Joe's Inktober 2021

Inktober is an artist challenge held every October online. A set of prompts are released each year, one for each day, that must be finished in some sort of ink. Artists post their results to the internet to see what everyone did with the same prompt, creating the feeling of commodore I love in online artist communities. I've participated in the challenge for years, adding my own overall theme to the daily drawings. This year my wife suggested that my overall theme be ghosts, which given the month and my personal affinity for the macabre I jumped at immediately. 

So without further ado, here is my Inktober 2021 pieces. :)

1: Crystal

Ghost plus crystal to me lead me immediately to Madame Leota, the crystal ball medium from the Haunted Mansion. May've helped that Muppet's Haunted Mansion was about to come out and I was building a Haunted Mansion themed Dungeons and Dragons game at the time so she was naturally on my mind. The hardest part was the metal stand, which I feel I got the basic idea but could've been far better. 

2: Suit

I didn't want to show how the ghosts died, because then the piece becomes about the way they died, so I left the ghosts ambiguous. Suit was more about a nice suit with something obviously not alive inside. When I was done I thought it looked a bit like a burn victim but I like to think that the corruption within caused the ghost to look like that.

Or a witch doctor shrunk his head. 

3: Vessel

So this one's a little bit of a stretch. 

The "vessel" here is the poor man trying to stop the voices of the dead. He's full of the voices of the spirits, like a possession. 

Makes sense? No? Moving along..

4: Knot

This is the first one in the set to have an alternate title, being "So We Don't Lose Each Other Again". I liked the idea of two people who cared about each other finding each other again as ghosts and tying their shrouds together so they wouldn't lose track of each other again. I see ghosts as being confused creatures, trying to understand what happened to them and what their existence is like now. What if they found someone they knew in that state? Wouldn't it be nice to know you aren't alone? Wouldn't you want to make sure you're not alone again? 

5: Raven

The alternate title for this one is "Please Tell Them I'm Okay". Ravens are messengers and are associated with the dead, so I thought: "What is one thing I would want my loved ones to know?" and the alternate title was the answer. 

6: Spirit

So this one is a stretch... It's supposed to be the "Spirit" of Halloween, meaning children excited to dress up. I tried to make the kids as cutesy as possible, channeling the Halloween coloring books I had as a kid. The ghost in the back is a bit more like the basic ghost model but with the fun shadows and obviously floating, meaning that these kids Halloween spirit has attracted a real spirit. 

7: Fan

This is partially based on the famous Falling Man photo, a ghost photo that has yet to be explained. I liked the idea of seeing this creepy thing on your fan and not knowing if it's stuck or is going for a ride.

Weeeeee! 

8: Watch

It's that head turn that makes it creepy. Yeah, the guy doesn't know there's a ghost behind him, but it's the way the ghost is turning his head that makes it unnerving. 

9: Pressure

Sleep paralysis is the phenomenon of waking up unable to move. Scientist contribute to some chemical malfunction in the brain but for centuries sufferers have claimed to have beings sitting on their chests keeping them from moving. The idea that while you sleep something comes in and holds you down is creepy enough but the thought that it might not even be alive is even worse. 

10: Pick

How do you link pick to ghosts? I still don't know so I just drew a cool looking dwarf with an enchanted pick, though if you look close there's little ghost faces around the tip of the pick so there you go. 

11: Sour

In the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the crew roll up to a ghost party where they see a table covered in rotten food. Ghosts pass through it with their mouths open and claim that they can almost taste it. I would think that any extreme taste, like the sourness of a lemon, would have a similar effect on ghosts. 

12: Stuck

Alternate title for this is "I Just Want To Leave". Death is supposed to be a release from the burdens of life but... What if it isn't? 

13: Roof

If a house is haunted, do you think the haunting extends to the roof? Is it the property line or the area? If you could sit on the roof and look at the stars wouldn't you? 

14: Tick

Alternate title: "How Long Have I Been Here?". What does time mean to the dead? What do you do when you can no longer interact with the world of the living? The boredom would be excruciating. 

15: Helmet

Another Dungeons and Dragons inspiration, here's a fun cursed helmet for your next dungeon or family get together. 

16: Compass

Alternate title: "I don't think it's working I'm still lost". A being lost between worlds would never stop looking for its way, either back to the living world or onto the next. 

17: Collide

This is actually inspiration from real life. One night I was turning all the lights off and was in my basement alone when in the dark I saw the form of a man in a long coat and fedora walk past me. I was shocked to see it since I was home alone.  

18: Moon

This was me flexing my super artsy side. Only the parts illuminated by the moon are visible on the ghost. This picture actually killed three pens. 

