Chennai’s artists sketch their way through Inktober

October comes with the annual ritual of ‘Inktober’, where artists from across the world take on the challenge of creating one ink sketch a day | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement October in Chennai is a bit of a mixed bag because there are festivities to look forward to, the arrival of the monsoon, and the younger crowd building a relatively new ritual for Halloween. But for the artists of Chennai, October means something else. It comes with the annual ritual of ‘Inktober’, where artists from across the world take on the challenge of creating one ink sketch a day by tackling the official Inktober prompts or creating their own.This month, Gen Zers in the city have taken it upon themselves to spread the word about Inktober, sharing their daily sketches and documenting their version of this challenge on social media. A 25-year-old counsellor/psychotherapist, Saralya Narayanan, who is participating in the Inktober challenge for the first time, says she started the challenge this year on a whim, mainly to coax her creativity out of hiding. “I just happened to be carrying a notepad and pen, and I thought I might as well just enter the challenge. I wanted to use this time to switch off from consuming content and create something, even if it is not great,” says Ms. Narayanan.Madras InktoberFor urban planner and artist Srishti Prabakar, however, Inktober goes back to 2019. She initially attempted the official prompts but dropped out midway. “It was difficult to connect with those prompts, so I created my own set of prompts,” says Ms. Prabakar. She started curating prompts under Madras Inktober, which brought together artists in Chennai to sketch the city’s heritage and everyday scenes in 2020. Since then, Madras Inktober has changed in many ways and now includes prompts that artists from Chennai and elsewhere can participate in. “It is not just about curating the prompts. I also participate in the challenge and post my work on social media,” says Ms. Prabakar. For urban planner and artist Srishti Prabakar, however, Inktober goes back to 2019 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Another Chennai-based 23-year-old artist and textile designer, Subashini, says she has noticed many of her peers taking on Inktober for the first time this year. “I wanted to do something after my 9-to-5 job, so I wanted to create something using my own ideas and draw whatever feels like me without any restrictions,” she says. “Sharing my work with other people and receiving words of encouragement also motivates me to keep creating,” adds Ms. Subashini.Something for everyoneAs younger artists share their work on social media, the challenge is also piquing the curiosity of audiences across generations. Aadith T., a second-year college student, says his daily sketching has inspired his family to try the challenge, too. “I’m an amateur artist attempting the Inktober prompts, such as apple, relic, rescue, toss and miniature, but sometimes, I don’t follow the prompt list and instead try live sketching. I did that when I was at Bessie (Besant Nagar) Beach the other day. Sketching for all 31 days of October is a struggle, but I have not missed a day so far,” he says. “After I explained the concept to my dad, surprisingly, he also wanted to try the Inktober challenge,” he adds. Published - October 23, 2026 06:20 pm IST