Inktober Day 9

I decided to do something now that was supposed to be inked later in the month, in an effort to help kick me out of my drawing funk.

As I am sure you may have noticed, my off-the-top drawings thus far have been beneath the quality I usually have on display here. Someone even had the gall to send me a question asking if "this is what it looks like when you can't trace with a light table?" Honestly, I can see why someone would say that, in comparison to past work I've posted on here. Thing is (and I'm sure you've seen this said elsewhere) I'm one of those "good art takes time" illustrators. I generally spend a day on the pieces of art I post and, if I ever can manage to get video of me doing a piece, you'll get a clear understanding of how meticulous (aka nit-picky) I am with every detail in the pencil stage. I put in the maximum amount of time in effort before I do the ink and tones (which go quicker than pencils, due to my having figured out what I am going to do after the time spent in that stage.)

Inktober, however, is a reality check and a challenge for myself. I limit the usual process by HOURS and I do the LEAST amount of pencil work that I've done on anything since...I dunno, middle school? It is actually, at times, debilitating how much the work looks so unlike what I, myself, even consider to be "how Conduct does illustration." I totally get the critical questions comparison can stir up. I'm the one making the most commentary about it to me.

So when you catch a peek at today's post (and, hopefully, the next few days worth...which I think will go as well) you will begin to see a shift in the quality somewhat. NOT like the majority of things posted on here before October, but certainly better than the last week's worth of things. I've made adjustments, I'm not selecting a random subject off the top, and I'm using my portable drawing board (as opposed to the last 8 postings, which were done sitting on a couch in random pads.)

I've found that making the trappings of where and how I work, as well as having proper pre-selected subject, allows me to produce a better quality cartooning. This should (focus and schedule willing) create a much better set of images coming from my pen.

But, ya know, we'll see. I would, however, encourage anyone who has found a rhythm in doing something, to occasionally attempt going at it different and shaking things up, like I'm attempting. You may do a face-plant. And that is perfectly fine because you'll find your limitations. Or. Maybe you will discover something that takes you further out than you were allowing yourself to consider possible.

I'll let you know what the journey of Inktober brings me to, when its over and I can reflect on it. Till then, behold: Black Canary!

- Conduct Lionhardt