19: Loop

It's hard to draw movement since drawing is a stationary medium, but I did try to give the impression that the ghosts were doing figure eights around each other. I like how the fringes of their shrouds came out. 

20: Sprout

Alternate title: "Is It Really Alive?" to one that's been dead for so long, seeing new life must be an event and a wonder. 

Also ghosts like this look odd close up. 

21: Fuzzy

I don't know if it's a big bear or a tiny ghost. Either way I like this one because the cuteness of the bear is in direct opposition to the creepy faceless ghost. 

22: Open

Alternate title: "I Think It's Time For Me To Go". Ultimate goal for a ghost I think would be to finally move onto the next life, going to the true afterlife and not be stuck aimlessly wandering around the earth scaring people. 

I have no idea though why this ghost has Deadpool eyes. 

23: Leak

The ghost is leaking out of his shroud. 

I don't know, it was either this or I draw a Farfetch'd ghost. 

24: Extinct

A ghost dinosaur just sounded stupid so I just drew a cool dinosaur skull. I love drawing dinosaur skulls. 

25: Splat

Well if they literally can't see you crossing the road what do you expect? 

At least the other guy's car is probably fine. 

26: Connect

When someone passes it means we can't connect with them in person again. We try what we can, visiting graves and remembering the person, but it's never the same. Those on the other side may have the same wants, and the same problem. 

27: Spark

Mimikyu is one of my favorite Pokemon. Here he's taking imitating Pikachu to a new level, thanks to the help of a taser. Tell me you wouldn't want to see him use this on Team Rocket. 

28: Crispy

Ghosts probably can't tell when a marshmallow is done. They probably don't care either. 

Who built the fire though? 

29: Patch

As morbid as this is, I picture me doing this as a ghost. My favorite jacket is covered in patches so it's not a stretch that I would cover my shroud in them as well. And catch me without sunglasses, it never happens. 

30: Slither

You try to make a ghost slither...

31: Risk

Alternate title: "Can I Play Too?" the risk a ghost has to becoming known to humans is weather or not they will be accepted. That's why I think they often appear to children and become their imaginary friends, because children are always happy to have another playmate and are less likely to start screaming. 

Thank you for letting me flex my Inktober this year. Let me know which one was your favorite? 

-JOE

The Art of Fanart

 Fans will get it. 

Fanart is making art based on one's favorite franchises. Sometimes that means copying scenes, sometimes making up one's own headcannon for characters. But why would someone be compelled to make a piece that didn't come from their own heads? 

Fanart Through History

Technically fanart is anytime one story inspires enough passion in a person that they are compelled to add to that piece by creating their own addition. Look at the myriad of depictions of great battles, ancient heroes and myths found in Renessance art. It can be argued that Dante's Inferno and Paradise Lost are basically biblical fan fiction. The imagination of one person fuels the imagination of others, and fanart is the means to express that passion. 

Is There Bad Fanart?

Now, without getting into too much detail, there is fanart floating around that some may find... questionable. Maybe even offensive. I argue that offensive does not bad fanart make. If you see your favorite character in a situation or outfit that you don't agree with, spewing hatred towards the artist is not the appropriate response. Remember that fanart is a work of passion, and for some people their reaction will be different than yours. If you don't like a piece, move on from it. 

That being said, there is bad fanart. 

This fanart is that which plagurizes other artists. Comic conventions have seen this problem in artists alleys for years. And artist will download a piece either publicized from the original owner or somebody else's fanart, change a couple colors in Photoshop, then try to sell it as their own. This is where the bad fanart comes from. When it's not about the need to express a reaction to an experience and is instead a cash grab based on greed, that is bad fanart. 

To Make Your Own

Notice nowhere have I mentioned quality of work. You don't need to be Alex Ross or Davinci to make fanart, you just have to have a passion. Use a medium you're familiar with, be it painting, drawing, stitching, costuming ect and express yourself through it. Give yourself permission to not be perfect and you'll be surprised what you can do. It's the love of a character that makes fanart good, not how much Agumon looks like the original. Let your passion drive you and see what it feels like to express your fandom in a whole new way. 

Also please share it with us! 

-JOE

P.S. All art used in this post is my own, characters belong to their respective franchises and companies. 

Artist Alley

(Guest Post by Jared)

I’ve been to FanX three times now and I’ve spent exponentially more money each time! This last time we finally splurged for a BIG celebrity photo and paid the price to meet Tom Holland for a photo. I always get a Funko POP or two signed by celebrities, maybe a photo to commemorate the moment. However, by far, the most money I spend at the convention is in Artists Alley.

