ART CHALLENGE: OCTOBER 2019

Inktober 2019

Welcome to my third year entry into the Inktober Art Challenge.

Another challenge this year is I have started work on a new animated feature film this October. So…my time is limited to a few hours late at night and on weekends. Instead of making one drawing per day, I decided to combine a few prompts to help streamline the creative process. After doing some research, thumbnails, sketches and storyline pitches in late September, I am ready to create. No doubt there will be some editing along the way. My prep process usually helps things move smoothly.

There should be about 10 ink paintings in all with short storylines in the description. Maybe some of these stories will develop into full children’s picture books someday?

This is fun and frustrating all at the same time but worth every minute.

You can see my Inktober artwork from 2017 and 2018 on my instagram feed here: https://www.instagram.com/derekmoorhouse/

October 1 - 2

Prompts: Ring + Mindless

They hide near the rings of Saturn while the alien spacecraft mindlessly searched for their ship.

October 3 - 6

Prompts: Bait + Freeze + Build + Husky

The bait distracted the bear and allowed the freezing builders and their team of huskies safe passage to the village.

The snow and wind lines were added in photoshop from scanned 4B pencil marks. I was afraid that I may ruin my picture if it was the wrong decision to add the wind/snow and I couldn’t edit it later. There might be a little overthinking in all this Inktober madness.

October 7 - 10

Prompts: Enchanted + Frail + Swing + Pattern

Rabbit quietly entered the frail Egg King's enchanted kingdom. She evaded the patterned rebels soldiers and swung onto her bike to escape.

I added some of the motion line from the previous illustration to enhance the movement of the bicycle escaping.

October 11 - 13 & 17

Prompts: Snow + Dragon + Ash + Ornament

The exhausted snow dragon was unable to make fire. A fine ash was all he could muster. At least Charlie's sad ornamented tree was safe.

October 14 - 16

Prompts: Overgrown + Legend + Wild

Colourful overgrown trees shade the underground hobbit homes. The Shire was very peaceful compared to the distant wild Misty Mountains bordering legendary Rhovanion.

I created this fall concept piece after watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy again for the umpteenth time and studying the conceptual artwork by John Howe.

The Shire in fall colours with pumpkins and The Misty Mountains in the distance. I wanted some interesting details in the line work but the colours to be loose, happy and peaceful. A place we all would like to return to after a great quest. Ramble on…

Ramble on...

"Leaves are falling all around

It's time I was on my way

Thanks to you I'm much obliged

For such a pleasant stay

But now it's time for me to go

The autumn moon lights my way

For now I smell the rain

And with it pain

And it's headed my way

Ah, sometimes I grow so tired

But I know I've got one thing I got to do

Ramble on..."

Songwriters: Jimmy Page / Robert Plant  -1969

October 18 - 19

Prompts: Misfit + Sling

The homemade plane was slingshotted into the sky with a pair of misfit pilots.

I decided to draw and paint the propellor, motion lines and slingshot separately in case I wanted to make adjustments. In other words, I didn’t want to mess up the painting. I might explore this concept again in the future

October 20 - 23 (+ 17 again)

Prompts: Tread + Treasure + Ghost + Ancient + Ornament

Ghosts, bats, rats and who knows what other scary things...it didn't matter. She still tread up into the ancient attic. But she was too late, the treasure chest was unlocked.

October 24 - 25

Prompts: Dizzy + Tasty + Dark

DRINK ME.

It was a tasty elixir with a cool dizzying effect but then she fell into the dark abyss. 

"She then finds herself shrinking down to only ten inches high after drinking from the bottle."

- Lewis Carroll Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)

October 26 - 28

Prompts: Dark + Coat + Ride

Up, up into the dark night sky. Holding tight to his grandfather's old RAF overcoat, they rode the wind like a magic carpet from a fabled epic tale.

October 29 - 31

Prompts: Injured + Catch + Ripe

Jack Skellington's attempt to catch the Easter Bunny and replace his eggs with ripe jack-o-lanterns was a resounding failure. He returned to Halloweenland with only his injured pride.