Happy Inktober 2026!

We never feel quite ready when Inktober comes around, but here we are again! 🖤

Wherever your October finds you, we hope you’ll find some time to dabble in the inky arts.

If you do plan on doing the challenge this year, be sure to share your work in our new hangout dedicated to all things ink 🖋️ You can use the space to plan, post and connect with your fellow inkers.

We’ll keep the spaces open through the middle of November, so you’ll have plenty of time to share your work, reflect on what you learned, and finish anything up after Inktober ends.

Check out our free trial to get started!

What’s Inktober?

If you haven't heard of it, Inktober is a worldwide art challenge started by our very own Jake Parker! The goal is to practice inking by doing an ink drawing every day in the month of October. The rules are simple:

• Make a drawing in ink. You can do a pencil under-drawing if you like.

• Post it on social media, your fridge, or right here in the community! The idea is to just share your art 🫶

• Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2026, if you’re posting on social media.

• Repeat every day in October! Or, choose a pace that works for you 🙌

What should I draw?

You can follow the official prompt list or choose your own adventure. It really comes down to what you want to get out of your Inktober challenge🖤 Do you want to work on a particular skill? Focus on a certain theme? Develop an idea for a story? Asking questions can help you figure out which direction to go.

Should I follow the official prompt list?

It’s totally up to you! The prompts are just there to help spark your creativity. It’s simply a list of different words for each day of the month, that you can use as inspiration for what to draw that day. While you don’t have to follow them, the prompts give your drawings direction (which can make keeping a daily practice much simpler). Sometimes it’s challenging to come up with a drawing based on the prompt, but that’s part of the fun!

Can I work digitally?

Yes! Initially, the challenge of Inktober was focused on traditional inking. Although learning how to ink digitally is a skill separate from traditional inking, it’s no less valid. If you want to improve your digital inking skills, then doing Inktober digitally is a great way to challenge yourself.

What if I miss a day?

No sweat! Just keep calm and carry on. Or, if 31 days just seems like too much, pick a schedule that works for you. Try the half-marathon route and post every other day, or do the 5K and post once a week. Whatever you decide, just be consistent with it. Inktober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more consistent, the better.

Why should I do Inktober?

So many reasons! Here’s just a few:

1. Learn a new medium. If you’ve never done inking before, or only dabbled in it, this is a great time to really explore it. Whether you decide to go traditional or digital, inking forces you to distill your drawings down to the most basic of components, black lines on white paper. Plus you never know how learning to ink can help improve your overall skill set. Training in one medium can help in all media.

2. Develop a daily drawing habit. It takes just about a month to make a habit stick. So if you can make it through Inktober, you’re more likely to keep drawing daily long after Inktober is done. And if you stick with your daily drawing habit, you are sure to become a better illustrator!

3. Push your creative limits. It’s hard enough to come up with an idea for just one drawing, let alone one everyday for 31 days straight. Inktober gives you the chance to put those creative muscles to work.

4. Get more exposure for your art. One of the cardinal rules of Inktober is to share your work with others. By posting new drawings for Inktober everyday, you get more opportunities for people to see your work and grow your following.

5. Learn how to complete a project. It’s a lot easier to start a project than it is to finish it! By staying the course with the Inktober challenge, you can learn how to work through the day-to-day struggles and take the steps needed to complete the challenge.

6. Conquer your fears. Part of Inktober is to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. If you let fear get in your way, you can end up missing out on the good stuff. So what if you miss a day, or a drawing comes out wonky? At least you are learning something that will help you grow as an artist, and better prepare you for the next art challenge 🤓

7. Have fun! It’s not a competition. It’s about becoming a better artist on your own terms. If you draw everyday, you can only improve, and that is the whole goal 😀