Question 1

What is Inktober?

Accepted Answer

Inktober is a drawing challenge created by illustrator Jake Parker in 2009: one ink drawing a day for each of the thirty-one days of October. An official list of thirty-one single-word prompts is published each year, and most participants use it, though drawing to your own theme has always been allowed.

Question 2

When does the official Inktober prompt list come out?

Accepted Answer

The official list is traditionally published on 1 September, giving artists the month of September to plan. Lists that circulate before that date are almost always fan-made or from a previous year.

Question 3

Is the 2026 Inktober list available yet?

Accepted Answer

Not yet at the time of writing. The list for 2026 is expected around 1 September 2026. Until an official list exists, this page lists only the years that have actually been published rather than guessing — every other list below is the real one for that year.

Question 4

Do I have to use ink?

Accepted Answer

The original rules ask for ink, which is the point: ink removes the option of erasing, so you commit to a line. Plenty of people do it in pencil, digitally, or in watercolour, and nothing bad happens. If you want the intended difficulty, use a pen.

Question 5

Can I use an old Inktober list?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is a good idea. There are ten published lists here, which is three hundred and ten prompts — enough for ten Octobers. Older lists are also less crowded, so your work is not competing with thousands of same-day posts.

Question 6

How do I actually finish all thirty-one days?

Accepted Answer

Set a hard time limit of fifteen to twenty minutes per day and stick to it, decide the medium once and never change it, and if you miss a day, carry on from today rather than catching up. Almost everyone who quits does so in week two after trying to make up two missed days at once.

Question 7

Can I sell or post drawings made from these prompts?

Accepted Answer

Your drawings are yours. Inktober is a trademark of Jake Parker, so use the name descriptively rather than branding a product with it, and check the official rules before commercial use. The prompt words themselves are just words.

Question 8

What if a prompt word gives me nothing?

Accepted Answer

Take the second meaning. Most of these words are deliberately ambiguous — 'Trunk' is a tree, a car, an elephant, and a suitcase. Writing down four readings before drawing takes a minute and almost always produces a better idea than the first one.

Every Official Inktober Prompt List, 2016–2025

The 2026 list

All 10 published lists

Inktober 2025 prompt list

Inktober 2024 prompt list

Inktober 2023 prompt list

Inktober 2022 prompt list

Inktober 2021 prompt list

Inktober 2020 prompt list

Inktober 2019 prompt list

Inktober 2018 prompt list

Inktober 2017 prompt list

Inktober 2016 prompt list

Inktober, answered

More prompt lists