OCTOBER CHALLENGE WINNER! INKTOBER + HALLOWEEN THEME

Lee White · 13 Nov 2017, 17:30

Sorry for the delay this month guys! We have been swamped with getting the new curriculum ready and some travel was mixed in as well with the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show in New York.

So overall I really enjoyed the work you guys did. I could see a little more struggle in the media but that is ok. Ink takes a while to really get a handle on and it's worth it in the end. Not getting to do an "undo" command teaches some very valuable things. Committing to a stroke or a wash takes guts! I've had so many happy accidents when doing that (as well as crappy moments where I ruined the piece!).

Before I get too far into this post, I have some general housekeeping things to mention. You HAVE to include your name (both real and forum name) ON YOUR PIECE. It's too much admin for me to try and track you down if your name isn't on it. Plus, people want to know who you are! There were a few I wanted to include in the honorable mentions, but no name on the piece means I skip it! It's a tough policy, but your name should be on everything!

So let's get to it! Here's the winners and the Honorable mentions:

Winner: Tom Shannon

Tom's piece is so elegant and simple and hit just the right note. I love the ink lines that make up the tones and think the overall piece is just brilliant!

**Runner up: Jen Sweeney

What a beautiful and unexpected piece. Expert handling of the media and a very funny and creative solution.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Darian Pereira (@Darian) This one almost made it to the top pick. I really love it and think the concept and execution on this are amazing.

Gnolo : Really cool piece. Has a little Jake Parker in it which is always a good thing! Great work Gnolo!

I can't read the name on this one. Help me out if you know the name.
This one has a Miyazaki feel to it and I want to know more about this story!

Jason Mcintosh Really clever concept and a confident approach to the media. Love it!

Thanks to everyone who entered! This next month is Slowvember which is all about slowing down and doing ONE GREAT PIECE. Any subject, Any media, Any style. The goal here is just a full on portfolio caliber attempt. If you have never slowed down and really spent time on a piece, now is your chance. Too often artists use the "it's pretty good, but it was just a quick piece" mentality. Sometimes you gotta step up and do the absolute best you can. It's harder than you might think. Many times we use the "quick" mentality as a way of getting out of really working hard on a piece. So switch gears out of the speed of Inktober and let's make some fantastic art! I'll be posting the finished thread soon to post your work into.

Thanks guys!
-Lee

Diego_BioSteam · 13 Nov 2017, 03:32

Nice outcome!
Congrats to all the winners and participants!
Interesting that the description of the mood/feel of the pieces was made by relating them to a certain artist/studio ("...this one has a Miyazaki feel..." "...Has a little Jake Parker in it..."). Sort of trying to pick up the style being developed by each artist. It would be good to see their influences/references.

13 Nov 2017, 03:37

@lee-white Wow! I'm very flattered Lee. Thank you so much for picking my piece and the kind words!! I'm looking forward to a free one month subscription! Hats off to everyone, awesome work. I'm pretty new to SVS and I'm glad to part of it. Learning is king!

Eli · 13 Nov 2017, 04:14

Congratulations, everyone! Great work!

TessaW · 13 Nov 2017, 05:06

Congrats Tom! That piece is wonderful- I always love the texture of your work.

Congrats to everyone else as well! I love Halloween, so these were extra fun to look at.

smceccarelli · 13 Nov 2017, 05:27

Congratulations to everyone! I loved the winner piece by @Tom-Shannon - that was my pick too. But all were great!

aska · 13 Nov 2017, 07:58

Congrats! @Tom-Shannon win is not a surprise. I love this simple but beautiful piece

DOTTYP · 13 Nov 2017, 11:12

Congrats to the winner and runners up .Lovely work everyone.

13 Nov 2017, 15:38

@tessw Thank you Tess for the kind words! Congrats to you as well for your awesome Inktober project.

13 Nov 2017, 15:39

@smceccarelli thank you! Yes, for sure, great job done by all.

13 Nov 2017, 15:40

@aska @DOTTYP @Diego_BioSteam Thank you so much!

Kat · 13 Nov 2017, 15:40

Congrats everyone - some really great work, and I'm glad to see the ribbon dancing mummy (my favorite) got a mention. That one made me LOL!

BichonBistro · 13 Nov 2017, 17:05

@lee-white runner up is Jen Sweeney, remarkable dogs in black & white throughout inktober!

Lee White · 13 Nov 2017, 17:30

@bichonbistro Thanks for that info. I've updated the post

Jen Sweeney · 13 Nov 2017, 19:46

Wow I can’t believe it. Thank you so much for even looking at my piece. First time entering an illustration contest, was so nervous I’ve only just started my journey and am really unsure whether I’m ‘good enough’. Am a new subscriber and have loved the courses I have done so far, thanks for creating such a wonderful learning environment for illustration.

BichonBistro · 13 Nov 2017, 21:54

@jen-sweeney love your work! (And your subjects )

MOO · 14 Nov 2017, 00:08

Congratulations to all! Such talent. I am always amazed by the art you all produce!

MOO · 14 Nov 2017, 00:09

@jen-sweeney You're obviously in the right place! Congratulations!

MOO · 14 Nov 2017, 00:12

@tom-shannon Congratulations! Super nice and clean inking. What kind of pen do you use? I use an old dip pen and always get blobby lines. I wonder if you have something better.

14 Nov 2017, 00:41

@marsha-kay-ottum-owen Thank you for the kind words Marsha. I used a #102 crow quill pen nib and a Pilot G-TEC-C 0.25. FYI, the Pilot pen is not waterproof. I used Kuretake Zig Cartoonist Sumi Ink with the quill pen. I've had really good luck with the nib I use, no blobby lines.