Inktober 2026: Mumbai-based artists share how you can maintain the streak

What if you dedicated a whole month purely to art Thatrsquos the idea behind Inktober an annual drawing challenge started by American illustrator Jake Parker in 2009 It began as a personal exercise to improve his inking skills The idea was simple Create one ink drawing every day in October build consistency practise your craft and develop a creative habit We reached out to artists across genres to help us keep the motivation aliveA little extraAn illustration of the Northern Fur SealInktober is about discipline more than perfection I created my own version of the challenge in 2015 making 365 illustrations of mammals one each day It taught me the value of showing up even on days when I did not feel like drawingIf yoursquore starting out set a realistic 15 to 30minute goal rather than getting intimidated by highly polished work online Spend extra time on the first drawing to establish a consistent style so that all your illustrations feel like a family Keep your eyes open for ideas mdash you never know when inspiration can strikeAshvini Menon wildlife and nature illustrator MulundArt is routineItrsquoll sound funny but from my perspective Inktober is almost like going to the gym mdash you have to keep at it Irsquod suggest deciding your subjects beforehand and setting aside a fixed time every day whether thatrsquos 15 minutes or an hour depending on your schedule I tried Inktober once and lasted only two days because I hadnrsquot planned my time properlyCreating a realistic timetable around work school or other commitments can make it easier to stay consistent And I donrsquot think the practice should end in October Keep drawing and creating in the months that follow because much like exercise drawing is a skill that gets better with practiceAhmed Sikander designer and tattoo artist KandivliStick to the basicsArt is subjective and that is one lesson I keep in mind when I teach children Once the initial 30 per cent of the fear fades the artist shines bright and that is something I would like to base my advice on Firstly art supplies donrsquot matterCaricature art by the artist Pics courtesyDenzil ClementTo finetune your skills one can perform the oneminute exercise I advise all my students Look at an object and visualise it artistically in 10 waysFor example instead of filling a bottle with water fill it with beads allowing your creative juices to overflow For beginners who are starting out always focus on your fundamentals particularly practising lines and strokesDenzil Clement painter and caricature artist MaladGet the artistrsquos toolkitPrompts for Inktober 2026 Pic courtesyinktobergtgt Pens paper ink pencils mdash this store has you covered for all your stationery needsAt Anupam SV Road Borivli WestCall 35210101gtgt Browse through beginnersrsquo essentials and speciality papers such as 300GSM watercolour paperAt Janta Stationery amp Art Store Patkar Blocks Bandra WestCall 9820026593gtgt Get your hands on awardwinning Japanese stationery like minimalist writing instruments dualtip highlighters waterbased felt pens and subtle pastel or vintagetoned markers all under one roofAt MUJI 1st Floor West Zone Palladium High Street Phoenix Senapati Bapat Marg Lower ParelCall 48931984