The first prompt for this month is… |
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As our days get shorter and spooky season settles in, I thought we could kick off the month by exploring darkness. When you read “dark”, what came to mind? What did you feel? What was your immediate reaction? I think this word generally has a bit more of a negative connotation but I find it to be full of possibilities, of mysteries waiting to be discovered, of beauty waiting to be seen. I'm very curious to see how this prompt settles with you. Here are a few ideas to help get you started… |
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“Creativity — like human life itself — begins in darkness.” – Julia Cameron |
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- Try a dark background. I never would've thought to do this but I followed this tutorial and loved how it turned out! Here are a few images for inspiration: this greenery, this bouquet, this campfire, this flower.
- Night & Day. Split your page into two sections then interpret this literally or in an abstract way. Or instead of splitting the page, create a a day layer first then a night layer or vice versa. You can also try creating in the day then at night--do you notice any difference? Do you feel more creative during one time or the other?
- Shadows. Create shadow art drawings, try this 3 dimensional pyramid pencil sketch, paint a spooky forest using gouache, or find inspiration in the shadows created by candlelight.
- Experiment with a dark color palette. Instead of starting with a subject, begin with a color palette made up of dark colors. See what it inspires you to make. Also consider using black ink, charcoal, and other dark mediums.
- Dancing In The Dark. I recently came across this version sung by Jørgen Dahl Moe on The Voice Norway and it is just beautiful!
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- Play with dark bold outlines. Try something like this or like this.
- Start with a dark piece of paper. Work outside of your sketchbook or glue the paper onto your page. Then add to it with light colored gel pens, white paint and paper, and other mediums in lighter colors.
- Use 1 dark medium multiple different ways. Find inspiration in this piece, Mitzi's piece for self, and this piece by EB.
- Look up and out for inspiration: the endless night sky, outer space, galaxies, and beyond. Here are some of those amazing photos from NASA.
- Express the darker thoughts and emotions you have with an abstract piece. Consider the colors, shapes, layers and textures, words and text, lines, and use of negative and positive space that can help you convey what you'd like to get across.
- Once Upon A Midnight Dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary. The Raven seemed the perfect poem for this prompt. Read it here.
- Inktober is currently happening! Try creating an ink drawing (or several) using one of their prompts.
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I wanted to leave you with a TV show recommendation, fittingly titled, Dark. It's a German sci-fi thriller on Netflix that follows the connections between four families that spans several generations. The series explores the existential implications of time and its effect on human nature and life. Dark received widespread critical acclaim for its cast, direction, writing, tone, visuals, musical score, and the ambition and complexity of its narrative. The casting is AMAZING and so believable. This show is definitely a heavier watch and one that makes you think, but once I began it was hard to stop since I wanted to know the answers to all the mysteries and questions. Netflix even has a website with a family tree you can refer to that will help you keep things straight! I also highly recommend checking out the Reddit thread for each episode after you finish. (FYI I am a big time scaredy cat and don't watch anything that could even be a little scary or give me nightmares and I was able to get through this without a problem!) If you check it out let me know, or if you've already watched it I'd love to hear what you think! I'm looking forward to seeing how dark unfolds across your pages. Happy October and Autumn, enjoy the weekend and I will talk to you soon! |
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