Inktober is a daily drawing challenge held in October. The organizers post a different prompt each day for the 31 days of October.
The goal for participants is to create an ink drawing inspired by each day’s prompt as a way to build a daily drawing habit. It’s a free challenge and anyone can participate. If you’re curious to know more, check out inktober.com
In 2025, I completed the challenge using my cat Tootsie as inspiration. I found it easier to draw every day knowing that I had to somehow include a cat. See Toots-tober here.
This year, I started with a little ghost. It is October, after all! Lil Ghostie (who never got a real name) became my daily companion and muse.
My drawings are posted below along with Lil Ghostie’s introduction and farewell.
The prompts were:
I kept my supplies to a minimum:
- Grumbacher Mixed Media sketchbook. The pages can be removed and reinserted, so I would remove a page to work on the drawing then put it back in the book.
- Opus 88 Mini fountain pen filled with permanent Carbon Black ink. Fine point, nice for drawing.
- Tombow Fudenoske marker
- Pentel mechanical pencil
- (not pictured) Pentel Pocket Brush pen, good for filling in large areas.
- (not pictured) Utillo Craft Acrylic Paint Marker, white
I drew the decorative border first, then scanned it. Each day, I would do each day’s drawing just like you see above, scan it, and place it into the border. Change the date, add the prompt title, save, and post.
The drawing of Lil Ghostie standing in front of the calendar was an introduction to the character that I posted on September 30. Apple was the first drawing of the challenge.
