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October 31, 2024 curios

Inktober 2024

A sketch depicting a person pulling back a large sheet showing a cluttered bookshelf filled with books, plants, and various items, to reveal a shelf of more minimally organised shelves

Inktober was created in 2009 by Jake Parker as a way to improve his inking skills with daily prompts.

FYI Illustration has never been my strong point. When we had to choose whether to specialise in illustration or graphics for the last 2 years of my design degree, the lecturer came over to me all serious-like and said “I highly recommend that you not choose illustration”. So, yeah. Skills to learn, baggage to lose!

I’m not a true inker and have no idea if I’m doing this right, but it’s good drawing practice and that’s good enough for me.

Index

Day	Theme		Day	Theme
1	Backpack		17	Journal
2	Discover		18	Drive
3	Boots		19	Ridge
4	Exotic		20	Uncharted
5	Binoculars		21	Rhinoceros
6	Trek		22	Camp
7	Passport		23	Rust
8	Hike		24	Expedition
9	Sun		25	Scarecrow
10	Nomadic		26	Camera
11	Snacks		27	Road
12	Remote		28	Jumbo
13	Horizon		29	Navigator
14	Roam		30	Violin
15	Guidebook		31	Landmark
16	Grungy

Day 1 - Backpack

A sketch of a person seen from the back, wearing a backpack with two front pockets. The figure is surrounded by pencil lines and shading.

Day 2 - Discover

A sketch depicting a person pulling back a large sheet showing a cluttered bookshelf filled with books, plants, and various items, to reveal a shelf of more minimally organised shelves

Day 3 - Boots

A simple cartoon figure pointing up at a billboard showing various feet and boots. There are two feet that can be seen from inside their boot; one has plenty of room around it and has a tick on it, and the other shows the toes cramped together with a cross on it

Day 4 - Exotic

Various hand drawn depictions of the ampersand character, from simple to curly, and an unusual blocky stacked version Plain and some exotic ampersands. The ampersand character is a contraction of the Latin and English words “and per se and”. The symbol is a representation of et, the Latin word for “and”.

Day 5 - Binoculars

Two stick figures in front of a large orange sun. One figure is using binoculars, while the other is crouched down, reaching out to a small animal. A pair of binoculars is on the ground nearby.

Day 6 - Trek

A sketch of two stick figures walking away from a shadowy place, one pointing outward while the other leans against them. Small birds are depicted in the distance, suggesting a sense of optimism or hope. A trek is a long, demanding journey. Someone around you (maybe it’s you?) almost certainly feels like they’re walking in darkness. Walking with them with an understanding heart can help both of you to leave the shadows and move towards the light.

Day 7 - Passport

The image depicts two contrasting scenarios: on the left, a large figure with an “X” symbol on their relationship-passport is reprimanding a smaller figure, infecting them with negativity; on the right, a figure with a heart symbol on their relationship-passport is kneeling at eye level with a child, passing on loving vibes. Passports give us entry and open doors. Bring the wrong one to a barrier, and doors (and hearts) will stay firmly closed. You get to choose which passport you will bring to the people you deal with. Now, a light-filled passport doesn’t guarantee entry to a heart determined to stay closed, but it always, always makes things better in some small way.

Day 8 - Hike

A simple sketch depicts a stick figure walking on the ridge of a giant hiking shoe that has pebbles and a twig caught in the texture of the sole. The drawing has a shaded appearance.

Day 9 - Sun

The image features a stylized text design that includes the words “SUN” “SOLEIL,” and “SOL”, with intricate details and shading. The background is textured and dark on the left fading to light on the right

Day 10 - Nomadic

An illustrated diagram showing five different scenes of a person engaging in various activities, such as working at a desk, using a laptop, typing on a bluetooth keyboard in the car, riding a train, and writing notes. Each scene is enclosed in a circular outline with connecting lines I’m a digital nomad! In any given week I might be working on a bench in the fresh air, kneeling by a bed or lounge, in a car, on a train, or even at a desk.

Day 11 - Snacks

A monochrome sketch featuring various food items including a bowl of leaves, a baked potato with toppings, and scattered grapes in the background. Sunflower seeds, apples, grapes, baked potatoes! Choose nourishing snacks.

Day 12 - Remote

A whimsical drawing depicting two tables with food. A character is using a remote control to send a small car carrying a plate of food along an extremely long table to the person way at the other end, while two people sit at a round table below, freely passing plates by hand. Various food items and drinks are visible on both tables.

Day 13 - Horizon

A sketch showing the interior of a car from the perspective of the back seat, featuring two headrests, a partial view of two people, and a view of the road ahead. Mountains are visible in the background, along with birds in the sky. The text “RIDDLE ME, RIDDLE ME REE, THERE’S SOMETHING I CAN SEE” is handwritten at the bottom of the image

This one is a memory from when I was a kid, playing Riddle me, riddle me, ree (I Spy) in the car, in Adelaide. Mum chose the word “horizon”, completely bamboozling my sister and I! I was sitting in the back of our little Toyota at the time, so this pic is from my point of view.

