Fauntober 2022
For the first time ever i decided to partake in Inktober, I chose Faunwood’s prompt list since it aligns with my interest in animals and nature. For this prompt list I added some extra set of perimeters to ensure that this challenge is not only fun, but also beneficial to my growth as an artist. The perimeters were:
To create an animal no matter the prompt
Try to add a sense of place and story with minimal detail
Maintain one style throughout the challenge.
Process
Day 2: Gourd
When it came to the gourd prompt, I initially found myself at a loss. I didn't want to take the easy route of creating an animal that simply resembled a gourd. Instead, I decided to push myself and approach it as a wearable item.
My mind quickly turned to armor, and I began to imagine how the hard skin of a gourd could be repurposed as a protective material for a small creature. I settled on drawing a mouse, partly because I had already envisioned a story about "garden battles" between tiny rodents, and partly because I was inspired by the children's book "The Tale of Despereaux," which features a mouse in armor.
To bring my idea to life, I gathered reference images and began to sketch out the mouse and its unique gourd-based armor. Through this process, I discovered the many creative possibilities that can arise from thinking outside the box and challenging myself to approach a prompt in a new and unexpected way.
After some initial rough sketches, I dove right into creating the final drawing. With only one day allotted for each illustration, I had to work quickly and efficiently without much time to refine the details.
In keeping with the style of the collection, I had originally planned to give the mouse only a simple object to stand on. However, as I continued to sketch and develop the character, a story began to take shape in my mind. Inspired by this narrative, I decided to add more elements to the drawing to create a sense of environment and scale. I wanted to convey the idea that this mouse was small, but brave and resourceful.Despite the time constraints, I'm pleased with the final result.
Day 13: Claw
When it was time for the "claw" prompt, my first instinct was to choose an animal with an impressive set of claws. After some consideration, I settled on the three-toed sloth - not only because I had never drawn one before, but also because it presented an exciting challenge. To add a unique twist to the drawing, I decided to draw inspiration from the cultures in which sloths are native, such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Ecuador.
As I researched these countries, I discovered that shamanism is a common practice among their indigenous peoples. This inspired me to create a shaman sloth character, which I felt would be both interesting and visually striking. To remain culturally respectful, I focused specifically on Ecuadorian shaman references and avoided mixing and matching cultural elements.
As I worked on the drawing, I found myself experimenting with adding accessories directly onto the final piece. This was a technique I began to use more and more throughout the month as my schedule became increasingly hectic.
All Drawings
Overall I really enjoyed making these drawings everyday through out October, it was a great way to keep me drawing after university. I also think i created some great characters i could someday push further and develop. All drawings are available on RedBubble
