As junior Vivian Wan concentrates on the tip of her pen, every mark is as important as the last. A looming forest of trees fills the once empty page as she completes the inkword of the day: “poisonous.”  

Originally created by artist Jake Parker, best known for his comic book “Missile Mouse,” Inktober is an annual month long event that began in 2009 to encourage skill improvement in inkwork. Every day of October, the official Inktober website posts single word drawing themes, with words from “scorched” to “expensive.” Artists from all over the world share and tag their art with hashtag #inktober on social media.

Despite the original challenge of creating a new drawing every single day, many students who participate in Inktober give themselves more time to complete their work.   

Junior Serena Lee found out about Inktober through social media artist accounts. With a knack for art since middle school, she loves the versatility of Inktober.

“With Inktober, you’re drawing in a medium you may not be used to every day,” Lee said. “It makes you more confident with your art.” 

For sophomore Miriam Saletan, ink is a satisfying medium that allows for a sense of achievement. The amount of time spent creating artwork for Inktober can be overwhelming, Saletan said. Drawings take anywhere from a couple of hours to weeks,

depending on the complexity of the illustration and skill level of the artist.

“You just have to do what works for you,” Wan said. “Doing 31 ink drawings is insane. It takes a lot of creativity.”

Although the challenge may seem intimidating, artists appreciate that Inktober targets a different medium of art than normal. New artists are always welcome and many find that the progress in the end is rewarding.  

“Nobody starts out as Picasso,” Saletan said. “I see how far I’ve come and how much better my art is now—I feel proud of it.”