Inktober Challenge | Prompts List!
Are you up for a fun challenge? Then get ready for Inktober in October!
Inktober is a yearly drawing challenge started by artist Jake Parker 17 years ago. He created it to build a daily (ink) drawing habit. The idea: one drawing a day for the month of October, based on a prompt list. There's an official list every year, and lots of people make their own alternative lists.
Why a daily challenge
Some of you asked if I could host an Inktober challenge this year.
To be honest, I'm a little hesitant about daily challenges like this. After a while, they can start to feel like a chore instead of a fun, light, creative project. On the other hand, if you complete the 31 days, you've made a lot of drawings (some good, some not so great). By doing it daily, you've started and oiled your creativity machine.
I've seen people make really awesome series of drawings thanks to a daily challenge. Some picked 12 drawings for a calendar, others printed postcards, stickers or zines. A challenge like this also often sparks ideas and creative energy for new projects.
So for this Inktober, I put together 31 prompts, one for each day.
Feel free to interpret the prompts in your own way. Let's not get rigid about this. It needs to be fun. You can keep things simple or stretch yourself a little. Some days are about loosening up, some are about playing and experimenting, and some are just about looking at your everyday life a little differently.
How to approach this
No pressure to do all 31. Pick the days that excite you, skip the ones that don't, and just get some ink on paper. That's the whole point.
You might think you need at least an hour to make a drawing. How about 15 minutes? This is a daily thing, so let's be realistic and make it sustainable, so it actually happens.
Remember: life is better when you draw (it). You've got this!
Materials
As the name suggests, Inktober is traditionally done in ink. No need to buy anything new. Use whatever you like: your favourite fountain pen, fine liner, brush pen, dip pen and ink, or even a simple ballpoint. You can also combine ink with other materials. YOU make the rules.
On the prompts list, especially in week 2, you'll find a few suggestions to switch tools and keep things fresh throughout the month. Do what works for you.
If you'd like some tips on using ink, maybe for some preparation, watch (some or all of) these videos I made:
Pens!
Daily reminders and inspiration
Throughout October, I'll share a daily reminder on Patreon as a Quip, which is a quick post that won't flood your inbox. You can find them via the "Quips" link at the top of my Patreon page, or go straight to the Quips tab.
If you're on Instagram, you'll also find me posting on Instagram Stories.
With each prompt, I'll link to a video or share a drawing from my own sketchbook for some extra inspiration.
The prompts list
On Patreon, you can download a PDF of the prompts list for free, to print and check off the days as you go.
