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Six years ago, artist Jake Parker decided to challenge himself by completing a new ink drawing every day in October. In order to hold himself accountable, Parker made the experiment public, posting photos each day online.
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#InkTober was born.
Now, six years later, over 1 million photos have been posted on Instagram alone using the hashtag. The rules of participation, as Parker set them, are simple.
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1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want). 2) Post it on your blog (or Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest or just pin it on your wall.) 3) Hashtag it with #InkTober 4) Repeat
From famous animators to self-taught amateurs, artists around the world are now participating in #InkTober.
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Let's see what creative sketches some participants have come up with.
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Many artists kick off the month with a meta-post, so their followers know the challenge has started.
A photo posted by Jonathan Finn-Gamiño (@finnathan)
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The posts also tend to feature the artists' medium of choice in the photo, like this ink pen set up.
A photo posted by Jotaká⚡️ (@jotakaillustration)
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And some have taken the October theme to heart, choosing Halloween subjects for their drawings.
A photo posted by Alexandre Godreau (@alexandregodreau)
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Some big name illustrators have joined Parker's project. Mingjue Helen Chen is the current Art Director at Paramount Animation.
A photo posted by Mingjue Helen Chen (@mingjuechen)
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Elsa Chang is an animator whose past employers include Nickelodeon & Disney. She currently works for Dreamworks.
A photo posted by Elsa Chang (@elsasketch)
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Some posts feature small hints of color in addition to black ink.
A photo posted by Teressa Ong (@chopsticksroad)
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While others stick to a pure black palette for the month.
A photo posted by Kuretake ZIG - USA (@kuretakezig_usa)
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Parker, the original #InkTober creator, still participates. This year he is working on a specific project for the month — SkyHeart Comic.
A photo posted by Jake Parker (@jakeparker)
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Artists will sometimes just post works in progress. Getting a detailed drawing done each day can be time-consuming.
A photo posted by Abby Diamond (@finchfight)
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The styles found under the hashtag are diverse. From comic styles...
A photo posted by Muhammad Firdaus (@freakyfir)
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...to realistic sketches of an artist's neighborhood.
A photo posted by Jordan Spilman (@jordanspilman)
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Even museum-style renderings can be found.
A photo posted by Tony 'Eight' Camehl (@tony_eight)
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Others take inspiration from photos for their daily posts.
A photo posted by Laura García-Etxaniz Marcos🌸 (@lauraechaniz)
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Or even from television. Here's a "Walking Dead" zombie:
A photo posted by Rajwinder (@that1pianistguy)
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The Halloween theme remains popular, though, with bats, ghouls, and lots of vampires.
A photo posted by @turborg
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Witches and cats are popular motifs, too.
A photo posted by Miranda Yeo (@snarkies)
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Check your social media platform of choice for the #InkTober hashtag, in order to find and follow along artists as they complete the challenge this year.
A photo posted by Jake Parker (@jakeparker)
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