Inktober Tips
If you ever wanted to participate in an Inktober challenge, here are a few tips for a successful practice.
1. Have a plan & be organized
2. Give yourself more time than you think you will need
3. Create smaller drawings
Bonus tip: Enjoy the process and have fun
The plan
Think about why you want to do this challenge? – to improve skills, go outside your comfort zone, try a new technique, create a cohesive body of work, etc. Knowing and reminding yourself of the “why” will help you get through the tough spots when you’re feeling tired, had too busy of a day, or just don’t feel like drawing anything.
Next figure out all the things you will need to do to achieve your goal… daily prompts (your own or the official prompts), sketching, inking, and if you plan on sharing on social media, then all the steps involved in creating that content.
Time
However much time you estimate it will take to draw your illustrations, double that! Don’t forget to include time for photography and posting on social media, etc. There’s a lot of little steps to complete that take up time.
This year I started sketching the first week of September, knowing my busy schedule makes it difficult to work on this project everyday. I’d rather draw at a relaxing pace where I can really explore different techniques and ideas without feeling pressured to get it all done and posted the same day.
Smaller drawings
If you feel comfortable drawing smaller its a big time saver!
In past Inktobers I used a 8×10 inch sketchbook, then downsized to a 5×7 inch sketchbook, this year I went even smaller – a 3×5 inch mini sketchbook. Since I’m just exploring new techniques this year, the mini sketchbook is perfect. Though I the paper of this particular sketchbook is lighter weight than I like.
Enjoy the process
Inktober isn’t a competition, it’s about creative growth. I think of it as a yearly artist retreat – an opportunity to make time and space for one’s creativity. Also plan on working through any obstacles that may pop up during the 31 days and keep exploring and sketching. After 31 drawings you will feel like a different artist than when you first started.
Give the challenge a try and have fun!
