This year, my day job asked me to participate in #Inktober – the annual drawing challenge that asks artists to sketch something each day in October, following a list of prompts.

The Inktober 2019 prompt list.

At first, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to think up enough original ideas to be able to sketch something each day – but then I remembered that I didn’t have to! Following the lead of Daredevil and Captain America artist Chris Samnee, I made my #Inktober into #Batober. And I’ve been having a blast knocking out a quick Bat-sketch each day.

I noticed Samnee’s sketches last year while browsing Twitter, and even ended up bidding on a particularly cool Batman and Robin piece after Samnee put his sketches on eBay (sadly, I did not win that auction).

Inspired by the 2018 prompt RUN.

When my boss pitched our office on doing #Inktober as a group, I almost immediately decided to steal Samnee’s #Batober idea. I knew it was the only way I’d be able to keep up with the real artists in my office! If there’s one thing I actually sort of know how to draw, it’s the Bat-family and Rogues Gallery. My “pieces” so far aren’t great (we’re on day five as I write this), but I’m actually proud of a couple of them:

RING

MINDLESS

BAIT

FREEZE

BUILD

Of course, my art is straight nonsense when compared with Samnee’s (yes, he’s running #Batober back again this year). Still, I’ve had a lot of fun comparing Samnee’s ideas and execution with my own, and it’s been fun to see us draw roughly the same thing (at vastly different levels of quality) for a few of the prompts:

RING

MINDLESS

BAIT

FREEZE

BUILD

I tend not to look at Samnee’s #Batober piece until after I’ve started my own, in order to not psych myself out or unwittingly steal his ideas (even more so than I already am). Which also acts as a reinforcer for getting MY piece done – because I don’t get to look at Samnee’s sweet art until after I do!

I’d assume Samnee’s going to put his 2019 #Batober pieces on eBay again this year, and you can bet that I’m going to bid on one or two of them (I’m hoping for a fantastic Nightwing piece based on SWING). You can bid on those here when they go up (assuming the link is the same as last year) – just don’t bid on the ones I want! (I will be sure to announce my intentions on Twitter, so you can stay out of my way.)