It’s officially Spooky Season! Which also includes a very fun art challenge for those who dare. So, what is this all about you ask? Grab a pumpkin spice latte, sit back, and enjoy our Blog on Inktober 2025!

Inktober is a month-long art challenge created by artist, Jake Parker that is focused on improving skill and developing positive drawing habits.

Every day for the month of October, anyone participating in the Inktober challenge creates an ink drawing and posts it online. The trick is to use the hashtags #inktober and #inktober2025 if you want your art to be seen by everyone.

“Cactus Bot” by Jake Parker

So, is it an actual “challenge” or “contest”?

Inktober is just a framework to get yourself to draw better, flex a little, and/or have some fun with your art. Inktober is a challenge NOT a contest to see who the best artist is. It’s a challenge to see how much you can improve your art in a month, and to be inspired or to help inspire other artists to do the same.⁣ Post your first Inktober drawing on October 1st and your last on October 31st. As artists, sketching is so important to keep your chops up! So this is a great way to stay committed to sketching every day (at least for the month of October)!

Do you send your drawings out?

Nope! You do not need to send your drawings to anyone. Simply post photos of your artwork onto your own social media account and tag it with #inktober and #inktober2025. Others will be able to see it and you can follow those tags to see the work of everyone else.

What if you don’t have a social media account?

Don’t worry! You can still participate. Consider talking with your local library or art council about creating an Inktober event for your community. You can also just share your drawings with friends and family in person. You can post them on your fridge, or get permission to post them on your school’s bulletin board.

Pastimes’ Pen & Ink student, Alex T.

Can you 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 is no less valid. If you want to improve your digital inking skills then doing Inktober digitally is a great way to challenge yourself!

What about calligraphy?

Yup! If calligraphy, typography, lettering, etc is how you create your art, then by all means do that every day for Inktober. We’ve even heard of writers taking on the Inktober challenge and crafting a poem or short story every day that follow the prompts.

What’s a good pen to use?

Creator, Jake Parker suggests using the Pentel Brush Pen. For a list of other good pens see the Inktober Tools page.

My boss, Linda Wehrli, recommends the Copic Pens in her Pen & Ink Course.

Can you use markers or watercolors?

While it’s suggested to use real ink, keep things black and white, and use the official prompt list, the spirit of the challenge is very open to people being creative in what tools they use, how they use them, and what they create.⁣

Do you have to use the official prompt list?

Nope! The prompts are there to help spark your creativity. If you have another great idea, go for it! If you do decide to follow the prompts, visit their official instagram page for loads of daily inspiration and have fun!

So, ready to learn how to draw with Pen & Ink? Set up a free consultation today with instructor, Linda Wehrli and start inking!

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If you enjoyed this blog, please feel free to share on your favorite social media to get the word out about this great challenge! Thank you for your support.

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Pastimes For a Lifetime Art and Piano School is located in Valley Glen, California. 818-766-0614. School is open Tuesday – Saturday year round, except major holidays.

You can learn more about Pastimes for a Lifetime’s Art Curriculum and founder/instructor Linda Wehrli by clicking the links or feel free to explore the website.

Ready to learn to draw or paint? Set up a free consultation with founder/instructor Linda Wehrli or book a Trial Art Class.

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