Day 14 - Roam

3-D crossword-style blocks spelling the words WANDER and ROAM, both sharing an A. There’s a stick figure saying “Not all those who wander are lost”. Handwritten text pointing to the word ROAM reads “No specific destination or purpose. A sense of freedom, lack of constraint”. Text pointing to the word WANDER reads “Aimless movement, lost or uncertain, lack of focus or direction”

Day 15 - Guidebook

A simple line drawing depicting a character with curly hair holding a baby, standing next to a table with an open guidebook. Text on one page of the book reads, “Your best is good enough. Keep going! THE END.”

Contrary to popular belief, kids actually do come with a guidebook. The first (and last) page of the book reads “Your best is good enough. Keep going!” The rest of the book is blank because you’ll need the space to write down what both God and your kid teach you about how to be a good parent — to that child, specifically.

Day 16 - Grungy

An abstract illustration featuring chaotic black and yellow lines forming a tangled mass, with small figures seemingly interacting within the chaos. A single yellow figure stands out in the center of the image. An abstract drawing featuring chaotic, intertwining lines in black, yellow, and brown against a light background. The composition suggests a sense of movement and randomness.

Day 17 - Journal

Sketch on white paper showing one page of a 5-year diary. Each entry highlights a personal thought or experience, showcasing gratitude, lessons learned, activities, life advice, writing challenges.

A stylised representation of my old Leuchtturm 1917 Some lines a day journal. I’m on year 6 of writing daily in this particular kind of book.

Day 18 - Drive

Silhouettes of two stick figures, one standing, the other sitting and reading. Each figure has a window in their chest Teletubby-style, showing a smaller figure sitting at a console, driving or controlling the larger figure.

Self-hosting, literally! I believe that we are dual beings, and our inner, true essence is in charge of driving our actions.

Day 19 - Ridge

contour, high contrast drawing of some bent fingers with short, ridged nails

Day 20 - Uncharted

A simple black-and-white drawing of a small house next to a road. The road disintegrates into rubble next to a desert-like landscape. There is a bench and a signpost nearby, with a tree and some plants in the foreground. The background features rolling hills and a few birds in the sky.

Day 21 - Rhinoceros

Illustration of a sign declaring the “Western Black Rhinoceros” as extinct, with a population count of 0. Grass and hills can be seen in the background.

Day 22 - Camp

A sketch of a serene nighttime scene featuring a person sleeping inside a cozy dome. There is a tree nearby, and the sky is filled with stars and a crescent moon, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Day 23 - Rust

A standing stick figure is bending down to look at their slightly bent knee. There’s an additional closeup of the knee showing some rough spots and mild disintegration of the joint. Text around the close up reads “JOINT RUST”. On the right is a table with junk food on it, and a bowl of fruit and soccer ball underneath.

Our joints need good food and exercise to stay in shape, but sometimes things happen we couldn’t have predicted. Eat well, move well, and be stoic about the rest.

Day 24 - Expedition

A sketched scene divided into two halves. On the left is an urban train station with tall buildings in the background and people sitting on benches and standing with luggage, while on the right is a lone bench at a country train station with trees, hills, and a country Australian house in the background.

Day 25 - Scarecrow

A simple sketch of a child and a mother. There’s a thought bubble above the mother’s head suggesting that she is wondering whether her child will grow up to be a doctor or a teacher. The child’s thought bubble shows they are thinking about being a scarecrow!

When I was 3 my mum asked me what I’d like to be when I grew up. My answer wasn’t what she expected! Goes to show, it’s okay to change your ambitions when new info comes along.

Day 26 - Camera

A sketch of an eye with a thought bubble containing two stick figures, one child with the number 6 on their shirt and holding a ball, and one adult. The text “yes, eye remember it well” is written below the eye.

Day 27 - Road

An artistic illustration combining musical notes with a landscape scene, featuring a road, fences, grassy areas, and a sunny sky.

Day 28 - Jumbo

A sketch of a pair of eyeglasses with a tiny figure that appears to be climbing or hanging on the glasses.

Day 29 - Navigator

A cartoon-style drawing of a car driving down a road featuring 2 alligators, one behind the wheel and the other holding a map and giving directions. The second alligator is pointing out the window at a sign with a wavy symbol on it, suggesting that water is nearby. There are bushes and hills in the background.

Day 30 - Violin

Fine line stylised outline of a violin, where the shapes of the instrument are made up of the letters in the word VIOLIN. Dark, solid letters are placed within the aforementioned outlines.

Day 31 - Landmark

A sketch featuring a mountain in the background with clouds, while the foreground displays a series of interconnected oval shapes. Two small figures are depicted climbing on and near these shapes. The overall design conveys a surreal, abstract landscape.

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