Inktober Has Started!
By Ali Canary
@AliCanary (4954)
October 4, 2026 12:12pm CST
Unless you are in the art community (or are "very online"), you may not have heard of Inktober. It's a yearly challenge for artists. There is a list of prompts, one for each day, that are to be illustrated using ink in some form (pen and ink, marker, ink wash, digital illustration using ink tools, etc). And it happens in October, so that's how you get "Inktober".
The challenge is to create one drawing each day, inspired by the prompt. I have participated in the past but have never finished all 31 drawings (I mean, that IS a lot). But before, I always did traditional ink drawings on paper. This year, I am using my tablet to draw, with two settings - "crowquill pen" for the color, and "ballpoint pen" for the linework. I am keeping each drawing extremely loose, with just a single color and very rough, sketchy linework. So far, it's been a blast!
Here is the prompt list, in case you want to follow along or try your hand at participating (there are lots of Facebook groups you can post in or just look at what other people do - just search "Inktober").
1. Apple 2. Relic 3. Miniature 4. Cactus 5. Smack 6. Ogre 7. Panic
8. Stinky 9. Ram 10. Mystical 11. Rescue 12. Toss 13. Flimsy
14. Lady 15. Hooray 16. Gangly 17. Contraption 18. Flightless
19. Confused 20. Lounge 21. Hero 22. Beacon 23. Dapper
24. Bake 25. Fracture 26. Zip 27. Dumb 28. Trophy 29. Tusk
30. Cookie 31. Flex
7 people like this
7 responses
@thislittlepennyearns (71998)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
4 Oct
So similar to NaNoWriMo for writers
3 people like this
@thislittlepennyearns (71998)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
6 Oct
@AliCanary I'm gonna try this year. i havent done it in years! Since Doug was still on the site.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (107297)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Oct
That's a new one on me. It's always been Rocktober for me.
3 people like this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
4 Oct
I think it started maybe 10 years ago? We'll always have Rocktober :)
2 people like this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
6 Oct
If you check out the posts on social media, you will see some amazing artwork!
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (130839)
• United States
6 Oct
@AliCanary I’ll make it a point to do that.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
6 Oct
Some people post such beautiful, detailed work. I have no idea where they get all the time.
@DaddyEvil (179139)
• United States
4 Oct
Yes, I knew about the drawing challenge. My daughter, Pretty, has talked about it in previous years but I don't think she's mentioned it this year. (She's gotten a moderator job on a site that seems to take up most of her time lately so she's hardly had time to play her usual online video games.)
2 people like this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
4 Oct
I was worried my job would preclude me from doing it, but my new strategy to use the sketch program has worked for me so far.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (179139)
• United States
4 Oct
@AliCanary I was wondering how the new job was going but didn't want to ask if you didn't mention it. (I'm sure I missed some of your discussions while I was gone.)
I'm glad things are working out well for you.
2 people like this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
6 Oct
@DaddyEvil yes, my "temp" assignment is stretching out a bit farther than they initially said, but that happens.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
4 Oct
Thanks! I'm feeling pretty good about it. My sketch program actually has the option to record little videos, so I've been posting those.
2 people like this
@AliCanary (4954)
•
6 Oct
I've made it through the first five days on time. Need to bank a couple more tonight!
1 person likes this
