100 Days of Inked Astronomy - Week Three

Golly golly gosh, week three already people!! Is time going by super quickly for you all or is it just me? Three weeks is a decent length for an everyday project but it really has flown by for me.

This has been my most challenging week so far due to a combination of not staying on top of the illustrations, and having to illustrate some HUGE constellations! I don't know why for sure, but my normal practice of doing the day's illustration the night before went right out the window for me this week. I often found myself quickly finishing them off right before I head off to work so I'm certain that I can photograph them well enough and get them posted for the day. Thankfully I haven't missed a day yet, but I certainly came very close to that a couple of times in the last week! I found this to be much more stressful and frustrating for me so I am making sure to go back to readying the illustrations the night before again! We also had some quite tricky constellations to illustrate this week. Carina, Centaurus and Cetus are all huge sprawling constellations in the sky, so trying to get the proportions and shape right in a teeny A6 illustration was quite challenging. I'm very happy with how Carina and Cetus turned out, but I planned Centaurus so badly that I had to cut off some of the constellation as I set it up far too big! I'm trying to be really careful with the larger constellations now so that doesn't happen again, so at least I have learnt my lesson!

So it's been a challenging week, but also the week where I have learnt the most in so I'm happy with that!

100 Days of Inked Astronomy - Week Two

Welp, this recap is teensy bit late but better late than never! Here are all the illustrations I did for Week Two of my #100daysofinkedastronomy! I'm still going strong in this challenge, I haven't missed a single day yet which has really surprised me, but also makes me feel really proud. I am terrible with challenges that require so much commitment but it's actually working out really well for me!

One of the things I really love about my project is that everyday I get to explore a new constellation. I learn its name, what it looks like and if I have time, I read about what it represents and the stories behind it! Eventually I want to be well versed in all the constellations in the sky but I think that is going to take a while haha! I'm interested in all their stories because eventually I would love to turn these illustrations into an Oracle deck for myself. I imagine shuffling a deck of a hundred cards then picking one that could be any constellation, moon phase or meteor shower, then using the myths and stories to give them a divinatory message. The idea of an Oracle deck comprised of the very essence of the night sky just rocks my world and I can't wait to get it in my hands, but first I have to get all these illustrations finished!

I hope you're enjoying my project and your own if you are taking part!

100 Days of Inked Astronomy - Week One

Well I managed the first week! I'm actually so proud that I was able to upload one illustration everyday even if it was only for a week, but I think the first week is one of the most important. It is within the first week that we can see how difficult a project is, and make any appropriate changes to encourage ourselves to carry on. I am incredibly happy with how my first week went! I barely struggled at all and sitting down to work on each illustration became a real act of mindfulness. It would calm me down after a hectic day and really balance me out, almost a bit like yoga for the mind! The reason why I think my first week was so successful came down to three reasons. Firstly, I specifically chose a subject that I am fascinated with. Secondly, I planned out every single day of this challenge so I'm never stuck for ideas. Thirdly, I prepare these illustrations either the day before they're due, or if I have work for a few days, I will create a batch of them so they're ready to post on the correct day. I honestly don't think I've been so organised in my life, not even when I was at uni! Organisation is really helping me within the project though and I hope that I can keep it up so I can continue this challenge as easily as I have started it!

Do you have a favourite among this week's illustrations? Or are you excited for a specific constellation to come up later down the line? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!