October is a time of cozy sweaters, autumn leaves, scary movies… and art challenges! Over the years, October has become an exciting month for artists of all skill levels to challenge themselves and have some fun. 

There are hundreds of prompt lists that get posted online each year, with various themes and timelines (daily or weekly, spooky or fun) that can simply be followed along with to practice and inspire new creations.

This year was my third year participating in the “Drawtober” art challenge. It was created by a group of artists on Instagram who come out with a new theme each year and 6 art prompts for the month under that theme. This year’s theme was “Haunted House.”

You can make these challenges your own, so I like to create personal goals when I do this challenge. This year I decided to make detailed paintings in my handy little 4” x 6” sketchbook strictly with gouache (a type of paint that I want to get more practice with.) I also decided to add a touch of gold paint and include insects in each image for something extra creepy, as someone who is not a big fan of bugs! Shown here are my creations for the Drawtober prompts “Overgrown Cemetery,” “Moth Bitten Library,” and “Devious Dining.”

No matter your skill level, I would encourage anyone to have fun and get creative with an October art challenge. It’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing, connect with other creatives, and just have some fun as the colder weather sets in and we spend more time indoors!

Note: If you are interested in purchasing any of Marica’s artwork you will find her contact information on the right sidebar.