Scribble Clouds

This is an interesting little drawing/imagination game you can play with the kids, to pass the time, or to warm up your creative juices. Start with a piece of paper and a pencil, (or light coloured marker or pencil crayon). Scribble randomly all over your paper so that you have something vaguely like this:

Now look at it. View it from different angles. Your mind will begin to find familiar shapes, just like cloud gazing. You might see an eye, a fish, martians, etc...

Using a pen (or dark marker or pencil crayon) trace the lines that form whatever you see. Maybe add some extra detail. Just relax and have some fun with it.

This can work well if you are having a creative mental block. the image below is one that came about entirely through this process. I needed to draw a little devil character for a t-shirt design but was having difficulty coming up with anything original. I played the scribble game and without trying to or expecting it suddenly saw what I had been looking for.

Lookit my doodle! (No.1)

Thanks to all who commented on my previous (and first!) post. Your compliments and enthusiasm are inspiring! The whole point of this blog is to share what I am doing with others and obtain feedback, constructive or otherwise. I have an ongoing list of creative projects, currently numbering over 40, that I am hoping to bring to fruition. As time permits I hope to present you with such things as; Pickled Pirates, Plumpsy Daisy, Lint Farmer (a type style), Brain Book and many others.

As a regular feature on this blog I will be sharing with you a doodle from my collection of rough sketches and drawings. I've always found it encouraging to see the rough sketches of my favorite artists. To see what they started with, knowing what they become in the finished product, helps me to realize my own potential.

And for now, here is my doodle...





This one is heavily influenced by the work of one of my all-time favorite artists, Greg "Crayola" Simkins. His work is bizarre and breathtaking, but not necessarily for everybody. This doodle was done with a black ball-point pen on 1/4" grid paper. I highly recommend the ball-point pen for doodling. It is excellent for quick shading and can be gradually built up for strong, dark line work.