The season of Inktober is opened!

Ice bucket challenge, model challenge … The social networks are the reasons numerous alternately funny and friendly challenges. Inktober is certainly one of the most creativities.

Jake Parker is originated from Inktober. This American illustrator has worked in Utah on both picture books and comics for full-length animated film. On a beautiful day of 2009,  he decided to launch Inktober. The principle? Draw a picture in ink every day in October and share it on Web.

Let draw, we’ve won!

The objective of Parker was to improve drawing skills in ink when setting up a positive routine to practice. Gradually, the sauce takes in the artistic environment. At that time, it is especially in blogs and other Tumblr that decorate the creations with flowers. Moreover, on this platform Jake Parker published in 2013 the instructions which are going to make the fame of the event.

So, the participants have to respect three conditions. Firstly, it is necessary to use some ink. In other words, it is forbidden to resort a graphics tablet. Secondly, you have to post your creations in the choice of Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or Pinterest. Thirdly, you have to attach them to the hashtag *inktober so that they are visible. Fourthly, it is advised to practice regularly and as much as possible because it is also the objective of the manoeuvre.

Parker publication arouses a large number of public reactions. It is only the beginning. The hash-tag #inktober explodes in the social networks with 46,000 mentions. Next year, it is the consecration with the first returns of the press, particularly, Telegraph. During the first eight days of the challenge, the famous word-sharp is resumed 186,000 times.

Since then, the success is increasing. It is inseparable of social networks, in particular, those who value the image  like Instagram. The latter accounts for more than a million comments mentioning the hash-tag #inktober in 2015. Prestigious titles like Washington Post or Business Insider circulate the event. In 2016, Facebook community exceeds 77,000 members.

Emulation and story

What makes Inktober successful? How has a challenge firstly reduced a circle of initiated eventually gathered millions of aspiring artists worldwide? It’s difficult to be affirmative but we can try all the same to bring some response elements. First of all, we find out basically a simple and approachable concept. You need a paper, a pencil and an Internet connection to participate (in addition to your artistic talent, of course).

If the competition has its rules, it leaves a certain margin of designer’s manoeuvre. Therefore, Jake Parker annually spreads a list of themes for every day of October. But you are not obliged to respect it to produce a drawing a day with all the same  mandatory. You thus are completely free to follow your own inspiration or others. They are not the ideas of lacking the subject on social networks. It is sufficient to follow the above-mentioned hash-tags.

This takes us to a very core of the viral mechanics of Inktober. The designers  are not satisfied with creating alone in their place. They share, follow the accounts of other "competitors", react by posting a "like", a comment or an emoji. It is the opportunity to exchange, criticize, compliment or inquire. Everybody is present at the party in which you are an amateur or a professional, a young person or experimented, a fan of manga or of comics … This excitement can only be source of emulation growing to the creation. From their part, youtubers spreads videos to tell their experience, creative process and give some advice to the beginners.

Commonly on the Internet, this kind of event shares its own stories as that of the participant who tells how Inktober helped him in the personal plan. For him, the experience acted as a therapy (or a meditation) while he went through a rough time in his life. Being skeptical at first, he gradually realized that it made him feel better It was a way for him to focus on his thoughts. More prosaically, it allowed him to improve the technique especially when he noticed that some of his friends take care of one another.

For 2017, he decided to make a creation a day whether it is an illustration, a bill of blog or a poem.

Good resolution.

Article written by Thierry Randretsa