10 Art Challenges to Keep Your Creativity Flowing All Year Long (Part 1)

olincaoco
Nov 7, 2024
3 min read

October is over, and you’re wondering, "Now what?" Don’t worry; I was in the same boat, so I did the research, so you don’t have to! Every fall, artists get together to tackle the ultimate goal of completing 31 drawings. What started as Inktober has evolved into a whole festival of prompt lists, and there are so many good ones out there, but what happened to me was that I felt super inspired in October and wanted to keep drawing but didn’t know where to start. So I went searching for more prompt lists, and here’s what I found:

Draw This in Your Style (#DTIYS)

Let’s start with a classic! Your favorite artist probably does one of these every few months or to celebrate a follower milestone. You can find great ones just by searching on Instagram. My tips for this one:

Look for an artist who engages with their audience. Don’t just go for the most popular – you don’t want your art to get lost in a sea of posts.
Choose an artist who shares or reposts their favorite entries.
Pick a piece that speaks to you and then ask yourself, What can I change while keeping the essence of the piece? You could keep the color palette, modify the pose a bit, or add a touch that represents your style.

#DTIYS made by me, the artist I referenced is @LoboMaravilha #LoboSpace

MerMay

This one’s fun; you can dive in without an official prompt list. Just draw a mermaid-themed piece and tag it with #mermay any day of the month. But if you’re up for a challenge, check out the official Mermay website for a 31-day prompt list.

The contest includes incredible hosts and judges, like Disney animator Tom Bancroft, who created Mushu from Mulan, and Karoline Pietrowski, who’s worked with Adobe, Wacom, and Ubisoft. In case you were wondering, Yes, there are prizes, not just exposure! Here’s what the website offered for 2024:

1st Place: Dell Precision 3591 Workstation, a $500 Vograce gift card, a ticket to Lightbox LA, a feature in Pencilish’s investor newsletter, a feature in CDQ magazine, and 50 custom books from Plex Books.
2nd Place: Polina Bright Dreamset paintbrushes and a ticket to Lightbox LA.
3rd Place: Dell 14” portable monitor.

They also have fantastic tutorials on character design on their website. This is a space for artists and creators, so AI is the only thing not allowed here. Love that? So do I!

Visit their website: mermay.com

Character Design Challenge

One of my favorites! This monthly challenge runs all year long and only requires one drawing per month, so there’s no pressure to draw every single day. It’s a great way to think outside your comfort zone with themes that can range from “Dino Olympics” to “Cheese Army” to “Pet Walkers.”

the theme of the month was "Modern Witch" an Illustration made by OliCrayoli (me)

This challenge is hosted by CDR Character Design References, an online platform with over 1 million fans. You can subscribe to get the theme each month, or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter (I’ll never call it "X," haha).

The challenge is open to everyone, but if you want to compete for prizes, you’ll need to be a member. Here are the categories:

Digital Painting: Featuring tutorials, apps, and a Huion graphics tablet.
Graphic Novel: Prizes include books from Tatai Lab & Spaceman Project.
Character Design: Rewards include educational books and ebooks from 21 Draw and Masters of Anatomy.

They also have tons of artist interviews, portfolios, and an amazing visual library so visit the website and be sure to check it all.

20 Art Style Challenge

This one’s a blast, and there’s no deadline pressure! Choose a character – it can be your OC or a popular character – and draw it in 20 different styles. You can use blank templates available online, some of which have styles already filled in (like The Simpsons, Ghibli, Adventure Time, Marvel, and more). Or make your own list based on your favorite styles! Share with the hashtags #20stylechallenge and #20styles.

SCBWI Monthly Prompt #DRAWTHIS

As someone focused on children’s illustration, I had to include this one! SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) is a global community with more than 20,000 members. Their Draw This! monthly prompt lets members show their art in social media galleries, with two winning pieces featured in their monthly Insight email and on social media. Agents, art directors, and editors browse through these posts, so use the hashtag #scbwiDrawThis for visibility.