October Artist Prompts in thick text over a patterned background.

Here is a list of October Artist Prompts! It's Zinetober/Zine-O-Ween and Inktober! Many of these state they're for drawing or sketching, but I like to use them for my artist trading cards. They also work great for writers, photographers, musicians…

October Artist Prompts

Scroll down for 3 zinetober lists and 14 daily challenge lists plus the monthly are you book enough and MoZiPro challenges. I did not include the official inktober list because of the creator's problematic copyright/plagerism issues.

The downfall of this seasonal challenge began in December 2019, when its creator, Jake Parker, copyrighted the name Inktober. Some considered this to be controlling and out of line, while others saw it only to be Jake Parker protecting his intellectual property. Parker claimed to be “trying to maintain the integrity of the challenge.” Despite the conflict, Inktober didn’t suffer a significant loss of participants — until August 2020.

On June 16, Parker announced the release of a new book, set to be published in October 2020, called Inktober All Year Long. The book boasts to be “an indispensable guide to inking,” but its glory was interrupted when well-known artist Alphonso Dunn released a critical YouTube video. The video, titled “Jake Parker Plagiarized My Book,” outlines the numerous similarities between his book Pen and Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide published in 2015, and Parker’s new publication. Parker quickly fired back, posting a response on Twitter where he claimed to never have plagiarized anyone’s work and criticized Dunn for posting publicly rather than going directly to Parker. - The Owl

If you have a list you would like to have included in future months, just let me know.

MoZiPro – Monthly Zine Challenge

The Monthly Zine Project (MoZiPro) October artist prompts

October's prompt is 🥣 Recipes

How that Monthly Zine Project Works

Interpret the prompt however you want
Make a zine connected to your interpretation in that month
The zine can take any form you want! Written, photos, collage, drawings, whatever & however: anything goes. Just have fun!
No deadline, feel free to post your zine on the Facebook group and/or on Instagram – with the #mozipro tag when you're done (whenever in the month that may be!)
If a certain month's theme isn't resonating with you, just skip it.

Seriously! If you tend to be over-ambitious about your zines, art, writing & creative work in general ... please be kind to yourself!

Are You Book Enough

October's challenge is Candy

Here's how it works

Repost the monthly theme on your Instagram account to let us know you are joining in.
Plan out your artists' book using the theme for the month as your guide.
Join our conversations about the books in the community forums.
Share your process of the book if possible on Instagram using the hashtag #AreYouBookEnough
Take great photos of your finished book and post it with the tag for that month's theme as well as the hashtag #AreYouBookEnough
Pick out your favorite 9 from the finished books for the month and make a grid of them on your Instagram to share with the community. Use the hashtag #AreYouBookEnough

Zinetober

Zine-O-Ween by Senna Church

Candle
Lunar
Nail in the coffin
Woods
Phasmagoria
Feast
Diaphonized
Broom
Scarecrow
Disguise
Slash
Alone
Mirror image
Shadow
Grotesque
Haunted house
Cider
Possession
Cozy
Labyrinth
Miasma
Tangled web
Resurrect
Foliage
Hex
Memento Mori
Illusion
Tomb
Hayride
Devilish
Halloween Party

Zine-O-Ween by Kate Sheridan

Haunt
Deer in headlights
Bite down
Underfoot
Lurk
Rot
Urban legend
Barbed
Sanguine
Full moon
Cleave
A good scare
Marrow
Cryptid
Jack O'lantern
Saw
Tenebrous
Up in flames
Canine
mask
Sweet
Howl
Gothic
Monster of mine
Folk
Bread-crumbs
Lonely
Curse
Stitched
Ritual
Halloween

ZineTober by Bratty Bre

What's your current obsession? Make a fanzine about it today!
Experiment with different zine folds… ex) flexagons.
Recall an experience that hurt you & make a perzine on it.
What's a topic you know a lot about? Make an informational zine to share!
Create a lyric book!
Make a persuasive political zine to share your beliefs.
Support the queer community with a minizine covering LGBTQ_ topics & info.
Channel your inner poet and make a short poetry collection zine.
Horror zine! Let spooky season inspire a scary zine.
Interview a person you look up to and turn their answers in to a whole zine!
Got ink? Tell us the context behind your tattoos as if its a portfolio.
Celebrate your pet in a bigger zine (include pictures!)
WRite a zine to your future self.
I'm hungry so let's make a zine reviewing your fave foods.
Doy ou have kids? Make a collab zine with them!
Take a day off from zines.
Use a zine to plan your next getaway vacation.
Insta-zine. Don't use Instagram today and intead turn your account into a zine.
Try your hand at a comic zine.
make a zine the old fashioned way (handmade!)
Now make a zine only using digital tools lol.
Get nerdy with a book review zine.
Heartbreak is tough… a breakup zine can help you heal.
Colect a bunch of junk or trash and make a zine out of the collection.
Write a zine about an unknown fact many people don't know of…
Create a coloring zine.
Make a how-to zine!
Lists! You can make a listzine of all your upcoming to-do tasks!
Share a home made recipe in a mini zine.
Create a photo zine.
Make your version of the zine about zines.