I’d heard about it before ever attending the show, but honestly could not have expected it to be as huge and as awe striking as it was. The talent that these artists have is just incredible and to see it all in one place like a huge buffet is by far my favorite part of the weekend.

I’ve been a nerd my whole life, some of my earliest memories is watching Star Trek: the Next Generation at three, four and five years old. I love Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. I’m a Disney fanatic and go to Disneyland or Disneyworld once a year. I’m an avid comic book reader and have been obsessed with Marvel comics since the late 90s. Seeing all the art available at this show spanning these fandoms and so many more could easily be an entire day of your convention, and if you walk through too quickly or skip it altogether I would really say you’re missing the best part! Sure the celebrities are fun; the panel are usually hilarious but for me seeing so many local and talented artists is mind-blowing. Most do it is a side hustle, or just for fun and I’m so glad they’re willing to share their talents with all the rest of us nerds who can’t draw stick figures!

Here are a couple of my new favorites this past FanX, you can find on Instagram

@toonbaboon
I’d actually found this artist because I ran into a lady here at my local Michael’s who was framing a “Little Mermaid” print and I just loved the style! She gave me his name and I quickly found him on Instagram and Etsy. Previous to the convention he was running specials on his Etsy shop on some new prints, one specifically, an Elliot from Pete’s Dragon that is a childhood favorite for me. I purchased it for pickup at the convention and just loved seeing his art in person for the first time! So much Disney and all within a very personal style that I just loved, so I had to buy a couple more!

@xidingart
This artist was a very fun find for me too; his art is an amazing perfect mix of lifelike yet cartoony. I absolutely loved the Iron Man snapping his fingers. So much emotion in that scene in the movie and he was able to capture it in wonderfully in his art.

@tonysantiagoart
Tony is another artist I met at one of the previous conventions but he still remains one of my favorites! I’ve purchased several prints from him in the past and love to stalk his social media and his website to see what new things he’s working on. His art is so lifelike and beautiful; they almost look like photographs that have been put through a filter.

@artofhardy
Another of my favorites from the past FanX was easily Hardy, I’m a sucker for any Marvel art obviously but when I saw a print of the original film Avengers AND it included Wanda and Vision I had to have it! I’m a huge Vision fan from the comics and I was really excited to see him and Wanda included in such a beautiful print.

@nostalgicburns
Easily my new favorite find from the most recent FanX was Nostalgic Burns. Every piece of his art is unique and there are no reprints because he does them all by hand with a wood burning pen. There are a few wood burning artists at FanX, however this is easily the most talented and unique artist in the bunch! I was amazed at how beautiful and detailed his art could be just burning pieces of wood! Talent comes in many forms and this artist is a step above the rest for sure!

Also check out our thoughts on a celebrity meet-and-greet with Ming-Na Wen

Pride

Yesterday in Elders Quorum, our lesson was on repentance. That is a beautiful topic, in my mind. Repentance, whether religious or not, is healthy. A more secular term would be "apologizing." Or even just saying "I'm sorry, how can I make it up to you?" Honestly, I respect people more when they own their mistakes. I respect myself even more when I own mine.

But one of the references in the lesson, took us to Alma 5. If you're not LDS or don't recall, this specific chapter is on pride.

Some people automatically discredit pride and say it's the biggest evil. And I agree with them, to an extent. As I learned more about French and Spanish, I've learned that those two romantic languages have two different words for pride. I know the French ones way better than the Spanish ones so I'm gonna use those for this topic.

In French,  you have "orgueil" and "fier".

Fier, in my opinion, is a healthy pride. From my perspective, it's a just pride. From the personal side, I can be proud of my accomplishments. To me, this means, I appreciate what I've done. I look at the drawings I've done and, even though they're not the best drawings in the world, I am glad that I took time to do them.

Another example of this kind of pride is to be proud of a loved one's accomplishments. I don't care what people say, but to hear my father or my wife or those closest to me tell me how proud they are of me, it means a lot. It's self-affirming and sometimes a needed self-esteem boost. To let my kids know I'm proud of them means a lot to them and it can even mean a lot to me.

Orgueil, is kind of the opposite. Fier can be found with humility. Orgueil cannot. This is the pride that is scriptural and generally disliked. A proud person who doesn't see past their nose or only sees his or her way. 

I'd love to say I've only experienced the fier kind of pride. But I know better. Sometimes my orgueil kind of pride gets in my way. It's what prevents me from moving forward. But fier helps me feel good about what I'm doing and gives me motivation to keep going.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Good At Nothing

Ever get into that "pity party" phase and think to yourself, "There's nothing I'm good at"? It's a very depressing statement. One I've sat and said to myself many, many times.

