time drawing in ink and done using a blue Artline 200 fine liner 0.4.

Extinct by GW

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KB's drawing for this theme is a rather friendly looking portrait of a Sauropoda dinosaur. As KB says, 'He was fun to draw' and he has an engaging way of looking back at us.

Extinct by KB

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OLE has taken a different route and created a Digital Ink drawing showing a fearsome Extinction Warrior. You really don't want to mess around with this guy!

Extinct by OLE

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And to end on a lighter note, we have this submission from EM illustrating a different type of Leak.

Leak by EM

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Keep these drawings flowing in folks! It's the weekend, so surely you can find an hour or two to draw one of the prompts from 22 - 31? I am sure one of them will inspire you!

Inktober 2021: #23 Leak

 Drip... drip... drip...

Leak by Linda Weil

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Happy Birthday EM! Someone got a lovely present to Open (#22). EM smudged the lid a bit by accident, but I rather like it that way.

Open by EM

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DH has had a small problem with plumbing recently, inspiring him to draw this response to 'Leak'. He has used Copic and Artline fine liners 0.05 to 0.2. He has also been experimenting with using scumbling for the shading which I think works well for this subject, giving it just the hint of rust on a leaky old tap.

Leak by DH

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And last, but not least, SW has brought Buddy out to play in three different scenarios: 

Sprout, Fuzzy, and Open by SW

Inktober 2021: #22 Open (updated 12pm)

 Well, for all of us here in Melbourne, Victoria, today's prompt was perfect... as we are now OPEN!

Open (Victoria Opens after Lockdown #6) by Linda Weil

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Seen in the foyer of the Mission to Seafarers, Melbourne this morning. A rather spectacular mosaic inlay Compass! Not ink, but pretty darn amazing.

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A little word from Jake and the Inktober team:

"Just 10 days to go and Inktober 2021 is over! If you've fallen behind, just pick up a pen and do today's prompt. Then repeat for the next 10 days. It doesn't have to be good, it just needs to exist. Put more art into the world!

Check out our latest IG takeover! Ilias Patis is a Swedish illustrator doing some pretty incredible art on toned paper, with Black ink and White highlights. We are really impressed with his stuff. Check out his IG story here: LINK'

Inktober 2021: #21 Fuzzy

 Goodness! It is now 3 weeks into Inktober, and only 10 days left for you to do some drawing for me. Please consider creating a work in the next 10 days or so, as there will be no more prompts or challenges from me this year. I am returning to class at VAS on November 8 for in-person teaching where I will resume 'Felines' in graphite pencil with limited hue. Please contact VAS for availability of places if you wish to attend (previous students will be contacted by VAS). Unfortunately MMAG will not proceed with Term 4 this year - hopefully we will resume Thursdays in 2022.

Until then, meet Fuzzy - a wooly bear type of caterpillar done with Inktense pencil and pan washes and Staedtler Fineliner green, sepia and black.

Fuzzy by Linda Weil

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EM has combined Sprout with Fuzzy - apparently when you plant the ends of your Spring Onions they will grow into a new plant, but you have to be careful to harvest before they blossom into fuzzy blooms. I am enjoying how EM is starting to incorporate her frames into the compositions.

Sprout and Fuzzy by EM

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JH got some of those gro-pots in a recent supermarket promotion and gave them a try. The Red Basil has sprouted for her nicely! My pots were destroyed by the Magpies. She has used primarily Inktense pencil washes but has also included some Derwent pencil to create more believable hues.

Sprout by JH

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And time to start the final 10 works! Can't wait to see what you do!

Inktober 2021: #20 Sprout

Sprout!  My version is a bit Psychedelic.

Sprout by Linda Weil

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JM has been eating her veggies! This drawing of Brussels Sprouts was done using black fineliner, graphite and Inktense pencil in the shadow. They look tasty.

Sprouts by JM

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KB has also drawn her veg... the ones sprouting in her newly planted garden.

Sprout by KB

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And EM has gone a bit loopy over Loop.

Loop by EM

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Have you looked at the online gallery of the Maritime Art Prize yet?
Don't forget to vote in the People's Choice!
HERE

Inktober 2021: #19 Loop

 I had to ferry a friend around to the doctor then hospital yesterday, so these two versions of 'Loop' were done while waiting in carparks. (She is all good).

#19 Loop (de loop) by Linda Weil

Loop (Mobius) by Linda Weil

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I was really pleased to see another artist attempt 'Collide'! JM had drawn this excellent take on that prompt, clever, political and well drawn! She mixed it up with prompt #21, 'Fuzzy'.  Congratulations on a great work JM, that was a really tough prompt and I love your response.

Collide and Fuzzy by JM

JM also did her impression of 'Loop'. My knitting is about like this. lol. I like the way you have framed this one with the swooping lines which emulate fabric.

Loop by JM

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KB has to encounter this loop every day, 8 hours a day at work, then outside after work. Big thank you to all our nurses, hospital workers and service providers... especially KB.

Loop by KB

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EM says she struggled a bit with the straight lines at first, but finally, her 'Compass' drawing is ready to show! I think the addition of the map background really sets it off nicely.

Compass by EM

Inktober 2021: #18 Moon

 Have you ever looked up at the moon to see the Rabbit in the Moon? If you look at the right time of the year the craters of the moon form the shape of a rabbit using a grinding pestle.

From Owlcation:

In China, the moon rabbit is usually called 'yuè tù' (月兔), which means "moon rabbit"! However, the moon rabbit is also called 'yù tù' (玉兔), or "Jade Rabbit", and sometimes Grandpa Rabbit, Gentleman Rabbit, Lord Rabbit, and the Gold Rabbit. Stories about the moon rabbit date as far back as the Warring States period (about 475-221 BCE). According to legend, the moon rabbit is a companion to the moon goddess Chang'e and pounds the elixir of life for her in its pestle. It lives in the moon with the toad and can be seen every year in full view on Mid-Autumn Day, or August 15th.

Can you see the Rabbit in the Moon? by Linda Weil

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KMcD has drawn for us a lovely compass. She has been quite precise with this, using a ruler and exact measurements to create this nice 3D shape. Sometimes 'simple' is quite complex to create!

Compass by KMcD

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EM has combined Moon and Collide to create this work. I really like the textured feel of the sky. Fineliners and Inktense pencils (white, indigo, poppy red).  She tells me she used a tortillion on the inktense pencils first, before wetting to achieve this effect. Works quite well.

Moon and Collide by EM

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SW has also done a combo work, Compass and Collide. The color graduation is very effective. Like EM's driver distracted by the Moon, Buddy is focusing too intently on his compass to see where he is really headed! Look Up, Buddy!

'Look Up!' Compass and Collide by SW