i drew connor storrie so much i cried | Daily Drawing Challenge - June ✨️
I can't believe I completed 2 months of my Daily Drawing Challenge!! This month I hyperfocused so hard on perfecting Connor Storrie that I'm like 50% of the way there!! Let this be proof that drawing in pen and not having the option to erase forces you to get good lolol
June has been a tough month with two back to back markets! It was tiring but I'm glad I didn’t allow myself to get too backlogged with this challenge. (If you're wondering how I did at my booths - one was pretty good and the other was the worst performing booth I've had in YEARS 🤡 take a guess)
My fav ink for this month goes to I Am A Cat by Wearingeul. I'm OBSESSED and this is the perfect grey to ink line art for BW acrylic drawings. Colorverse's Milky Way (Glistening) and the J Herbin Emeraud de Chivor were also extremely gorgeous and wet inks that worked really well with my pens!! I'm obsessed with shimmer inks, can you tell?
I also picked up a Sailor Pro Gear Slim in MF with a 14k gold nib for a great price secondhand! I initially didn’t like the nib because it was too thin and scratchy for me (thinner than a M Kakuno!!) but this pen has really grown on me since I started using it to do daily calligraphy practice. I love the feedback - it's like writing with a pencil, and it's been forcing me to be aware of how hard I'm pressing/gripping my pens...
Anyway - will I continue drawing Connor in July?? Well, let's just say I'm really determined to get his face looking right 😭😭
My experience during this June's Daily Drawing Challenge really highlighted the transformative power of limits and persistence in art. Drawing Connor Storrie repeatedly forced me to confront my weaknesses, especially because using pen eliminated the safety net of erasing mistakes. This pressure actually accelerated my improvement — there's something incredibly rewarding about committing lines without hesitation. One key takeaway was the importance of selecting the right tools. I found that pairing my pen with 'I Am A Cat' ink by Wearingeul delivered the perfect grey tones for my black-and-white acrylic line art. Its smooth flow and balanced shading brought depth to Connor’s features that pencil sketches couldn’t capture. Adding shimmering inks like Colorverse’s Milky Way and J Herbin Emeraud de Chivor introduced a subtle sparkle that made my work pop. If you enjoy experimenting with inks, shimmer varieties offer an exciting way to add character and vibrancy to traditional drawings. Another unexpected influence on my art was adopting the Sailor Pro Gear Slim fountain pen with a 14k gold nib. Although initially the nib felt too thin and scratchy compared to my usual pens, daily calligraphy practice helped me appreciate its tactile feedback. Writing with this pen felt like using a pencil, making me more conscious of pressure and pen grip, which translated into better line control when drawing. This crossover showed me how skills in handwriting and calligraphy can support fine art disciplines. Lastly, the challenge taught me how to manage creative energy during a busy month. Balancing two back-to-back art markets alongside daily drawing was exhausting, and market performance varied greatly. Despite one booth doing exceptionally well, the other was my worst in years. Still, maintaining my drawing routine kept me grounded and motivated. For anyone juggling art projects with other commitments, setting small, consistent goals like daily sketches can sustain momentum without burnout. Looking ahead, I’m committed to continuing my focus on Connor Storrie’s portraiture in July. Getting his face right feels like unlocking a puzzle that’s both frustrating and thrilling. If you’re on your own artistic journey, embracing challenges like this — where you repeat a subject to improve — can be deeply rewarding. Each attempt brings you closer to the vision you want to create, and sometimes a few tears are part of that process!
