Author: Alison Price   –   Published: June 2024

Starztober24: Astro Art Challenge 

Introduction

Inktober is an art movement devised by Jake Parker way back in 2009. 

It’s a challenge designed to encourage artists to improve their skills and develop positive drawing habits. During Inktober, participants create one ink artwork each day throughout October, resulting in a collection of thirty-one unique pieces by the end of the month.

The challenge is open to artists of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals. Each day has a prompt word to inspire creativity and guide the day’s drawing. While the traditional medium is ink, many artists experiment with different materials and techniques, making Inktober a diverse and inclusive event.

Participating in Inktober is not just about the end result; it’s about the journey of daily practice, pushing creative boundaries, and connecting with a global community of artists. By the end of the month, artists often find their skills improved and their artistic horizons expanded.

Inktober Prompts

Each year, the official Inktober prompts are published to inspire and guide artists throughout the month. These prompts consist of a list of 31 words, each assigned to a specific day in October, providing a daily theme or idea for the artwork. Artists can choose to follow the official prompts or create their own based on personal interests or specific themes they want to explore.

Many artists and creators design their own unique prompts to align with their artistic focus or hobbies. For instance, the “Starztober” challenge is tailored for those who enjoy astrology, offering prompts related to astrological signs, celestial bodies, and other cosmic themes.

The essence of Inktober is to create artworks using ink, which is why it is called Inktober and not Paintober. The medium encourages artists to explore the versatility of ink, whether through traditional pens and brushes or modern digital inking tools.

Participants widely share their Inktober journey by posting their work and process drawings on social media platforms. This sharing not only helps them stay motivated but also connects them with a global community of artists participating in the challenge. The hashtags #Inktober and #Inktober2024 (or the current year) help in finding and engaging with other artists’ work, fostering a sense of camaraderie and collective growth.

Through the discipline of daily drawing and the support of an active community, Inktober becomes more than just an art challenge; it transforms into a creative festival celebrating artistic expression and improvement.

The Inktober Challenge

Inktober is a personal challenge where the goal is to create one ink drawing every day throughout the month of October. Successfully completing Inktober means producing thirty-one drawings by the end of the month. While many people begin the challenge, not everyone manages to see it through to the end—something I can personally attest to.

Inktober isn’t a competition against others; it’s a contest with yourself. The core question of Inktober is, “Can you create one new ink drawing every day for thirty-one days?” This daily commitment is the essence of the challenge.

Completing all thirty-one drawings before the month ends means you have “won” Inktober. The victory lies not just in the quantity of drawings but in the discipline, creativity, and growth you experience along the way.

Participating in Inktober pushes you to develop consistent creative habits, improve your drawing skills, and explore new ideas. Whether you follow the official prompts or create your own, the true reward is the sense of accomplishment and the impressive body of work you’ve created by month’s end.

Previous Inktober Years

In previous years, I’ve embarked on the Inktober journey but have never managed to complete it. Each attempt has been a learning experience, revealing both the challenges of maintaining daily creativity and the determination needed to see it through.

This year, I feel more prepared and confident than ever before. My artistic skills have grown, and I have developed a stronger sense of discipline. I am truly up for the challenge of Inktober this time.

Reflecting on past attempts, I see how far I’ve come as an artist. The experience has taught me the importance of persistence, creativity, and self-discipline. With these lessons in mind, I believe this year will be different. I’m excited to tackle the daily prompts, push my creative boundaries, and finally complete all thirty-one ink drawings.

This year, I am ready to meet the Inktober challenge head-on and finish strong.

My Art Blog

Over on my art blog at Alison Hazel Art I have documented my previous attempts at Inktober.

This is a space where I focus on meditative art and uplifting themes.

There was an artist who completed AHAtober and you can read her story here.

Starztober Prompts

If you prefer to follow the traditional route, you can find this year’s official Inktober prompts here. These prompts provide a structured yet flexible framework for your daily ink drawings.

However, as an aspiring artist with a passion for astrology, I’ve decided to create my own Inktober prompts this year, which I’m calling “Starztober.” Each prompt is inspired by fundamental concepts in astrology, from zodiac signs and planets to houses and aspects. This personalized approach allows me to blend my artistic endeavors with my interest in astrology.

I have an exciting plan for my Starztober drawings: I intend to use them as the foundation for a coloring book, which I aim to publish next year. This project not only motivates me to complete all thirty-one drawings but also gives my Inktober efforts a meaningful purpose beyond the challenge itself.

By integrating astrology into my Inktober experience, I hope to create a unique and engaging collection of artwork that resonates with both art enthusiasts and astrology lovers. Stay tuned as I embark on this creative journey, and look forward to the release of my coloring book next year!

