Oodles of Doodles

Seven Trees

2011-12-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Last night's impressionistic painting was based on a doodle I did on the train coming home yesterday. It was scenery I saw along the tracks between Simi Valley and Chatsworth.

Snakehead

2011-11-30T22:22:00.000-08:00

Another face. I never know what is lurking in my creative mind.

Doodled Border

2011-11-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

Ballpoint Pen on notebook paper

A border design I could use on stationary, a painting, or to frame a photo.

Friday and Saturday's Doodles

2011-11-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

I just scanned Friday and Saturday's Doodles. Where does the time go?

Saturday's Doodle '4 Stars'

Friday's Doodle

This was another Lab from my Drawing book by Carla Sonheim. I believe it's called Doodling on Steroids. You pick 10 or 12 different drawing utensils and keep drawing until the paper is full. Finally my sketchbooks are starting to look like the ones I've admired all these years.

Drawing Tools Used:
Black Sharpie
Old Green Felt Marker
Red and Purple Prismacolor Pencils
Silver Metallic Marker
Pencil
Blue Ballpoint Pen
Gold glitter gel pen (clear with gold flecks)
White gel pen
Double pointed green Sharpie marker

Frosty Lurking

2011-11-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when I'm randomly doodling and a news clip comes on TV of the police knocking down a guy in a Frosty the Snowman costume.

This started out as a doodle, but then I just couldn't stop. Then I thought it would look better with a watercolor wash. In this exercise, you pick 10 or 12 different drawing implements like pens, crayons, markers, pencils and so on, and use each one of them somewhere. This forces you to break out of your comfort zone and you end up using nontraditional colors in places.

Trees and Cats

2011-11-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

I got up early and went into doodle mode. I find that what I see in my environment sometimes ends up in my doodles. Yesterday I took a photo of a tree that reminded me of Van Gogh's italian cypress trees, and my version ended up in a doodle, but I didn't put it all together in my mind until a few hours later. And now that I've written this I realize that just a few days ago I was telling my boyfriend about a man I used to visit as a child that had big old cypress trees that made a giant fence around his backyard. And now I remember my parents also planted a row of them when I was a teenager along our driveway in Sunnymead CA.

Yesterday I drew a series of cats inspired by my new drawing book. Normally I wouldn't have thought to doodle using a giant red marker, but I've been more open-minded after getting that book. Here are two of my favorite cat doodles.

Busy Saturday in LaVerne CA

2011-11-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

I took my sketchbooks to the SCA event today, so they are still out in the truck. I'll have to post the last few doodles tomorrow. Right now I need to rest and relax. The booth did well today. We even sold a gourd drum. And more arrows. And beeswax. And I got a painting finished. Excellent.

The Hunt 11/365

2011-11-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

In this exercise you start at the center of the mass you are drawing and work your way to the outside, so in a way it's the opposite of contour drawing. Ballpoint pen on Daler Rowney Simply Sketchbook.

Oil Pastel Eye and Heart Doodle 10/365

2011-11-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

My Cat 9/365

2011-11-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

Doodle 7 and 8 of 365

2011-11-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

Trying out interesting shapes for a painting I'm doing today and tomorrow.

One of the men I was watching on a cam. He ignored me completely but at least I got a drawing out of it.

Artistic Happy Accident

2011-11-19T20:07:00.000-08:00

I drew this sketch on a random piece of paper. Then I scanned it for my blog. Only then did I realize the trees from the background bled through in an interesting way, and the paper says 'dream' at the bottom.

Maid Marion 6/365

2011-11-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to see a play called Robin Hood and the White Arrow. So when I got home I did a doodle of the beautiful Maid Marion. I wish I'd gotten a photo of her. I had to do it from memory.

Our friend Eric played the King's archer

Madrigal Singers lead the audience to the play.

I didn't even know Westminster, CA had a community theater

My doodle of Maid Marion

Doodle 5/365 robot clock weathervane

2011-11-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

Ballpoint Pen on Index card

Robot with a clock and a weather vane.

