October Art Challenges

During the month of October, thousands of artists gather their pens, pencils, paints, brushes, and more to participate in an October art challenge to produce art consistently throughout the month. It is arguably one of the most creative times of the year for artists as they all work in unison to create something with regularity. To many, this event is known as Inktober. October allows for bursts of creativity made visible on Instagram with the promotion of consistent visual expression. It’s a time artists can connect, practice their craft, and improve technical skills. 

For those unfamiliar with Inktober or the other October art challenges, Inktober was created in 2009 by an ink artist named Jake Parker. He created the event as a challenge to improve his own skills and to build better, more consistent drawing habits. Jake’s Inktober has a simple set of rules: make a drawing in ink and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #inktober. Artists can participate in daily prompts, every other day, or even once a week. Artists have developed their own ideas of Inktober, using various mediums to consistently create inspirational pieces to share. Since its inception, Inktober has grown in popularity among thousands of artists who participate in it each year. 

For artists looking to participate in October art challenges other than Inktober, there are a few available below: 

@em_niwa (#niwainktober2020) Wild, unusual, and specific design prompts. 

@zekeslunchbox (#zeketober) Otherworldly character design prompts. 

@furrylittlepeach (#peachtober20) A month of peachy, playful prompts. 

@zoekellerart (#wildoctoberart) A month of nature art prompts. 

As an artist or designer, participating in a monthly challenge can help you gain experience, refine technical skills,  come up with creative ideas more quickly and intuitively, and develop a more fluid creative process. Some artists have found that ideas come more easily because each time one has to think about what they’re going to draw for the day, therefore exercising creative muscles. The biggest takeaway of participating in one of these challenges is the inspiration and sense of connection with fellow artists, which is extremely valuable. One can’t help but feel inspired to take part in the event and make something. 

RMCAD’s AIGA student group would like to go one step further and exhibit your Inktober drawings in a curated exhibition and publication in November 2020. To submit your work, check out the prompts and form here

This piece was written by Lea Greenwood from the SLC. The SLC welcomes students from all programs both on-campus and online who strive to do better in the classroom while perfecting their craft. Self-schedule an appointment with the SLC here or email the SLC at learning@rmcad.edu

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