Inktober 2019 - A Month of Ink, Masks, and Memories

It's October, which means it's Inktober - a journey through black ink and masking solution. Here's my daily exploration of thoughts, textures, and techniques.

Week One: Beginning the Journey

Day 1: Sometimes I see good hair and I just want to put my face into it. This marks the beginning of my Inktober series.

Day 2: "I'm flexible"
Finally started 'Kafka on the Shore' - the last unexplored Murakami in my collection. Watch how it seeps into my illustrations.

Day 3: "Broken"
"I know why they are broken because I'm tired. I know why they are disoriented because I organized myself differently this time."
Day 4: "Take care please"
Inktober was getting too dark and monotonous. A gentle reminder.

Day 5: "Father, where have you been?"

Can't really look anywhere without noticing the air, can you? Created a giant man protecting a tree on a tabletop.

Day 6: "Tile one"

Tile one to build a home. Let my mind stray mindlessly, and this emerged.

Day 7: "Not awkward"
"I'm not awkward around you." Beginning to wonder why I don't indulge in expressing love and lovely feelings.

 

Week Two: Exploring Texture

Day 8: "Comfort me plenty"
Late post, but made in time.

Day 9: "Touch so soft, that it cuts through me."

Day 10: Got so carried away in making the world, I didn't even get it right.

Day 11: More aligned with my taste - experimenting with negative space and rubber solutions in a scene of a man walking in the rain

Day 12: Portraits with rubber solution.

Day 13: A cozy memory of feet rubbing under the sheets.

Day 14: They are getting closer when I add texture - two characters finding intimacy through artistic technique.

Week Three: Technical Explorations

Day 15: Got the texture and edges right, though the whole image became a bit blotchy.

Day 16: A test run for future hair illustrations - more hairy portraits to come.
Day 17: Memories of stumbling upon a Kamasutra book as a kid.

Day 18: "Hoarder"
A tennis player clutching all their balls.

Day 19: This month was getting too black and white and dark, so I introduced some color.

Final Week: Philosophical Turns

Day 20-21: A two-page zine about the dead bull.
Day 22: Today I learned that Jesus died at 33. Another piece of information that I don't know what to do with.

  

Day 23: Abstract portrait/doodle explorations.

Day 28: Playing with masking solution and Devanagari fonts - "Ka re zhopa kadtos" in Marathi.

Technical Notes

Throughout this series, I've worked primarily with black ink and masking solution, exploring the interplay between positive and negative space. The rubber solution techniques have allowed for interesting texture experiments, particularly evident in the portraits and rain scenes.

This Inktober has been a journey from simple hair sketches to complex emotional narratives, from technical experiments to philosophical musings. Each piece carries its own weight in ink and meaning.