Flower Drawings | Inktober 2019 Roundup

Inktober. The season of fall where illustrators everywhere loose sleep and work their creative juices to the bone in order to fulfill the 31 day prompt list that comes out every Octobor. I have participated minimally in this challenge, but last year, for the first time, I jumped onto one of the spin offs and was able to fulfill about half a dozen illustrations for the challenge (you can see those here).

This year (2019) I thought it would be fun to collect a few friends together and host a spin off of our own! All of the hosts are moms of little ones, so we decided that an every-other-day prompt list was more appropriate and “do-able” than the month long power drive. We also created the prompt list and used the #Flowertober to connect with and collaborate with other creatives.

We had a blast, and I can honestly say it was one of my favorite experiences in 2019, despite the fact that I was unable to finish due to some deaths in our family and the onset of my twin-pregnancy-morning-sickness (twin pregnancy hormones are no joke).

Here’s a few of the illustrations that I created for the challenge:

Morning Glories (left):

My main goal with this challenge was to explore ink and shading a little further while exploring different compositions. I was excited to kick off the challenge with this wreath (featuring my husband’s favorite flowers) and some intertwining vines.

Bumble Bee (right):

The next prompt was “pollinators”, and I was excited to illustrate this darling little bumble bee! There were a few prompts that deviated from flowers and hit a “garden” theme to keep things fresh and interesting. I have a full tutorial on how to draw this little guy, as well as a shading tutorial if you’re interested in some of my tips on the subject :)

Azaleas (left):

Admittedly, I was very nervous about this prompt. I’ve worked with azaleas before and struggled—I’m a lover of long and graceful stems and fewer petals. But it was a great opportunity to test out my shading and I ended up loving the result!

Snowdrops (right):

I don’t usually work exclusively with ink, so I needed a break and brought out my. I thought the added color would help add depth and make sense out of all of these lines. I have no regrets.

Peonies (left):

It’s always a little intimidating to illustrate your favorite flower, but I LOOOOVE how this one turned out. I love the variety in the bloom size, direction and overall grace in the composition. I plan to watercolor this one soon!

Hibiscus (center):

Apparently I was really feeling the wreath composition with this challenge! For this flower, I wanted to symbolize growth and life—the upward arch captures that well, aided by the transitions between different stages in the life cycle of the blooms.

Parrot Tulips (right):

I started experiencing some morning sickness with this one and didn’t take the time to warm up. I also attempted to illustrate it from memory (one of my big “no-nos” if you took my the Floral Drawing Challenge!), and you can tell. I’m embarrassed to post this one but it’s the reality of this style of work and challenges—sometimes, it doesn’t turn out and you run out of time.

That’s all for now! I have a few more illustrations to add but I’m embracing “done is better than perfect” and cuddling with my toddler tonight instead!
Happy drawing, friends!