Feeling stuck in a creative rut? Want to sharpen your skills and develop your artistic voice? Art challenges are a fantastic way to push your creative boundaries, try new techniques, and stay motivated. Whether you’re a beginner looking to practise regularly or an experienced artist seeking fresh inspiration, structured challenges can help take your art to the next level.
At The Online College of Art and Design, we encourage our students to embrace challenges as part of their learning journey. In this post, we’ll explore why art challenges are so powerful and how you can use them to develop your artistic style and confidence.
Art challenges are designed to help artists break free from their comfort zones. Here’s why they’re so effective:
If you’re ready to dive in, here are some popular art challenges that can help push your creative boundaries:
A well-known challenge where artists create ink drawings every day in October. Each day has a different prompt to inspire unique pieces. If you want to refine your linework and experiment with inking, this is a great challenge to try.
This challenge, created by artist Ahmed Aldoori, pushes you to draw 100 different heads in 10 days. It’s an excellent way to improve portrait drawing and facial expressions.
In this challenge, artists create a piece based on another artist’s work but in their own unique style. It’s an amazing way to explore different techniques and push your creativity.
Limit yourself to using only one brush in digital art for an entire week. This helps you master digital tools and explore creative ways to use them effectively.
Ideal for typography lovers! In this challenge, artists create a letter or number each day, experimenting with fonts, illustrations, and design.
Pick three random colours and create a full artwork using only those shades. This challenge forces you to think outside the box and get creative with colour theory.
The ultimate commitment—creating one piece of art every day for a year! This is an intense but rewarding challenge that helps build consistency and rapid improvement.
Simply participating in an art challenge is great, but to get the most out of it, follow these tips:
Not every challenge needs to be completed daily—choose a schedule that fits your lifestyle. If a 30-day challenge feels overwhelming, try weekly challenges instead.
Use challenges as an opportunity to try different styles and tools. If you usually work in watercolour, try digital painting. If you prefer sketching, give acrylics a go.
The goal is progress, not perfection. Some pieces will turn out better than others, and that’s okay! Challenges are about learning, not creating masterpieces every time.
Post your work on social media using challenge hashtags, interact with other artists, and seek feedback. Being part of a creative community makes the experience more enjoyable and inspiring.
At the end of the challenge, look back at your work and see how much you’ve improved. You might discover a new technique you love or a unique style developing.
Art challenges are a fantastic way to grow as an artist, but if you’re serious about refining your skills and developing your artistic voice, structured learning can make all the difference.
At The Online College of Art and Design, we offer a range of online art courses designed to help you build confidence, experiment with new techniques, and master both traditional and digital art forms. Whether you’re looking to boost your portfolio, improve your skills, or turn your passion into a career, our expert tutors are here to guide you every step of the way.
Enrol today and take your creativity to new heights! Visit here to explore our courses.
OCAD is part of the Cambridge Online Education Group - Company number 06594953
Registered UK Learning Provider 10033485
Cambridge Online Education Ltd