Inktober! (or Artober)
- Reiko Lauper
- Oct 6
- 4 min read
Time really flies... it’s already October!
When I think of October, I think of Inktober. In this class, we’re actually doing something quite similar all year round, so it’s not exactly new to us. But today, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk a little more about Inktober — or perhaps Artober — and share how it inspired the way I designed this class.
Actually, the idea for this class came from Inktober. The concept is simple: you follow a prompt (theme), draw freely at your own pace, and gradually improve your illustration skills.
You might wonder, “Why stippling?” The answer is just because that’s my specialty. I’m an illustrator who mainly uses the stippling technique to create semi-realistic illustrations. My main work involves portrait commissions for authors and illustrations for publications. At the same time, I continue to make personal artworks whenever I can.
Making illustration my profession has been my biggest goal for the past ten years. But at the same time, turning art into a job can easily lead to stress or burnout. That’s why I always try to keep the joy of drawing close to my heart.
In fact, I started drawing as a way to cope with stress after losing a family member. The act of focusing deeply on drawing helped me heal mentally. Since then, I’ve tried never to forget that pure feeling of joy and accomplishment that comes from creating something beautiful — one dot at a time.
Of course, once art becomes work, it can get exhausting. So I carefully choose projects that feel fair in both time and pay, and I balance my freelance work with teaching here and my other part-time work. This allows me to maintain my income and the mental space to draw freely for myself whenever I have time.
That’s also the spirit behind this class — removing the pressure of
“I can’t draw,” “I don’t have time,” “I have to improve quickly,”
and instead, focusing purely on the joy of creating
drawing what you love
immersing yourself in the process
feeling that sense of satisfaction when you finish one piece
So today, I’d like to share a bit more about Inktober, the event that originally inspired this class.
Inktober Rules:
Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil sketch first if you like).
Post it online.
Add the hashtags #inktober and #inktober2018.
Repeat.
You can draw every day, every other day, or once a week — whatever fits your schedule. The important thing is to stay consistent. Inktober is all about growth, improvement, and building positive drawing habits.
That’s it! Now go make something beautiful.
Quoated from https://www.mrjakeparker.com/2023
Above is the original rules written by Jake Parker, the creator of Inktober.
What's Inktober?
Inktober began in 2009, created by illustrator Jake Parker, a New York Times Bestselling artist who grew up loving comics, cartoons, and LEGO. He left college to work in animation, and later moved into publishing, creating comics and picture books.
He started Inktober as a personal challenge to improve his inking skills and develop good drawing habits. Over time, it became a global phenomenon. In 2019, Jake Parker copyrighted the name “Inktober,” so now many artists use the term “Artober” to avoid copyright issues.
During Inktober/Artober, artists follow a list of prompts throughout October and post their drawings online. Nowadays, artists can use any medium — not just ink — or even challenge themselves to try something new.
Inktober/Artober is a great opportunity for artists to step outside their comfort zones. Following a prompt list can inspire creativity and helps you grow as an artist. Some themes include fantasy, realism, or even fan art.
In this class, however, since stippling takes a lot of time, it would be too intense to complete one piece per day. That’s why I’ve adapted the concept: we still use prompts, but with extended deadlines, so everyone can work at their own pace.
The spirit of Inktober — challenging yourself and stepping outside your comfort zone — is a great approach for anyone who wants to improve their illustration skill quickly. But if your main goal is to simply enjoy drawing itself, I recommend picking prompts you like without setting strict deadlines. Draw freely when you feel inspired — that’s the best way to keep art joyful, in my opinion.
Inktober Art
Now, let’s take a look at some stippling artworks created under the #Inktober hashtag.
Inktober is also a great challenge for people who want to share their art with a wider audience.Each day has its own theme or prompt, and you can search hashtags to see what others have created. This makes it perfect for artists who want to get their work seen on social media or grow their followers.
Even if you’re not interested in social media, you can still take inspiration from the daily prompts and adapt them into your own personal challenge.
Have a great drawing day! :)
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