What You Do

Draw one astro artwork each day in October using the Starztober prompts provided (see below).

Hashtags

Post your artwork to your social channels using the hashtags #starztober and #starztober24

My Starztober 2024 Artworks

As I work through this challenge I’ll post my artworks here. I’ll probably have some thoughts as well as the challenge unfolds. I’ll take better photos as the days go on, in the daylight and not after dark.

The forst week is nearly over and I’m keeping up just dandy.

Alison

Day 3: Nodes

This time I’m using silver (Moon) and gold (Sun) to show the lunar nodes.

Day 6:

Materials

You can do the classic pen-and-ink beloved of staunch Inktober and Starztober fans or move to an art medium that you are comfortable with each week.

You may use:

• Pencil
• Pencil crayons
• Markers
• Watercolours
• Acrylics
• Oil paints

It’s up to you.

The idea is to get productive with astro related artworks.

Drawing Inks and Supplies

I recently started working with colored inks and I plan to use this medium in my Inktober challenge this year.

The art supplies I’ll be using are:

• Faber Castell Pitt Artist pens in sizes 0.3mm, 0.5mm and 0.7mm.
• White Gelly Roll pen by Sakura.
• Pigma Micron pens in black, grey and sepia in various sizes.
• Windsor and Newton colored drawing inks.
• Paintbrushs in assorted sizes.
• Journal by Stillman and Birn.

Cover Page

Below is the inside cover page of my journal. I’ve clearly labeled it “Starzober: Inktober for Astrologers.”

This title serves as a reminder of the purpose behind this creative journey.

By dedicating this Inktober to self-care, I’m focusing on using art as a means to nurture my well-being and mental health.

In years to come, when I look back at this journal, I will instantly recall the significance of this project.

Each drawing will not only represent a step in my artistic growth but also a moment of personal reflection and self-care.

This cover page sets the tone for the entire journal, emphasizing the blend of creativity and mindfulness that defines Starztober.

Prompts Two-Page Spread

On the next full two-page spread, I’ve carefully written out the complete list of Starztober prompts.

The left-hand page features the prompts for October 1st through 16th, while the right-hand page lists prompts for October 17th through 31st.

This layout allows me to quickly see the day’s prompt, making it easy to get straight into drawing, no matter where I am.

Having this organized and accessible list is especially handy when I’m out and about with my Starztober journal.

Whether I’m at a coffee shop, on my lunch break, or simply enjoying some downtime, I can refer to the prompts and start sketching right away.

I plan to begin these sketches early in the day, setting a positive and productive tone.

By drafting outlines whenever I have a spare moment, I will get steady progress and make the most of my creative time.

This approach helps me stay on track and do the daily drawing challenge of Starztober.

My Art Style and Process

For my Starzober drawings, I will follow my usual pen and ink process, which begins with a detailed pencil sketch.

This initial step helps me lay out the composition and ensure the proportions are accurate.

I also plan to include a border around each drawing, typically 1 cm (about half an inch) wide, to give each piece a framed and finished look.

Once the pencil sketch is complete, I’ll go over it with a black pen to create a clean, defined outline.

This step brings the drawing to life and sets the stage for the next phase.

Colored Inks

After inking the outline, I will add color using colored inks.

Depending on the effect I want to achieve, I may use pens for precise lines and details or a paintbrush for broader strokes and shading.

This combination of techniques allows me to explore different textures and depths, enhancing the overall visual impact of each artwork.

By following this structured process, I ensure that each Starztober drawing is carefully crafted and visually cohesive, while also allowing room for creativity and experimentation with color and form.

What to Do with The Art You Create

If you are a general astrologer, you may be asking yourself why do art?

But I think if you’re in any way artistic and maybe you have a sketchbook already, then this would be an ideal art challenge for you.

I do believe that creating art in this way, as a daily art practice, is a 6th House activity.

Calendar

You could choose the 12 best artworks that you create during Starztober and turn them into a calendar.

You would use one image for each month of the year and so with a dozen pieces you could produce a calendar.

Colouring Book

One of my ideas with the Starztober images was to create a colouring book.

This would be just the black ink lines and not coloured in.

The idea would be that you would buy this colouring book and colour in these astrology themed artworks and this would be one way during Starztober and October for you to get a head start by creating 31 images to start with.

Now 31 images are not enough for a colouring book, you need at least 52, but it would be a way to develop your daily art practice too.

You can become more honed in, so that you actually are able to produce these images during this period.

Astro Tarot Card Deck

I’ve had an idea for many years to create an Astro tarot card deck.

