Holmes students touch up on their art skills as Inktober begins worldwide

Around the world artists begin to touch up on their inking skills by participating in Inktober and completing the 31 prompts before October ends.

In 2009 Jake Parker wanted to challenge himself and improve his inking skills, so he created the now popular worldwide art challenge known as Inktober. Although some artists create their own lists for Inktober, many follow the prompts posted each year by Parker himself and work tirelessly to complete this art challenge. It’s not only the media that takes part in this art challenge however as Holmes Junior High students also take part in this event hosted by the two art teachers from Holmes: Bailey Klammer and Ashley Cardamone.

“It’s a fun event. This year I am putting more detail into the stuff I put in,” freshman Alexander Lena said. 

The event Inktober does have its official rule book where participants can only use ink and maybe a light sketch in pencil, at Holmes the art teachers are more flexible for the students and what they wish to create for inktober.

Klammer said, “I try to encourage students to use ink materials, so using pen or even Sharpie, but I am pretty lenient, so if students only have access to colored pencils then they can use that. I don’t hold it strict to using just ink, a lot of students do, but there are a bunch of students who use other materials.”

Students are also allowed more flexible options as students can turn in the prompts daily, work ahead or turn them all in at once before the end of October. If the students do finish all the prompts at the end of October, the students can also earn prizes. 

“Some of the prizes that we give out are art materials,” Klammer said. “Some things we’ve given out things like pens, pencils, erasers and one year I think we gave out fine tip drawing markers. Sometimes we give out things like stickers or candy as well, so kind of like little trinkets.”

It’s not too late to take part in Inktober at Holmes. Staff members and students who go to Holmes are allowed to participate, and others can still participate by using the official prompts or their own to challenge themselves and improve their creative and drawing skills.

Klammer said, “I’m surprised everytime by the level of creativity students have in terms of completing the prompts. Every student is given the same prompts, but every student turns in a different drawing about that same prompt.”

“It was kinda cool cause some of the stuff I drew in eighth grade was stuff I wouldn’t have drawn previously, and I kinda feel like it gave me an idea that I wouldn’t have thought of previously,” Lena said.