More October Artist Prompts

Witchtober by Willow and Roxas

Ethereal
Swarm
Glass
Rebel
Abundance
Twist
Feather
Journey
Glamour
Comfort
Blade
Ancestor
Chaos
Hidden
Burnt
Imagine

Inktober by Oleander Studios

The pumpkin king
Under full moon light
Halloween Town
Locked away inside
Kidnap the Sandy Claws
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
Tragedy's at hand
Something's up with Jack
Zero
Everybody scream
Well, what the heck!
The mayor
I'm the master of fright
This is Halloween
Sally
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Everyone Hail to the pumpkin song
What have I done?
Jack Skellington
Gaze into the stars
Nice work, Bone Daddy!
Here lies poor old Jack
We're simply meant to be
Oogie-Boogie
What's this?
There's trouble close at hand
Boogie's boys
Dr. Finkelstein
On a dark cold night
Sit together now and forever
Jack is back

Peachtober by @furrylittlepeach

Daisy
Sparkle
Paw
Sky
Fawn
Sketch
Bud
River
Apricot
Pixel
Wheel
Earth
Cape
Burrow
Lamp
Owl
Slow
Fast
Crocodile
Rest
Greenhouse
Village
Party
Radish
Stone
Backpack
Grass
Pony
Break
Pearl
Spider

Plastober by Plastic Pen

Castle
Border
Feline
Day off
High
Summer
Dagger
Day off
Animal
Royal
Brave
Day off
Villain
Artifact
Mirror
Day off
Door
Memory
Locket
Day off
Stone
Flat
Windows
Day off
Glass
Spacious
Nordic
Day off
Goldsmith
Companion
Journey

October Sketchbook Art Challenge from Tinkerlab

Stormy
Tracing
Streak
Bloom
Bent
Feather
Foliage
Mushroom
Repetition
Harvest
Insect
Scratch
Gleaming
Balance
Square
Tree
Wave
Cozy
Mechanical
Stars
Open
Meandering
Rattle
Antique
Cold
Candy
Swing
Rain
Sprout
Cloud
Mask

Natural Beach Living October Drawing Challenge

Pumpkin spice latte
Gourd
Corn
Leaves
Acorns
Soup
Blankets
Spider
Corn maze
Fence
Human skeleton
Lake
Ghost
Hat
Shark
Mini golf
Jack-O-Lantern
Squirreeel
Fire station
Crow
Pumpkin patch
Cat
Fire hydrant
Football
Dinosaur
Rake
Reed barn
Hummingbird
Trophy
Baseball Cap
[missing]

Cute Little Paper's October Doodle Challenge

Number 10
Letter O
Jack O Lantern
Owl
Witch’s Hat
Spider Web
Mummy
Bone
Monster
Eyeball
Grave
Potion
Bat
Frankenstein
Spell Book
Black Cat
Halloween Candy
Vampire
Witch’s Shoes
Skeleton
Haunted House
Full Moon
Rat
Scary Teeth
Ghost
Crystal Ball
Raven
Coffin
Zombie Hand
Spider
Scarecrow

Cute Little Paper's October Journaling Prompts

Write about my best Halloween yet.
Name the pros and cons of fall.
Write about my earliest Halloween memories.
Make a plan to DIY the most creative Halloween decoration.
Write a checklist of things to do during fall.
What’s the funniest moment I had during Halloween?
Make a top 10 Halloween movie list.
Write down the recipe for my favorite pumpkin dessert.
What I do and don’t love about Halloween?
If I could be a vampire or a witch, what would I rather be and why?
My favorite quote about fall.
Inspirational quote - Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower
What would be my perfect Halloween costume?
What was the spookiest thing that happened in my life?
Write about an important event that happened to me during the fall season.
Make a Halloween playlist.
What do I have in common with a ghost, zombie, and werewolf?
Think of 5 inexpensive ways that’ll add a fall feeling to my living space.
Who is an evil witch (or warlock) in my life, and why do I think so?
Draw 5 Jack-o’-Lantern faces.
What are the 5 things I associate with fall?
If I’d be face to face with Frankenstein, what would I ask him – and what might be his answer?
Write about the spookiest movie I’ve watched.
Write down how a cozy fall evening looks to me, and then make it happen.
What is my biggest fear and why do I think so?
How real is that fear and is there a way I can overcome it?
My 3 favorite fall activities.
Who is my favorite Halloween character and why?
Read about the mummification process – and write down what I found to be the most fascinating about it.
If I could change one thing about fall, what would it be?
What could I add to the Halloween celebration that would make it even more special?
Think of 3 ways I can creatively use leftover Halloween treats.