October is the month of the Inktober challenge and there's still time to get involved!
It's no secret that settling down to a creative activity is hard. First you've got to set aside the time, find a good place to work, then gather your materials. And sometimes that's before you even know what you're going to make. However when it comes to ink drawing, the whole process gets a helping hand over October.
Created back in 2009 by Jake Parker, Inktober is a popular way for ink artists to generate work and share it online. By challenging artists to create a new ink illustration every day throughout October with the help of a prompt word, the Inktober project aims to improve participant's skills and to develop good drawing habits.
The full list of Inktober 2016 prompts
Thousands of artists are already involved, and it's easy to get started. Simply complete your drawing, post it online via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and remember to use the #inktober hashtag.
Artists are encouraged to get into a regular working routine, which could involve sharing illustrations daily or every other day. Alternatively, you could set aside your weekends and commit to a weekly update. It's all good, as long as you're consistent.
Parker shares his images on Twitter. This one is from day five
The challenge results in an explosion of creative and experimental artwork each year, and 2016 is no exception. We'll be covering some of the best Inktober artists later in the month, so be sure to check back into Creative Bloq in the near future.
In the mean time, pick up your pens and brushes and get inking!
Dom Carter is a freelance writer who specialises in art and design. Formerly a staff writer for Creative Bloq, his work has also appeared on Creative Boom and in the pages of ImagineFX, Computer Arts, 3D World, and .net. He has been a D&AD New Blood judge, and has a particular interest in picture books.
