Inktober 2019 Retrospective | Day 12: Lantern

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: my Inktobers are far more about white charcoal and pencil shading than ink. I will say this, though. There are a lot of pictures in Inktober 2019 that I'd like to revisit as digital pieces. This one, however? My focus might be on the "wrong" traditional medium, but I think traditional media is this picture's home.

It is much simpler to create glows on the computer. So how much glow could I make with traditional tools? One thing that's you learn in creating the illusion of a glow is that it's not just about the glory thing. It's about the reflected light on the things around it. Not just that, there's the shadow the light casts. Really, if you look at it, the glowy glow isn't that strong. It's very much in the world around it.

I like this picture very much. It's a simple piece, good composition, and strong lighting. But those are broad things. There're a lot of little things. The two streaks that detail the hair by the flip, the ribs in the lantern, the weirdly perfect arc of her eyebrow. Not to mention my hands are getting better. Her far hand's a little wonky, but they feel like hands, eh?

Yes, those are tears. No, not sure why she's misty-eyed. In my mind, the lantern is in memory for a loved one or something of that nature. Could've done with more emotion in her face. Okay, sure, her face is supposed to be calm, but a little more expression wouldn't kill her. Or maybe it would. Maybe that's what killed the person she's lighting the lantern for. Could be that's why she's so blank-faced.

Thanks for reading~

#ink #inktober #girl #midtone