Artists Come Together For Inktober

Created in 2009 by Jake Parker, Inktober is the time of year where artists from around the world come together and let their creativity run free. It is a challenge that takes place every October, running through the entire month. In this challenge, artists can follow many different prompts, although most use the official one created by Jake Parker. Each year since 2016, there have been official prompts posted on the official Inktober website.

"I created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve my inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year." - Jake Parker

Jake Parker wanted to help both himself and other people improve their art by creating this challenge. He illustrates picture books, writes and draws comics, and also offers classes online for others to improve their inking, from amateurs to veterans. On his YouTube channel, Parker posts short tutorials for all those who are interested in art.

Inktober prompts are usually one-word prompts, and there is one for each day of October. These prompts are usually either specific objects or adjectives, yet they are vague enough so that the artists can have their own free reign on creativity. From here, people draw and ink what the prompts inspire them to create. For example, the word "ring." was given one day. When people read that word, they might think of a metal or plastic band that people wear on their fingers or toes. Other people, though, may think of the rings that surround the planets or the solar system. Some people may even think of a ringing sound. The many ways that people can see and interpret these different words are what lead to the great diversity and creativity of Inktober prompts.

There were also many different formats that came from the prompts themselves. Some people used the prompts to draw one large continuous cartoon. Others used these prompts to draw fan art. Many people drew original drawings of people, characters, objects, landscapes, and much more. Although the main focus of this challenge was to ink something in black and white, artists also chose to color their artwork with paints, colored inks, markers, colored pencils, or any other medium. The art styles also varied greatly, with different representations of realism, surrealism, or cartoonish works.

There were many participants in this 2019 year, including Lindsey Morgenthau and myself, both Freshmen at NHS. It is easy to participate. First, you either make your own prompt or follow the official prompt on the Inktober website, or you could even draw something random each day. The goal is to eventually improve by the end of the 31 days. Then, you post it somewhere, from your fridge to social media platforms. The whole goal is to show your work to someone. If posted on social media, the artwork should be tagged with #inktober and/or #inktober(year). This way, other people participating in the challenge or interested in it can also see your progress. You don't have to be an extremely talented artist to be a part of the challenge either. This challenge's purpose is not to pick out a winner, but instead it is to help everyone and anyone further develop their skills.

If you're interested, join us next year! The 2020 prompts come out on the official website on September 1st, 2020.