Doodle Art / Doodling
A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines, generally without ever lifting the drawing device from the paper, in which case it is usually called a "scribble".
Doodling and scribbling are most often associated with young children and toddlers, because their lack of hand–eye coordination and lower mental development often make it very difficult for any young child to keep their coloring attempts within the line art of the subject. Despite this, it is not uncommon to see such behavior with adults, in which case it is generally done jovially, out of boredom.
DOODLING TIPS
- Before you start, you need to warm up. Just like exercise, you have to warm up the muscles you will be using to doodle. The best way to do this is to pull out a blank piece of paper, set a timer for 10-minutes, and start free doodling. Don’t overthink it or set any expectations during this time; just draw. Draw shapes, words, symbols, etc., and don’t put your pen down for those 10-minutes.
- See things as basic shapes. This takes a little practice. But, when you look at something you want to draw, try to lose the details and see just the basic shapes. A book is rectangular. A flower is circular, and the stem is just two parallel lines. An ice cream cone is an upside-down triangle with a circle on top. Start with these basic shapes and then refine from there.
- Use a variety of thickness in your lines. When you are first starting out, you may not have a lot of different pens to choose from. But as you expand your pen collection, you will have a variety of nib sizes to choose from. Use different nib sizes to create variety and add interest to your lines. My personal preference is to go for a thicker outline and smaller, finer details inside.
- Find your happy place. This could be your desk with a cup of coffee, cuddled up on your bed or couch listening to your favorite music with your headphones on, or sitting on the floor in your living room. But, finding your happy place plays a big part in your doodling success. You will find that when you are relaxed and truly enjoying your time, your doodles come out cleaner and your creativity will be fluid.
- There is no right or wrong way. The way I draw a purse and the way you draw a purse may be completely different. But that doesn’t make either one right or wrong. You will find your own style as you practice. Let it happen and don’t try to force your doodles to look like someone elses. The best way to do this is to pick one subject and doodle it as many different ways as you can.
BEYOND SIMPLE DOODLES – HOW TO BECOME MORE CONFIDENT
How many times have you scrolled through Instagram or Pinterest and had doodle envy? I know I used to get it all the time. And then I began to feel inadequate and doubt my abilities.
But, what I learned was that doodling, just like any other art form, is very personal and individual. You can’t compare your doodles to someone else’s. For one, everyone has a different starting point in their journey. And secondly, how you perceive and translate a thought into a doodle will not be the same as how someone else does.
So, how do you become confident with your own doodles? There are a few things you can add into your daily routine to improve your creative confidence.
- Practice every day. This is the obvious answer, but it’s also the most truthful. The more you practice, the better you will get.
- Keep a sketchbook (or journal). Having records of your previous doodles is extremely beneficial because you can flip back and see your progress. Also, these previous doodles are like a doodle dictionary, full of ideas and inspiration.
- Don’t let it become a chore. I tell people this about journaling, doodling, etc. If you allow it to become a chore and not something enjoyable, you will find yourself pulling away and eventually abandoning it. If you need a break or are getting frustrated, take a break and come back to it at a later date.
- Draw what/how you like. If you don’t like drawing flowers, don’t. Want to draw food or people or books or sports equipment? Okay! Good, do that. You can find inspiration everywhere, and there are no rules on what you can draw or how you draw it. Allow yourself to draw freely and let your inner creative personality shine through in your doodles.
