Inktober

In 2009, a man named Jake Parker crafted a way to improve his art skills and habits, naming his idea Inktober. Inktober takes place during the month of October, and all artists, including writers, can partake in the challenge, creating an ink drawing or story based on a daily prompt. 

Currently, there are two ways to participate in Inktober. The traditional Inktober requires drawing every day for the thirty-one days of October. The second method, launched in 2020, is Inktober 52, during which artists draw once a week over the course of one year, ending up with fifty-two drawings. 

The three steps to the original Inktober are simple. First, you make a drawing. Create a pencil sketch and ink over it if you wish. Secondly, you post it online or share it with friends. Finally, you repeat the process daily throughout the month of October, making sure to be consistent, because the point of this challenge is to build healthy drawing habits. 

By participating in Inktober 52, however, you can build a much stronger habit of drawing regularly. If you have a week to draw and spend an hour a day, you will end up with a more complex drawing than if you had spent three hours a day on it.

Inktober was originally created to improve inking skills, but since then, people have used the challenge to improve many different aspects of their art skills. Thus, you can use any kind of art medium for Inktober. Personally, I will be using a combination of watercolors and ink this month.

Some artists you may recognize have also participated in Inktober. One of them, Cathrine Sandmæl (twitter.com/CathrineLuzette), an illustrator from Norway, brings a wonderful touch to the festive spirit with her lovely illustrative art. 

Laura Heikkala (twitter.com/heikala_art), an artist based in Finland, has created some anime, fantasy-like illustrations that provide similar aesthetics to Cathrine Sandmæl’s art. However, she specializes in drawing witches and dragons.

Lüleiya, an illustrator from Hungary, gifts Inktober with drawings forged from both digital and traditional mediums.

Brian Stelfreeze (twitter.com/Stelfreeze), who has drawn for both Marvel and D.C. Comics, has also participated in Inktober.

Now it’s time to create art of your own. Grab a pen or pencil and join with hundreds of artists across the globe. Better yet, invite your friends to participate in the Inktober challenge with you!

Photo Credit:

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Yuri Neumann

Works Cited:

Parker, Jake. Inktober, Jake Parker, inktober.com/. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023. 

Carter, Dom. “10 Spectacular Inktober 2017 Artists | Creative Bloq.” 10 Spectacular Inktober 2017 Artists, www.creativebloq.com/inspiration/10-spectacular-inktober-2017-artists. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.