While in the MTC, I shared a room with my companion, Ben, as well as another companionship made up of Daniel and Carter. Ben was/is an amazing violinist. I mean, we're talking prodigy child. The guy could play the violin better than anyone I'd ever heard. (A statement which remains true to this day.)

There was one day when Daniel, Ben, and I were in our room. It was actually Halloween 2001. And whatever it was, I was not feeling well. (Probably stress, knowing me.) Well, I was attempting to sleep at the time (or rest) and Daniel and Ben were discussing Ben's violin skills. Daniel said to Ben, "I wish I had a talent like that. Really, I'm good at nothing."

Now, if you know me well, you would know that when I'm sick, I'm boldly honest, more than I usually am. And thirteen years ago, I didn't like that Daniel was discrediting himself. So I sat up, looked at Daniel and said, "That's not true. I know there's something you're good at. And I see it in you. I won't state what it is, because it's for you to find and own." (I may not have said "own", but truly, it's something I should've said.) Daniel looked at me and said, "Thank you."

Over the past few months (probably longer, to be honest), I've thought to myself how I'm not good at anything. However, I've started to notice (whether on my own or pointed out for me) how I'm actually good at a few things. And even though I look at people and think "Man, I wish I could _____ like that person," I know that I can do more than I give myself credit for.

Of course, in the earlier story, Daniel was jealous that Ben had a talent that could (and has) put him on a stage and have people clap for him afterward. Daniel, on the other hand, was the epitome of charity. No, he didn't give up everything he had. But he did show his love for those around him through his actions and words. And seriously, it was a talent he possessed well.

A talent of which I have always had envy towards others is in art. Two of my fellow Mormon Geeks, Joe and Stephen, are great artists. They have worked hard for what they can do and do a great job at their art. Having watched Stephen do many sketches has with flawless ease (in my viewpoint) has me sad at my own ability. Looking at things Joe has created I sit back and think "I could never be that good." And I used to believe that I have no drawing ability in my blood.

But as this General Conference approached, I sought an activity to do whilst listening. Yes, I could be note-taking, however, I've learned it just doesn't work for me anymore. And I remembered how much I liked to sketch. Yeah, the ones I did weren't all that great, but I did try.  Growing up, there was a sketch of my dad and his sisters hanging up in my grandparents' house. I was probably ten when I asked my grandmother who had done the drawing, only to be surprised when I found out it was my own father.

If you've noticed the few sketches that have shown up in this blog post, you'll notice they're not perfect. No, they're not the best in the world. But in my opinion, they're good. They're not gonna win any awards. But they were done with love, as they were all done for somebody in my family, including myself. There was time taken on each of them. There were mistakes made. The eraser was used. And sometimes, the mistakes were left in.

But you know what? I don't care. I'm glad I did them. I did the best I could do. And I didn't give up. And I think they're good. Earlier this week, as I sketched Olaf for my youngest, my wife looked over my shoulder and said "You're a really good artist." As much as I wanted to shrug it off and say "it could be better", I just said "Thank you."

However, there's something else I thought I was bad at that someone else has pointed out the opposite to me. Monday, I was struggling with something and I ended up texting my bishop. What I sent him was a note of appreciation for all he does for our ward. He replied asking if everything was okay. (Can't blame him.) But after we texted for a moment, he said to me that I was a really good friend and he sees me as an example to follow. Despite my instinct to sell myself short and say that he was wrong, I couldn't argue that I try. There isn't a friend, past or present, that I don't love in some way. Yes, I love my wife more than all of them and my children next. But that isn't the same kind of love.

Loving a friend is different. And if the friendship doesn't last, like those high school ones that you write in their yearbook "We're gonna always K.I.T", there's still something to love about the person and about the friendship.

I'm not writing this to toot my own horn or stand on a pedestal. I'm writing this to remind you (and myself) that I am good at something. So when you think, "I'm good at nothing", I challenge to think the opposite. "I am good at something. And I am valuable. And there are plenty of things in this life to be good at that I don't need to be jealous or envious of others."

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Artist Spotlight: Matt Watts

I am very excited to present my former Elder's Quorum President and current dear friend Matt Watts. Matt is an amazing artist and dad who works with StateFoodSafety.com who provides food handler training to health departments and workers all over the U.S Matt has also illustrated a project near and dear to his heart, the Wheat-Free Princess.

Check out my interview with Matt, then check out his artist blog to see more of his incredible art!

-JOE