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News & Photos
Inktober: Five Questions With Dave Radford
For the third year, during the month of October, students in all three divisions could be found doodling on little slips of paper. They created geometric patterns, sketched animals and people, and experimented with intricate designs. While their artwork was often aimless, the motivation to draw was purposeful. It was part of Inktober, a project brought to McDonogh by Upper School art faculty member Dave Radford. He explains.
What is Inktober?
Inktober is a drawing challenge created by artist Jake Parker back in 2009 to encourage artists to draw something in ink every day in October to help them build inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has grown over the last 16 years and become an annual worldwide event.
Why did you bring it to McDonogh?
I wanted to encourage students in every division, particularly those who aren't already in McDonogh's visual arts programs, to develop a love for drawing. Drawing or doodling has many benefits that go beyond just building artistic skills. Studies have indicated that it boosts memory, improves critical thinking and problem-solving, and enhances communication skills. Doodling is also a relaxing exercise that can help improve mental health during times of stress.
What is participation like?
Lower schoolers have always been enthusiastic, even inundating me with more drawings than I can find room to display. Middle school and upper schoolers don't have the same voracious appetite for the event, but their participation grows every year. We have many students participate only once, while others submit a drawing every day. This year, about 900 drawings were submitted throughout the month-long challenge.
How do you choose winners from all those entries?
Faculty from the art department each select a few drawings that they like, we put them together, and randomly select one winner from each division. The others received an honorable mention.
What else should we know about McDonogh’s Inktober contest?
It’s true that as it becomes more popular, Inktober does create a large amount of paper waste. In our attempt to be as sustainable as possible, I get the paper for Inktober from fully recycled sources.
For the third year, during the month of October, students in all three divisions could be found doodling on little slips of paper. They created geometric patterns, sketched animals and people, and experimented with intricate designs. While their artwork was often aimless, the motivation to draw was purposeful. It was part of Inktober, a project brought to McDonogh by Upper School art faculty member Dave Radford. He explains.
What is Inktober?
Inktober is a drawing challenge created by artist Jake Parker back in 2009 to encourage artists to draw something in ink every day in October to help them build inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has grown over the last 16 years and become an annual worldwide event.
Why did you bring it to McDonogh?
I wanted to encourage students in every division, particularly those who aren't already in McDonogh's visual arts programs, to develop a love for drawing. Drawing or doodling has many benefits that go beyond just building artistic skills. Studies have indicated that it boosts memory, improves critical thinking and problem-solving, and enhances communication skills. Doodling is also a relaxing exercise that can help improve mental health during times of stress.
What is participation like?
Lower schoolers have always been enthusiastic, even inundating me with more drawings than I can find room to display. Middle school and upper schoolers don't have the same voracious appetite for the event, but their participation grows every year. We have many students participate only once, while others submit a drawing every day. This year, about 900 drawings were submitted throughout the month-long challenge.
How do you choose winners from all those entries?
Faculty from the art department each select a few drawings that they like, we put them together, and randomly select one winner from each division. The others received an honorable mention.
What else should we know about McDonogh’s Inktober contest?
It’s true that as it becomes more popular, Inktober does create a large amount of paper waste. In our attempt to be as sustainable as possible, I get the paper for Inktober from fully recycled sources.