We often hear people say that art begins where words end. Whether it’s the soft whisper of pencil on paper or the glowing touch of a digital pen on screen, every stroke, every colour, and every line brings art to life. It’s easy to forget how much discipline breathes beneath creativity and that’s what Inktober set out to remind us of when Jake Parker first launched it in October 2009. What began as one artist’s personal challenge to ink a little every day soon became a ritual of imagination for thousands around the world.
Sixteen years later, even as Jake himself seems to step back from the fray, the spirit he sparked refuses to fade. Across the world, artists still rise to the call — brushing, sketching, inking through fatigue, and doubt. They find meaning in prompts and they draw not just to improve, but to express, to heal, to joke, and to even help us imagine a better tomorrow.
Here are six such South Indian creators who prove that even when the founder’s pen slows, the ink of the community never runs dry.
Artist: Tharani Muthu
Medium: Paper and pixels
Their digital canvas this Inktober: Abides by the inktober prompts and lives by the guiding thought that, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
Artistic intent
This artist’s works are a reflection of their emotions, thoughts and experiences, but is also slowly transcending towards activism so as to nudge uncomfortable conversations on both personal and public levels. Tharani’s works from this Inktober include ‘Pierce and Sting’, which leans on gender politics, ‘Murky’ that centres around mental health, and ‘Drink’ and ‘Blunder’, which are themed around humanity beyond redemption.
Most tricky piece: It is one of the sillier pieces I did, but also one of the more creative ones. For the prompt ‘reckless’, I sketched an empty jar-labelled reck. Because without its contents, we are reckless — right?
Artist’s note
“As artists, we need to hold space for people to think and question the systems that govern and define us. As creators, we have the responsibility to be political, although arguably, it’s a cross few choose to bear.”
Artist: Lawanya Ramachandran
Medium: Paper
Their sketchbook this Inktober: Sticks to prompts from botanical art community and blooms with nature’s quiet marvels.
Artistic intent
This artist’s works are thorough and detailed observations of nature that aims to build empathy and connection with the natural world. They are both reflections of the world around us, and a subtle commentary on human relationships with nature, and bottles up a bit of activism, nudging preservative actions.
Most tricky piece
Botanical prompts and pieces pose no challenge for this artist. Inspired by nature, her eyes observe, her admiration guides her, and her hand moves with effortless grace.
Artist’s note
“We [artists] often get caught up experimenting with tools and techniques, but ink has a certain honesty. It doesn’t allow much room for correction, so you’re forced to embrace imperfection and focus purely on the process. That limitation feels liberating in a way.”
Artist: Neha Ayub
Medium: Paper and pixels
Their sketchbook this Inktober: Adheres to prompts from Peachtober, humming hues of optimism, and reimagining futures.
Artistic intent
This artist places her works into the reality of commentary, activism that act as a mirror to the world. She believes her art is responsive to the world, and she creates overtly political pieces and also sometimes, works that are representative of everyday acts of joy. The latter is an attempt, she says, to “stay hopeful in such dystopian times.”
Most tricky piece
For Neha, the prompt ‘Aquarium’ this year, was equal parts exciting and challenging. She wanted to delve into magical realism and create a story within the world of the illustration itself and also place it within our local cultural contexts. She says it took her a lot of time to bring all the colours in this piece to life.
Artist’s note
“Independent art is perhaps one of the few surviving spaces of dissent in heavily censored and controlled media worlds. I believe it’s important to use that space to redirect attention towards what’s happening to oppressed communities across the world right now.”
Artist: Roshan Kurichiyanil
Medium: Print and pixels
Their digital canvas this inktober: Interprets the official prompts and takes the form of one-page comics — deceptively simple like children’s books, yet tackling subjects as grave as genocide.
Artistic intent
This artist wants to make onlookers feel something through their art or oftentimes, even make them think about a particular idea they present from a different perspective, and make the audiences empathise with the idea he has put forth. He believes that is his art’s purpose.
Most tricky piece
For Roshan, the challenge lies in staying creative and delivering the same quality of work every day for 30 consecutive days. On many days, he says, even the best prompts leave him blank, telling him how he needs to take a moment to recharge his creative fuel.
Artist’s note
“Art is the most effective way to express my thoughts. As long as I draw inspiration for my art from the society around me, my art will reflect the life I see and therefore, contain my political views. Choosing not to do that is also saying many things about an artist’s politics.”
Artist: Parani Rajan
Medium: Paper
Their sketchbook this Inktober: It is full of relatable mini-stories built from prompts, told with a splash of humour.
Artistic intent
Parani’s art evokes the vibrant posters that once lined ‘80s and ‘90s tea shops — colourful, local, and full of charm. While these nostalgic posters often carried the tagline “No Politics Please”, Parani’s art embraces the same spirit: a stress-free space for viewers.
Most tricky piece
The prompt “Deer” proved tricky. Their concept depicted someone mistaking a deer’s antlers for a tree in a lonely forest — only for the deer to vanish upon a second glance. Unsure if the idea or visual storytelling would work, they drew inspiration from the old-school comics they grew up reading and managed to make it fit.
Artist’s note
“I believe there’s a comic strip hidden in every corner of daily life.”
Artist: Sowmya Ramalingam
Medium: Paper and pixels
Their sketchbook and digital canvases this Inktober: Breaks free from prompts, focuses on helping wounded souls feel heard and encourages healing.
Artistic intent
Though this artist often weaves politics and activism into her work, this Inktober she focuses on her own journey of emotional healing, aiming to inspire others facing mental distress. By month’s end, she plans to compile all 30 pieces into a therapeutic colouring book.
Most tricky piece
Always eager for a new idea to strike, she rarely finds a sketch challenging. After completing a piece for each of the 1,330 Thirukkurals last year, she feels no Inktober piece has yet proven too difficult to bring to life.
Artist’s note
“Art is activism. It is also something primitive and belongs to everyone. We started communicating through art even before we found words and languages. I hear people say that when there is an article to read in the news, they put it off for later, but art meanwhile grabs attention and they immediately get the gist of the message. So it is beautiful to see art as a way for communicating.”
