Tough challenge for Zululand artists

TWO Zululand artists are currently participating in the International InkTober 2017 Challenge, which challenges artists to create an artwork every day in ink according to the suggested themes for the month of October, and post it online with #InkTober.

The purpose of the challenge is to encourage artists to draw in traditional mediums and come up with masterpieces according to the proposed theme that will test their skills.

ZO graphic designer and digital character artist Mpilo Msweli (27), found out about this challenge in 2014 but never felt ready to participate in the global event.

‘I still do not feel completely ready to do something of this nature, but by procrastinating one will never test one’s skill and grow,’ said Msweli.

Msweli told colleague Jarrett Onions about the challenge and the two of them decided to do it together and support one another.

Onions (25), who is also a ZO graphic designer and digital environmental artist, decided to take up the challenge to hone his skills and challenge himself to posting his artworks on a daily basis.

Both artists currently have an online website where their artworks are displayed, with two very different perspectives.

Msweli utilises ‘comics’ to tell his story and only did art as an official subject while completing his fine arts degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Onions, on the other hand, uses art as a medium to ‘inspire and encourage exploration and problem solving’.

Msweli sets aside three hours a day to complete the challenge, with Onions taking a minimum of two hours a day, even utilising tea and lunch breaks at work.

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‘The ‘pen jam’ factor, time management, not being able to erase and finding motivation over weekends to draw have been challenging for me thus far,’ said Msweli.

Onions said: ‘Starting and finishing a drawing in my sketch book has been tough, as I normally leave them unfinished to take to digital.

‘I decided a long time ago that I want to be a professional artist, so having to draw every day is not a problem for me, it’s just in another medium.’

Msweli took up the challenge in the hopes of improving his traditional art skills and always wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself. He is inspired by dragons, television shows and video games and gets ideas from other artists and his childhood memories.

Onions is mostly inspired by nature. He will be displaying his artwork at the ‘Art in the Shade’ festival in Mtunzini on 4 November.