INKTOBER: A hashtag worth its weight

'Drooling' by Fairooz Nawar Oishe

If you have noticed pleasant and thematic art blessing your social media feeds  this October,  it is by the grace of Inktober. Few social media trends are as alluring and aesthetically pleasant as artist Jake Parker's fervid concept, which soon turned into a canvas for artists exercising their talent and freedom of expression for the entire month.

The rules are simple: pick up a pen, start drawing, and upload the artworks on social media with the tag #inktober and #inktober2018. While the original provisions stated that the art has to be daily and with ink, many take liberties with it.

'Chicken' by Venessa Kaiser

“For me, Inktober works as an excuse to draw every day,” says Fairooz Nawar Oishe, a talented illustrator. “Even though I don't draw with ink, my work is greatly appreciated.” Venessa Kaiser, the winner of this year's Art Battle, says that the consistent practice and experimentation with art styles greatly improves her as an artist.

Even for people with little to no experience in art, this is a great starting point. The art community is accepting towards newcomers, usually posting constructive criticism in various art groups. Many young artists credit their starting point to be Inktober . With the right direction, social media can contribute to something beautifully positive, and Inktober remains a  testament to that fact.

'Spell' by Tasnim Mahbub Riti