As shadows lengthen and crispy leaves chase one another down the now-empty streets at dusk, the October People take centerstage, working their special magic upon the season of all things horrific, creepy-cute, and otherworldly. In this spirit, Jake Parker’s annual Inktober event offers a series of prompts for artists to ink their way through the 31 days of October. All you need to do is draw. Paper, inks, graphite, tablet – all are welcome. The flurry of postings tagged #Inktober and #Inktober2018 are all seasonal eye candy – and we don’t mean that stinkin’ kandy korn, either! Nope, this is the good stuff. Full bars. Let the inky phantasmagoria begin with an Unlucky 14 of haunt-worthy IG accounts to follow:
@enginervster
Terry Ramdhany uses a blackwork approach with pencil and ink. Stunning linework often punctuated with blood red or acid green, these beasties are the stuff of nightmares but somehow in the most delicate way. Originals are available directly from the artist if your crypt needs a little spiffing up.
@mrrevenge
Ricky & Richelle Romero’s comix-inspired sketchbook takes some hilariously bloody shots at pop culture cartoon icons like a few bunnies and kitties we could name. If those darlings of childhood just plain give you the creeps, this one’s for you. Their shop at ScaryBearyAndCompany has lots of originals, prints, stickers, and books, too.
@nnyhr
Exquisite detail couples with the blackest of black inkwork to explore the mythos inside FloRhynn‘s head. These nightmares have spawned Encre Nous, a positively delicious crowd-sourced art book, and an array of Lovecraftian clothing with many designs harboring a Tarot card vibe.
@peppa_potter
Lest you forget that Inktober is not limited to stinkin’ ink, the digitally drawn peculiar pets and preternatural spirit animals of Peppa Potter are here to remind you with dancing bats, hairy spiders and melancholy monsters.
@paolopetrangeli
Working with biro pens, Rome, Italy-based Paolo Petrangeli envisions a scary-sweet, color-washed Halloween world of fat little pirate moons, stick-limbed waifs, and teetering mansions that just double-dog dare you to ring the bell and demand your treats. His etsy shop includes prints and original paintings.
@faunwood
Dark meets adorbs in the beautiful and otherworldly denizens of Faunwood where artist Miranda Zimmerman puts pen to paper (or sometimes drink coasters). She is inspired by the prompt lists of many different artists and usually combines several in an October onslaught of inky eeriness.
@blackheartcollection
Well, this is some wretched cuteness right here! Kat’s goulish ladies and their feline friends began their unlife intended as book illustrations but they also wind up on some pretty sweet swag in her etsy shop including tees, prints, and pins, some of which she makes by hand. The admittedly Halloween-obsessed Kat shares her whimsically dark world of original characters, cats, and coffee.
@cwehrle
Drawing upon a childhood filled with campy 80s horror, Chad Wehrle just does what he loves, which he describes as “drawing cool shit.” Damn straight, Chad! His Society6 shop is full of cool shit. His Etsy shop is full of cool shit. There’s even a series of books he created from his previous years of Drawlloween mastery. He keeps it simple with pencil, eraser, and paper blender.
@behemot_crta_stvari
Slavic mythology fuels the creepy-cute weirdness of self-taught Bosnian artist Igor – yes, that’s his real name. He credits the obsession-worthy Tim Burton as one of his earliest influences, along with those horrid fairy tales that scarred our souls and gave us freaking nightmares as children. His threadless shop offers clothing and accessories to complete your otherworldly ensemble.
@animvs
Melancholic ossuaries, tattered bats, and halo’d wraiths are among the dark offerings at Animvs Stvdio with an occultish, dark aesthetic. In page after page of esoteric pointillism, the creeping horrors shamble into view.
@darktownsally
Like dark folk art, inks and watercolors combine in these velvety, shadowy little panels from Dark Town Sally. Every time she releases a new run of prints, they sell out like Halloween candy on the 1st of October (yes, that fast!) so you might want to visit her shop to add a few to your treat or treat bag.
@sorrowgrips
Indonesian artist Sorrow Grips offers exquisite nature studies with an eldritch bent – skulls, bats, snakes, goats, and moths frolic in the darkness of his imagination. His store offers a small selection of prints and original pen & ink drawings for collectors.
@findnatatat
Graphite artist Natalie B. has an eye for that cool retro 40s/50s style complete with hand lettering, creepy kiddies, and bodacious Halloween babes. Plus, prints and originals are available in her shop if you need a sugar-free hit of Halloween before the big event.
@austinpardunart
If your twisted childhood included paging in bug-eyed terror through stacks of horror comic books by flashlight, you’ll scream with delight – for it’s surely Eternal Halloween in the world of Austin Pardun. With campy cats, lowbrow ladies and cryptid dance parties, the halftone Halloween horror show conjures pulpy memories of Tales From the Crypt.
The gory granddaddy of October Ink remains Inktober, but the permutations are myriad. Quite a few variants are gathered at Inktoberprompts on IG but a favorite around here remains the glorious Mab Graves’ Drawlloween. Her list has been thematically organized to allow time-crunched inkies to combine several prompts into one larger drawing if you can’t keep up daily. You really can’t go wrong with any of these prompt lists – there’s one for every taste from the horrific to the creepy-sweet. So grab a pen and splash some ink! And tag that shit for everyone to see!
Featured image via @austinpardunart