The best October art challenges, from Inktober to... er... Orctober

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It's October, and that means one thing. No, not Halloween (although that does form part of it). October has become the ultimate month for art challenges.

From Inktober to Arttrober and even Orctober, the month ahead provides no shortage of Instagram art challenges to get involved in and to put your creative skills to the test. But with so many now buzzing around, which should you take part in. Here's our roundup of some of the most interesting options, complete with the hashtags to use and follow. If you're looking for points, see our roundup of essential sketching tips.

The best October art challenges on Instagram

01. Imagine FX Art Challenge

Our sister magazine has kicked off the month with its very first prompt list. The first is HERO. Each day you need to paint or draw an image based on the prompts. Don't feel tied into every day – you can pick and choose the prompts that work for you.

How to enter: To submit your entry, simply hashtag your artwork with #IFXOctober and tag the IFX account on Cara, Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter or Threads by 31 October 2024, 11:59pm (GMT +0:00).

Note: AI will not be permitted at any stage of the creation process, and you must submit three process images to prove you have not used AI.

02. Arttrober

Originally created by Stanley Artgerm Lau as an alternative to Inktober (without the Ink rule), Arttrober is an art challenge that involves drawing your favorite characters – accordingly to a prompt list. There's one prompt for every day of October, so – there are 31 prompts total. The list contains prompts from three genres: Anime, Comic and Game. Hashtag: #Arttrober

03. Inktober

Perhaps the best-known of the many artober challenges, Inktober proposes a list of prompts for artists to take on using inks. Jake Parker's move to copyright the Inktober name has been controversial, but the challenge remains popular amid the various newcomers. The Inktober 2024 challenge is a bit different this year as you're being challenged to take part alongside a friend. Hashtags: #inktober #inktober2024 #inktober52.

04. Batober

Chris Samnee's Batober art challenge is dedicated to Batman, a character he can draw again and again and still have a lot of fun with. He says anything related to the Batman universe is on topic, so you could also play with other characters. Some of the prompts look challenging. Hashtag: #batober.

05. Drawlloween

Not all October art challenges end in 'ober'. Drawlloween is a classic that's been running for a decade and is still going strong. It encourages participants to push their creativity and not stick to literal interpretations of the prompts. Due to a typo, this year's prompt list features the same prompt on two days, so the topic will be relaxed a little for those. Tag @drawlloween and use the hashtag #Drawlloween to feature.

06. Plastober

Back for a fifth year, Plastober is an art challenge that runs on weekly prompts. As well as the prompts, there are also some more detailed suggestions for how to approach each week to encourage participants to challenge themselves, from experimenting with contrast in week one to taking inspiration from houses and homes in week four. Hashtags: #plastober, #plastober24.

07. Drawtober

Drawtober is another spooky-themed art challenge for the run up to Halloween, but this one is sponsored by Xencelabs and has some amazing prizes throughout the month. Now in its eighth year, it's challenging artists to create with the theme of exploring different rooms in a haunted house, along with the creatures or mysteries within them! All mediums are welcome, from pencil to clay (but not AI)

08. Orctober

If you thought Oct-LotR was challenging, this art challenge is even more specific. Yes, Orctober is a thing, and it challenges 'orctists' to spend the month drawing nothing but orcs. And yes, the prompt day 6 does say 'sexy'. Tag @orctober and use the hashtags #Orctober and Orktober.

To explore other platforms where you might be able to share your work, see our roundup for the best social media platforms for artists.