Inktober and Drawtober: Getting Creative

Inktober and Drawtober: Getting Creative

Remarkable Finds 4 min read

We all know that prompts are a great way to spark creativity. And sparking creativity is exactly what the creators of Inktober, Drawtober, Artober, and other October events have in mind.

What Are Inktober and Drawtober?

The idea is so simple. A group of artists create a list of prompts and share it out there on Instagram. Then people draw their interpretation and share it using Instagram’s hashtag system. Everyone gets to enjoy amazing art!

Started back in 2009 with Inktober, using October to share artistic prompts has continued to grow. Now we have Drawtober, which opens up the medium and includes an autumnal theme to the prompts. And more, like Witchtober, Artober, and an Autumnal Harvest-themed Drawtober.

Ready For Your Promptober?

More made-up words! And why not? 

So Lauren, our social media wizard, found these great promptober lists and shared them in one great post on Instagram.

And if you’re just learning about these great October prompt lists, there’s still time to create some amazing art! Here’s all the information for the lists featured on our Instagram post. 

  • Inktober by @Inktober. Follow along or share your Inktober prompt art using the hashtags #Inktober and #Inktober2020
  • Drawtober by @Drawtober. Follow along or share your Drawtober prompt art using the hashtags #Drawtober and #Drawtober2020
  • Autumnal Harvest Drawtober by @Codibear. Follow along or share your Autumnal Harvest art using the hashtag #beartober
  • Witchtober by @rit.aria Follow along or share your Witchtober prompt art using the hashtags #Witchtober2020 and #ariaillutober
  • Artober by @juli_artwork Follow along or share your Artober prompt art using the hashtags #artober2020 and #juliartober

Now that October is nearly over, you’ve probably got a nice portfolio of art. I bet you can see where I’m going with this.

Create an Art Book

Seriously. What would be cooler than your own art book on your bookshelf? Or it could be the perfect gift for friends and family this year. 

Best of all, it’s a lot easier than you might think. 

Step 1: Digital Images

Sometimes, this is the most difficult step. You’ve got to get your art turned into high-resolution digital images. Scanning is generally best, but luckily most modern cell phones have cameras that will do.

Image resolution comparison

You’re looking for at least 300 Pixels Per Inch (PPI) for your images to ensure they’ll print clearly. Don’t let a screen deceive you either; most images on your phone or computer are about 72 PPI.

Step 2: Build A File

If you’re already comfortable with design software like Photoshop or InDesign, you can start from scratch with a totally original design. I suggest grabbing a template to get the page size, margin, and bleed information. Then just design from there!

Design Guide Bundles

Download the bundle in the Photo Book size you need and get interior and cover templates for Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Also includes our Book Creation Guide and PDF export settings.

You can also find some pre-made templates around the web, but I don’t generally recommend doing that. Laying out a photo book might seem a little imposing at first, but once you start placing images, it gets a lot easier.

You’ll also need to build a cover file. We include a template for that in our design bundles.

Step 3: Create Your Book

Finally, you just need to head over to Lulu and create your book! This is the easiest part of the entire process. Just create an Account and head over to our photo book page to see the recommended options for photo book design. 

Since your files are ready, you just need to create your book, add some details, and upload the PDFs. You can order copies in less than 15 minutes! 

(Note that if you intend to sell your book on Lulu, we do need a little more information and it may take longer than 15 minutes).

Inktober and Drawtober Inspiration

Are you thinking about creating an art book from your drawings but you’re not sure just yet? Well, maybe a little inspiration from some Lulu authors would help!

These authors have participated in past prompt-ober events and turned their art into books for everyone to enjoy.

From Inktober Fun to Holiday Gifts

Inktober and Drawtober are a lot of fun for everyone from professional artists to doodlers. And with just a little page layout practice, you can turn your art into a stunning book to sell or give.

Inktober Book collection from the Lulu Bookstore

In fact, these prompt-ober events line up perfectly for creating holiday gifts. You spend October creating awesome art, and then you’ve got a few weeks in November to put together your file before ordering it during Black Friday / Cyber Monday to get those sweet holiday sales. And everyone on your gift list this year gets a unique photo book created by you!

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Paul

Paul is the Senior Content Manager at Lulu.com. When he's not entrenched in the publishing and print-on-demand world, he likes to read, sample the fanciest microbrewed beer, and collect fountain pens.