Inktober 2026
31 days. 31 prompts. One drawing a day, all October long.
Kickoff Thursday, October 1
01 / The Challenge
What is Inktober?
Inktober is a month long drawing challenge. Illustrator Jake Parker started it in 2009. Every October, artists all over the world make one drawing a day from a list of daily prompts.
It began as an inking challenge. Now any medium counts: pencil, marker, digital, watercolor, whatever you already have. I will be drawing in pencil and ink, and sharing inking tips along the way.
Millions of artists join in every year. Kids, teens, grownups. The goal is creativity and consistency, not perfection.
02 / Why Join
Why join in?
📅 Build a routine
Draw every day. That is the whole thing. A month of small daily reps beats one big burst.
📈 Grow your skills
Confidence, speed, and creativity all go up when you draw daily. That is just how practice works.
💪 Beat perfectionism
A quick sketch counts. Five minutes counts. Finished beats perfect, every single day of this month.
🌍 Be part of something big
You are drawing alongside artists all over the world, and alongside the rest of the KCA community.
03 / The Badge
Earn your Inktober badge
Post all 31 drawings in the community and you get your Inktober badge. They do not have to land on 31 straight days. Fall behind, catch up, and the badge is still yours. One badge, one October, and you had to make 31 drawings to get it.
Miss a day? Just jump back in. The goal is to try for all 31 days, but life happens. If you fall behind, catch up and keep going. You can still earn your badge. Consistency is what counts, not a perfect streak.
04 / The Prompts
The official 2026 prompt list
Save it. Print it. Tape it up where you draw. You get to interpret every prompt however you want.
05 / How It Works
Three steps, every day
STEP 01
Check the prompt
A daily theme idea. It is a starting point, not a rule.
STEP 02
Make a drawing
As quick or as detailed as you want, in whatever medium you like.
STEP 03
Share it
Post it in the Inktober Club so the rest of us get to see what you made.
06 / Supplies
What I am drawing with
I will be working in pencil and ink all month. My new favorite inking kit is the Bianyo black inking pens. The other two that stay on my desk are the Tombow Fudenosuke and the Pentel brush pen, which is my favorite stand-alone brush pen.
But you don't have to get new supplies to join the challenge. Any medium works. Pencil, marker, digital, watercolor, a ballpoint from the junk drawer. Use what you already have.
Those are affiliate links.
07 / For Families
For kids
Think of it as a daily mini challenge. A reason to draw something today, and a place to show it to the rest of the community.
For parents
It is a great way to help your child build momentum and see the steady progress that comes with consistency. Thirty one small wins in a row is a big deal for a kid.
08 / Grownups
Parents, you can draw too
A lot of us grownups are doing Inktober together inside the Creative Drawing Club for Grownups, sharing our pages in the community. If you are on social media you can also post yours with #Inktober2026 or #Inktober. Drawing next to your kid all month is so fun!
What it does for the grownups
The grownups in the club say the same thing every October. The daily deadline is what finally beats the perfectionism, because nobody can post a masterpiece 31 days in a row, so you stop trying to and you just draw. It is also a short sprint, which makes it a lot easier to commit to than a vague plan to draw more this year. And the community is just buzzing this time of year!
Here is what a few of them said this year.
“Something Inktober has done for me is help me bust through some perfectionism and procrastination. I still struggle with both, but I can't post a masterpiece every day. It's a great way to get a streak of drawing a bit every day. And the community gave me extra motivation!”
Jennifer Loveday
“Things that I've learned: that I can actually try new things! I never would have attempted half of the creatures and characters in the past. But having the pressure to push out a sketch today made me do something, ANYTHING, to get me through this challenge. I love drawing. But knowing that Inktober is a relatively short sprint is very helpful to me.”
Angus Hartery
“I did it last year with my daughter as part of the Kids Cartoon Academy challenge but I wasn't part of this group back then. That was my first ever Inktober. I was on the fence about doing it this year, but seeing the excitement from everyone here makes me want to join in.”
Jee Mei Wong
Kickoff
Thursday, October 1
We are so excited to start together. Students in both our kids community and our grownups community are joining in. The best part is watching everyone's creativity unfold side by side.