#InktoberNatureJournal (Week Three)

an example of a carnivorous plant nature journal page forinktober nature journal

Can you believe it is already week three of #inktobernaturejournal? It’s true, I have gotten the weeks mixed up a little. However, the important thing is doing a little bit every day. The important thing is to build a habit that allows for you to cumulatively unlock your potential. Let’s jump into the prompts!

Day 16: Carnivorous Plant

Have you ever nature journaled a carnivorous plant before? If so, this will still be an opportunity for fun. If not, then you are in for an adventure. You might want to do some research to see if there are any near you. Remember, many botanical gardens, zoos, or garden stores could have them. However, if you are not able to find any in real life you will have to do some online research. I highly recommend California Carnivores for their content. You might decide to buy one…a carnivorous plant is a great option for nature journaling at home. California Carnivores also has an instagram with tons of images of carnivorous plants. Be sure to give them credit on your nature journal page if you use one of their images.

an example of a carnivorous plant nature journal page forinktober nature journal
I nature journaled carnivorous plants in situ on a recent trip to Vermont. They grow in bogs and fens on much of the east coast and southern US.
Day 17: Use an Ink Tool You Suck at…

If you have seen my mindset videos then you know that I am kidding about that phrase. What I mean is an ink tool you aren’t used to. What is the ink tool you are least comfortable with? Try drawing with that. Watch me struggle with the ones I suck at.

Day 18: Subterranean

Things that live underground go unnoticed. But nature journaling is about noticing things!!! If we never nature journal subterranean things then we are missing out on a lot. How can you use your nature journal to discover this world beneath your feet? What unique visual techniques can nature journaling deploy in this department?

Day 19: Nearby Nature Map
Here is an example of a simple map in my nature journal that I made showing where I was finding coyote tracks in a nearby park.

What is your nearby nature? This is a powerful concept that Heather Crellin introduced me to when I interviewed her about being a beginner nature journaler.   For today’s exercise we are going to use our ink tools to do some mapping of our local nature. It could be a 3 minute diagram with triangles for houses and stick figure trees. The important thing is to practice this powerful but underutilized drawing tool. Maybe we will get in the habit of using maps on our pages more often.

Day 20: Skyscapito

How will you draw the sky with black ink? That will be your challenge today. Remember to keep it small otherwise it is not a a skyscapito.

Day 21: Water Soluble Ink

Have you ever played with water soluble ink? It sucks when you don’t want it but it can be fun when you do. It can be great for drawing tracks or anything where you want to be able to create gradual tones. I used it as one of my ink tools for the drawing tracks prompt last week. I prefer the pilot precise pens and a Pentel Waterbrush Large. (these are affiliate links so I will get a small percentage if you buy using these links)

Here is an example of the effect you can get using water soluble Pilot pens and a waterbrush. In addition to bold line work and writing you can also get subtle gradations of value with the ink wash. This is a diagram I did while brainstorming a habitat restoration project in a wetland restoration project.
Day 22: Fall Leaves with Ink and Color

If you live in the northern hemisphere then the leaves on your trees should be changing color this time of year. Leaves are a perfect nature journaling subject for beginners or advanced nature journalers. And yes, it is possible to combine ink with color. I will probably use watercolor for this prompt but feel free to combine ink with the color media of your choice.

Stay tuned for next weeks #inktobernaturejournal prompts!

inktober nature journal

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