Sketchbook Drop: Trick-or-Wing — Bat Studies with Jack-O’-Lanterns
Some drawings arrive like a squeak in the rafters—small, fast, and fun. Tonight’s sketch session turned into a tiny swarm of Halloween bats ferrying jack-o’-lanterns through the air. It’s another page from my never-ending journey through paper and pencil—shared a little at a time, as always.
What you’re seeing
Three bat character studies, each with its own attitude:
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The Courier: ears like sails, mid-flap, gripping a pumpkin-pail as if it’s late for candy o’clock.
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The Gremlin: stockier body, wings stretched to the corners, mischievous smirk, lantern swinging.
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The Ringmaster: perched on a carved pumpkin, wings arched in a showy “ta-da,” sparks and motion lines wrapping the moment.
Everything’s sketched loose in blue pencil, then chased with energetic ink lines—cross-hatching for volume, scribbled textures for fur, and swooping negatives to suggest motion. I love the look of blue-graphite + ink; it feels like the drawing is still breathing while the lines get bold enough to read on a thumbnail.
Process notes
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Gesture first. Quick silhouettes to lock the big wing shapes: triangle vs. kite vs. cloak.
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Story pass. Each bat gets a motive—delighted, devious, dramatic. That tiny narrative changes the posture.
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Pumpkin props. I treat the jack-o’-lanterns like characters too—different carvings, different weights, different sway on the handle.
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Inking the rhythm. I vary line weight: thicker on the outer silhouette and anchor points; hairline scratches for fur and wrinkles.
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Motion & sparkle. Directional strokes and floating flecks help the eye travel—especially around the lantern glow.
Why bats?
They’re perfect for shape play—huge wing planes vs. tiny torsos, big ears vs. needle teeth. They also flip between cute and creepy with a single eyebrow line, which makes them ideal for character exploration that can drift toward T-shirts, stickers, or pins later. (No promises—right now it’s pure sketch joy.)
Little lessons from the page
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Big ears = friendlier. Shrink the ears and square the jaw, and the vibe turns goblin fast.
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Pumpkins sell the motion. If the lantern is trailing or whipping, the whole pose reads more clearly.
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Texture earns the silhouette. Controlled scratch marks suggest fuzz without flattening the wing membranes.
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Let the blue show. Keeping some blue construction under the inks preserves the workshop feel I love.
Where this might go
I’m tempted to test one of these as a limited Halloween print—maybe a split-fountain orange/teal screen print with inky blacks. Or a pattern sheet for wrapping paper. For now, it lives here as part of the bigger road I’m on: keep drawing, keep sharing, keep moving—even when life throws curveballs. Art has a way of finding its own flight path.
If this little swarm made you smile, you’ll probably like the other creatures I’ve been posting lately. I’ll keep releasing more sketch pages as they happen—one lantern at a time.