Now of course I know there are many decks out there, but as an astro astrologer it’s always been one of my ideas to do so.

And even in the past I have started with a few sketches because the actual dimensions of the images are slightly different.

Over the years I’ve probably created eight to 10 images that would work for an astro Tarot deck, but I really haven’t gone further than that.

During Starztober and October, it would be an idea to bring some focus and create a card deck that could be used later.

The main challenge with this is that you generally need 72 cards and of course, during October you’ll only create 31, but it would kickstart your astro art practice if that was something you would be interested in doing.

Wall Art.

If you go through all your thirty-one drawings that you created, you may find one that stands out head and shoulders above the rest.

The best one you drew.

This will be an ideal piece to actually get blown up and printed at a professional printer so you could hang it on your astrology consulting office wall.

Sketchbook

Even if you don’t have any desire to somehow monetize the art that you’re creating through Starztober the actual fact of working through a sketchbook is very satisfying.

Because your Starztober sketchbook for each year is an individual sketchbook wheew you’re not adding other artwork in there of bits and bobs.

It stands as a testament to what you were doing and how you were feeling about both art and astrology during any particular year.

I do look back on my previous attempts at Starztober and I do have one book from 2022 where I got quite far through this challenge.

I will admit, I didn’t finish it, but every year as we come round to this time of the year and Autumn draws in, I feel that maybe this is the year because I do enjoy art.

Perhaps you could give some thought into how you could re purpose your Starztober artworks this year.

My Starztober Strategy

My strategy for Starztober this year is designed to help me achieve several key goals:

Complete the Challenge

My primary aim is to successfully finish Inktober by completing all thirty-one drawings. This year, I’m determined to win by staying committed and consistent throughout the month.

Personal Competition

I plan to only compete with myself, focusing on personal growth and self-improvement rather than comparing my progress or artwork to others. This mindset will help me stay motivated and positive.

Daily Drawing

I will draw every day, dedicating time each day to create a new ink drawing based on the Starztober prompts. This daily practice will help me develop a strong artistic habit and improve my skills over time.

Mastering Inks

I propose to learn more about working with inks, experimenting with different techniques and tools. This exploration will expand my understanding of the medium and enhance my artistic versatility.

By following this strategy, I aim to make the most of Starztober, creating a meaningful and enriching experience that fosters both my artistic and personal development.

Extend Yourself: September

1st September is when the official Inktober and Starztober prompts are published.

This is often a highly anticipated day in the art world.

Prompts Set

Before you start you need to decide which prompts set you are going to use. This may come down to just how artistic and creative you are. Look to your 5th house for this.

Decide whether to:

• Use the official Inktober prompts.
• Use the official Starzology 2024 prompts.
• Create your own Inktober prompts.

Inktober Journal Setup

It helps to have your journal in hand and to set up the pages beforehand.

You will need 31 pages for the actual artworks, but you can also use some pages at the front for a cover page and the full prompts list.

In your Starztober 2024 journal please do the following:

• On the first cover page write your name.
• Write the year.
• On the second double-page spread write the Starztober prompts list.
• Get your art supplies to hand and be ready to start.

Share

If you are comfortable, share your artworks with the hashtags #inktober or with my two hashtags for this year #starztober and #starztober24.

Extend Yourself Further: October

October

As October unfolds, we dive into the heart of the challenge. With all your art supplies ready and your sketchbook prepared for success, it’s time to bring your creativity to life through your artworks.

• Start by drawing your first sketch based on the October 1st prompt.
• Each day thereafter, continue sketching according to the daily prompts.
• Allow your creativity to flow and your skills to grow with each artwork.

Extend Yourself Even Further: November…

November and Beyond

If you find yourself falling behind, don’t be discouraged.

Simply pick up where you left off and keep moving forward.

Even if October comes to an end and you haven’t completed all thirty-one sketches, remember that the journey doesn’t have to stop there.

You can continue into November and beyond, pushing yourself to finish the challenge by the solstice on December 31st.

I’m here to support you throughout your Inktober journey.

I’ll send reminders and encouragement via email throughout October to cheer you on and keep you motivated.

Keep me updated on your progress.

I’m excited to see your artistic journey unfold!

Some of Your Previous Year’s Starztober Artworks

Author Bio

Alison Price: Professional Astrologer

Alison helps you uncover your individual creativity and lead a fulfilling life using your own astrology. She shares her wisdom from the heart with a touch of humor. She offers Consultations for everyone and Coaching for Aspiring Astrologers.

If you’d like to get in touch with Alison, you can reach out to her via email at starzology@gmail.com.

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