InkTober

by Erik Mallinson

InkTober logo

It’s InkTober! Back in 2009 Jake Parker, a cartoonist, illustrator, and concept artist, wanted to brush up on his inking skills while developing good drawing habits. He created InkTober, a challenge to do one ink drawing a day and share them along throughout the month of October. Since then it’s been adopted by aspiring artists, everyday inkers, and other illustrators looking for a challenge.

The Rules

  1. Draw something with ink
  2. Post it to your blog, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, or other site
  3. Tag it with the hashtag #inktober
  4. Repeat

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I’ve enjoyed the flexibility and lack of pressure that goes with InkTober. I’ve walked into this as an everyday inker, so drawing something isn’t the challenge for me. My goal for this month is to loosen up by practicing blind contour drawing and working with a big, inky, water brush.

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InkTober only requires you to use ink and share your work so don’t wait till next year. Start today!

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See what other people are posting with the #inktober hashtag on: Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook.

Erik Mallinson is a Web Production Specialist at MIT OpenCourseWare who draws, takes sketchnotes, and writes music. He carries a notebook, fountain pen, watercolor set, and trusty p207 with him everywhere he goes. You can follow him on his blog and Twitter.