#inkOctober is here and youngsters are busy doodling away

Who actually even draws on paper anymore? Especially in the age of digital revolution the place the screen has all but changed the standard canvas, does any person doodle on paper? Turns out they do, as the deluge of hand-drawn doodles flooding social media timelines below the #inkoctober turn out beyond doubt.

What is #inkoctober
For the uninitiated, Inkoctober started in 2009 as a challenge US-based illustrator and animator Jake Parker set for himself to fortify his inking talents and expand certain drawing habits. The challenge was to attract one sketch every day of the month. Four years later, he introduced #inkoctober in 2013 to inspire doodlers to sign up for in. And it has sparked off a worldwide endeavour that has drawn 1000's of artists around the world into its fold. What's more, a lot of young Hyderabadis too have joined the #inktober bandwagon and vowed to put up 31 drawings in 31 days of the month.

All you need is slightly little bit of ink to start expressing your self

Roopsha Bhattacharya, a 2d 12 months level pupil, explains why Inktober is a great initiative to advertise distinctive drawing kinds, saying, "All you need is to take some ink and start expressing yourself. What's not to love about it? But you have to be mindful of a set of rules though. Start with a simple drawing — it could be done with pencil — and trace it above by an ink paint and brush. Then hashtag it with #inktober and post it on social media. That's all it takes to get started. The drawings grow more elaborate as the month goes on, so it's pretty fun!"

'Cos painting with ink is super a laugh

For the likes of artwork lover and blogger Nikita Pathak, this challenge is a good way to indulge of their love for artwork, with a splash of ink thrown in. "Although all of us usually draw with pencils and pens, the fillings are done with poster paints or water paints. But here we need to ink with a paint brush. So you have to be careful while painting and need to wait a while for the ink to dry out. It's super fun and maintaining consistency is the key. I like doodling small cartoons like Hello Kitty and Pikachu," says Nikita.

Nodding in agreement, Diya Chakraborty, an intermediate pupil says "I had a blast sketching runway models the last time. I mix both the ink as well as poster paints. For example, I would sketch the ruffle gown with vibrant colours like pseudo red in the background of an inky dark night."

Everyone must absorb #inkoctober challenge just to get to understand themselves slightly better

Aniket Bangre, an engineering graduate believes that doodling and sketching on paper is a good way to get your concepts out, without reference to your drawing talents. "Who would've thought that something which started as a way to stay motivated to 'draw' will become a worldwide craze. #inktober is a unique way to bring out your talent and express yourselves better. Every year people around the globe doodle and post their work on the Internet and the uniqueness is worth seeing. I'd compel everybody to get up and go make something because there's nothing like exploring your inner self through art. Who knows, you might have a hidden talent that's waiting to find expression!" says Aniket.