October and How Was Inktober?

So, October has been quite a month. Politics has been a depressing, horror show. It’s been eye-opening how far conservative parties are destroying themselves, feasting on far-right propaganda with no reflection or new ideas.

I don’t want them to die, but they’re becoming something far worse: taking fringe ideas into the mainstream and watching norms break down. Even worse, a whole generation of the political class is addicted to a system feeding them this junk. They should get off their phones and get into the community.

As for America, well, they are giving up their power and walking away from what they built. Whatever it takes, they’re becoming unreliable. No other nation in history has done this. Empires collapse or regimes fall, but now they are forfeiting their place. It makes Halloween, celebrating the dead and spirits, look totally normal and less scary. The monsters and the insane are here. Failure to push back against this should haunt people and ruin their reputations. It’s hard to understate this, but the rule of law is at risk, and they are an existential threat against democracy and the opposition.

My Inktober Overview

On a better note, I’ve been doing Inktober! Here’s a brief overview of all 31 drawings.

I completed these over different days, and because I started late, I did some bulk drawings together on the same day to catch up. I also decided to do them in sets, sometimes grouping several on a single page to save paper. I wasn’t most confident about drawing them, but pushing through was the point! I tried a mix of simple and more complex subjects.

For tools, I used both dedicated drawing pens and normal ballpoint pens. I did a rough sketch in pencil for some of them, and I’ll admit I used a picture for reference on one or two pieces. It was all about practice!

1. Okay: First day, not a terrible mustache, could be better. I did mess up the right side.
2. Weave: This confused me at first before I decided on doing a spider’s web.
3. Crown: Looking back on this one, it could have been better. I put a bit too much detail in but kept the structure too simple. Too many straight lines, really.
4. Murky: The best out of the four I did here. Using a ballpoint pen, I did an okay job. Quite happy with that.
5. Deer: Dear God, this was not very good. Not using a reference was a mistake—not my best work. I think the body was too thick overall.
6. Piercing: A knife into some wood. I think that turned out okay, really.
7. Starfish: I kept it simple, and it works here.
8. Reckless: I went with a hand trying to clean something and pushing it way too close to the edge. It’s okay.
9. Heavy: Okay, I just drew a box with “Heavy” written on it, being dragged across the floor.
10. Tread: A brush sweeping. Simple idea, and I think it sort of works.
11. Sting: A cute, cartoon-style bee, and frankly, I love it! One of my favorites for sure and maybe my best work. I did use some manga-style pens here.
12. Shredded: A paper shredder with paper falling into a bin. Honestly, I don’t think I did a bad job here, due to the shading.
13. A Drink: It’s just a cocktail. I think this works too, and the shading isn’t terrible. Trying to make light shine off the glass was not easy. Not the worst I’ve done.
14. Trunk: Outside of the bee, I think I did a good job here. Simple details, not that complex, but it comes together. Quite pleased with it.
15. Ragged: A rag hanging on a washing line. I think overall this worked out quite well. It does look a bit like a map, but honestly, I don’t think it’s bad.
16. Blunder: So, I did a picture frame with holes all over the wall.
17. Ornate: A grandfather clock. I thought this effort was quite good, but I can see flaws with it.
18. Deal: Just a shelf with items on it with a big “10% Deal” sign. Pretty basic, not my best work.
19. Arctic: A scene showing off ice. I honestly consider this to be one of my better ones, and it was one that worried me the most.
20. Rivals: A goalpost with a cat and a ball. If I could redo this, I would. Not a fan of it. The cat is not great, and the idea is not good at all. The goalposts work. I was going to do something different but switched things up, and it just doesn’t work.
21. Blast: So, I drew a rocket with fire. Not the best fire effect I’ve done, but it’s okay overall.
22. Button classic don’t touch the button. How original, really, but I like how the button turned out.
23. Firefly jar with some fireflys inside it and outside.
24. Rowdy I went with bar scene with broken TV screen.
25. Inferno here I just went with a bonfire burning a fench. 
26. Puzzling this was just a rubik cube
27. Onion okay i don’t think need to explain this
28. Sketal bunch of bones
29. Lesson somebody at a desk in a classroom
30. Vacent this was just a house really
31. Award just a trophy

Overall, I enjoyed giving it go. Made me want to try drawing some more. I did try to shake things up and add more detail when I could. Only two drawings I would redo rest I’m quite happy with. The horrors of certain drawings are pretty fitting for Halloween. So happy Halloween.