INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.3 IS “GLIDE”

Hello Inkers!

In case you’ve been wondering, there are some changes happening over here at Inktober. For instance, this newsletter, which has been coming to you from the amazing and artsy Keaton for the last 4 years, is now coming to you from the not-at-all-artsy yet occasionally-inspiring Alison. With Inktober being free to participate in (yay!), it also leaves little to pay the employees (boo) so you get me, whose major qualification is that I don’t require a salary.

As we’ve dropped the ball in the last couple of weeks and not posted the new prompts for Inktober52, we’ve gotten a few questions: Is Inktober dead? Are we not sharing art anymore? Who’s going to tell me what to draw? Is Jake quitting art? I’m here to answer those questions and apologize for the hubbub.

Jake is very much alive and very much up to his eyeballs in 2 large projects, which are keeping him drawing around 50-65 hours a week (hence ya’ll getting me for a while.) Inktober is very much alive as well and you’ll still be getting new prompts each week as well as the traditional daily prompts in October. The format for posts on social media and Substack will look similar to what has been done in the past with a few changes. If it’s a little different, don’t panic, just keep drawing and carry on!

As for the last two prompts you didn’t get, I’m gonna pretend that was on purpose *ahem* and was a test. When you didn’t have someone telling you what to draw, did you dig deep into your imagination and finally spend time creating something all your own? Did you share your own prompt with friends and see who could do the best/funniest/most elaborate version of that topic? Did you art at all? Or did you sit through 47 episodes of the Great British Baking Show as you plowed through a family sized bag of chips (or crisps, as it were?) If you drew, whether it be finished ink pieces on fancy paper, or sketches in a notebook, or doodles on a napkin, or ANYTHING, we want to see them! Show us your unrestrained-by-prompts stuff and post it online with the tag: #inktoberfreetime. Let’s see what you came up with on your Inktober snow days!

As always, draw for yourself, be kind to others and to yourself, and try something new. We love the Inktober community and I’m astounded at what you can come up with! If you have any questions, please ask and I’ll either answer correctly or make up something that sounds like I know what I’m talking about.

-Alison

By @vmderoz

See the latest drawings here: #Inktober52 #Inktober52SUNSET

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INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.52 IS “SUNSET”

It’s a fitting, beautiful way to close out the year as the final prompt, SUNSET invites us to slow down and take in the glow of what’s come before. The warm colors, the long shadows, and the quiet moment between what was and what’s next. You might explore literal sunsets over oceans, cities, or mountains, or take a more symbolic approach: a day ending, a chapter closing, a season shifting. Play with gradients, silhouettes, reflections, or simple horizon lines that say more with less.

As the light fades and the festive holidays begin to pass, this prompt is also a chance to reflect on the year we’ve had, the pages you filled, the days you showed up, and the ways your creativity has grown, even when it felt small or imperfect. And true to the heart of Inktober, this is about getting back to the basics: ink, paper, quiet focus, and gratitude for the act of making. Let this final drawing be a pause, a breath, and a gentle acknowledgment of how far you’ve come before the next sunrise and a new year of creativity begins.

Thank you to everyone who made this year so worthwhile, artistic, and creative. From the Inktober team, happy holidays and all the best wishes for a bright and successful 2026!

See the latest drawings here: #Inktober52 #Inktober52SUNSET

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INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.51 IS “CAPRICORN”

The climber, the builder, the creature that keeps going long after others stop. Think of patience, persistence, discipline, and quiet ambition. Mountains, horns, ladders, constellations, ancient myths, modern grind. Capricorn isn’t flashy, but it’s powerful. Let the prompt guide you loosely or take it as a spark and wander somewhere unexpected. The best ink drawings often come from that strange overlap between structure and instinct.

This is also a gentle nudge back to the basics. Ink. Paper. Your hand. No layers, no undo button, no perfection chasing. Draw what inspires you, what nags at your thoughts, what you’ve been putting off. Keep it simple, keep it honest, and let the marks show the effort. Capricorn energy rewards showing up and doing the work, one line at a time.

See the latest drawings here: #Inktober52 #Inktober52CAPRICORN

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INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.50 IS “VILLAIN”

This week’s prompt is your excuse to unleash your wonderfully wicked side! Think of all the directions you can go: a classic cape-wearing mastermind with an over-the-top monologue, a misunderstood antihero just trying their best, or a tiny, adorable villain whose evil plan is something like… stealing everyone’s snacks. You can dive into fantasy and create a shadowy sorcerer, design a stylish comic-book nemesis, or sketch a villain who looks terrifying but is actually just having a very dramatic Thursday. Lean into tropes, flip them upside down, or invent something totally unexpected. This prompt is ripe for personality!

Play with silhouettes, sharp angles, expressive eyes, dramatic poses. Villains are all about presence. And don’t forget, Inktober is about getting back to the basics: simple tools, strong ideas, and letting your imagination run the show. You don’t need flashy tricks to create someone deliciously devious. Just your pen, your creativity, and a spark of mischief. So go big, go bold, go dastardly… and have a blast bringing your villain to life!

See the latest drawings here: #Inktober52 #Inktober52VILLAIN

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INKTOBER52 PROMPT NO.49 IS “GATOR”

Get ready to dive headfirst into the swamp and stir up something fun, fierce, or downright weird! You can crank up the drama with a gator gliding through murky water, eyes just breaking the surface like a classic thriller scene. Or flip the tone and go playful! Draw a gator wearing boots, strutting through the bayou like it’s a fashion runway, or sipping sweet tea on a front porch. Maybe you want to tap into folklore and legend: imagine a giant, ancient gator as the ruler of the swamp, scarred and wise, guarding secrets beneath tangled roots and hanging moss.

Want to push it even further? Play with perspective, exaggerate those teeth, go heavy on the texture of scales, or keep it loose and cartoony. And remember, Inktober is all about getting back to the basics. ink, paper, simple ideas, bold lines, and showing up. Don’t overthink it. Let your hand move, make mistakes, discover happy accidents, and enjoy the messy magic of creating. Whether your gator is scary, silly, or legendary, just have fun with it and let it snap some life into your art! 🐊

See the latest drawings here: #Inktober52 #Inktober52GATOR

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