Bengalureans are taking up Inktober challenge with gusto

They say the month-long online art festival gives them a break from work and pushes their creative skills

Artistes are at their creative best thanks to ‘Inktober’. From IT professionals to full-time artists, many are finding the challenge a welcome break.

The month-long art challenge (see box) has provided 31 prompts for artists for the entire month, like crystal, suit, vessel, raven, knot, spirit, pressure, loop, watch, and crispy.

Artist Sayanti Dutta, resident of Electronics City, has experimented with lines this time.

“The prompts are just simple words but thinking differently and presenting them differently is a task. I find the process of drawing with lines meditative and therapeutic,” says Sayanti. Having worked with Mandala art, she knows that drawing lines lends a calming effect.

For the prompt ‘vessel’, she drew a human heart. “During a doctor’s visit, when he referred to the organ as a blood vessel, it stayed in my head. When I saw the word listed on the website, I thought it matched well,” she says.

Madhurya Dwarakanath, resident of Katriguppe, is attempting the challenge for the first time.

“I work with the Mandala art style. I wanted to experiment with actual ink, the one that is used in fountain pens and with dip pens. I am curious about exploring new styles and I’ve heard from many artists that the online festival can help one shape new styles,” she says.

She has added florals in all works based on the prompts given by the platform. “I wanted to keep it simple yet experiment with something new, comparing to my other artworks,” she says.

Cause on canvas

For Rakeeb Javed, senior analyst with an MNC, it has been a refreshing pastime.

Rakeeb has been posting his artworks on his Facebook page ‘Canvas Kong’. “I work mostly with oil paintings and found the challenge to be a great venue to explore my fascination with pop-culture and action figures,” he says.

He plans to add social causes to upcoming prompts. “I hail from Assam and I plan to draw issues concerning my home state and also from south India,” he says.

Software test engineer Souvick Das from Brookefield has been working with sketches since childhood. He found the worldwide illustration challenge to be an exciting platform.

“I felt that getting a prompt every day and posting continuously for a month is going to be a huge challenge. This is my second time,” he says.

Souvick usually focuses on mental health in his illustrations. “I try to tell a story — it’s often dark but I try to bring out words that one is not able to express,” he says.

New techniques

Software professional-turned-art educator Ranjana V V, resident of Jalahalli, is exploring the online festival along with her students at Tatvamasi Academy.

“I’ve participated in the art challenge for three years and this time even my students are participating. In the past editions, I’ve worked with pen and paper and ink washes. This year, I’ve also used white colour pens. Every work has a different background, according to prompts given,” she says.

The challenge has helped her explore prompts how she likes — in an “unrestricted” way. Swati Swayamprava, a resident of Singasandra, is trying Zen tangling in most of her works this year.

The scientist-turned-fulltime artist has been making videos and posting about her works. “I am mixing tangling with abstract art here, while using pens, brush pens and inks. Being consistent is quite challenging,” she says.

The prompts are “sometimes random and silly”, and being creative with them are challenging, she adds. “Posting the works with specific hashtags is a constant reminder that one’s works will be noticed across the globe and is a constant reminder to perform better,” she says. Swati’s favourite colours are black and white, which makes Inktober a fun experience for her.

What is Inktober?

Jake Parker started Inktober in 2009. Anyone who is interested in sketching or drawing can participate. All one has to do is to use prompts given on the official website and draw something with ink or pencil and post it online with the hashtag #Inktober and #Inktober2021. There are two ways to participate: Inktober Classic (using prompts given for the month of October) or Inktober 52, where one joins in by working on a drawing every week of the year. Guidelines can be found on inktober.com