Cock-a-doodle Doodle 4/365

2011-11-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

Today I made a watercolor stick 'doodle' on my painting, and then painted over it. Remember your doodles can lead to bigger and more impressive works of art. Keep them handy for reference materials.

Connect Dots 3/365

2011-11-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

I read about surrealistic drawing techniques and one of them was to make random dots on the page, then connect them with either straight or curved lines. I used all straight lines in mine, though if the dots were close enough together, it does look like a curve.

Pumpkin 2/365

2011-11-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

I decided to do a paint doodle. Now I am not sure if it counts as a doodle at all. Wikipedia has a pretty limited definition of what a doodle is. It says a doodle is something you draw while being distracted by something else. Like talking on the phone while randomly scribbling on a notepad. Once I become aware that I am drawing, is it no longer doodling?
I thought it would be boring if all my doodles were done with pencil or pen on white paper, so I was trying to mix it up a bit.

My Doodle A Day Project

2011-11-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

Day One of 365
Looks a lot like a Ferris wheel.

Chef With Big Hat

2011-11-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'll put my best chefs on some fabric.

A Pathway and Eye Notes

2011-11-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Pathway (Sharpie marker on Sketchpad)


Eye Notes (Crayon on Sketchbook paper) I was looking at the first version I uploaded on my monitor, and I realized that the purple scribble looked an awful lot like a butterfly, so I had to add it in.

Burlesque Illustration and Guy

2011-11-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Four Eyed Monster

2011-11-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Sharpie on Sketchpad

Red Chef

2011-11-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

3 Chefs and a Girl

2011-11-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

After watching a cooking show where the chef kept saying, "There are no rules in cooking", I decided to draw a chef. I was also watching America's Next Top Model, and realized that Allison often looks like Alice in Wonderland, so I drew her as "Allison in Wonderland."

Sharpie marker on large index cards. Click on the photo so you can enlarge it.
This drawing urge was inspired by flipping through this book: Drawing Lab

Imaginary Garden in Ink and Crayon

2011-10-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

I spent two days working on this and I think I'll get it printed on some fabric.

Cartoon Cat Cut Out

2011-10-15T17:24:00.000-07:00


Crayons and Sharpie Marker on Calligraphy Paper

I was drawing along with one of those TV drawing programs. Even as an experienced artist I couldn't keep up with the pace of that guy. So I know the head was like he drew, but the show was over before I could draw the body. The first attempt was low on the paper, and this one overlapped that one, so it didn't look very good. Then I had the idea to cut around the good one, and that way I could use it as a cut-out. So here it is laying on some paper.

I wanted to send it off to my grandson so I made a simple card and cut slots for the ears and feet. I popped it into the slots and now he can take it out and play with it.

Halloween Drawings Skull and Witch

2011-10-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

These really took me too long for me to consider them doodles. But maybe they will inspire others to doodle today. The top one is ballpoint pen on calligraphy paper, and the witch is done in crayons on calligraphy paper.

Carved Alphabet

2011-09-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

If you are not afraid to use a dark pencil or a pen to draw on plastic erasers, you can carve your own stamps. Here is an alphabet I carved. Just remember to draw the letters backwards or transfer them on with graphite paper. I like the freshness of drawing straight onto the carving material. But if you are timid there are other transfer methods.

Once you put your drawings onto stamps, you can share them with everyone. Stamp them on stickers, fabric, playing cards, art cards, mirrors, leather, or ornaments.

From the Sketchbook

2011-09-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

I was going through one of my old sketchbooks and ran across some characters I'd drawn for Rowan's World. And I found a few other random things so I thought I'd share.

The funny thing about sketchbooks is that they work a lot better when you use them.

When Drawing Grows Up

2010-12-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

Keep up your doodling. It can lead to bigger and better things. Doodling can lead up to having more skills for art journaling, graphic arts, project designs, fabric printing, and so on.

Here are some A.C.E.O.'s I just made. Try your doodles over some fancy backgrounds and see what you think. Experimenting with mixed media is a lot of fun. You can doodle on erasers with a permanent marker and then carve it into a stamp as I did in the photos. Have fun coming up with new ideas.

These are all watercolor on Bristol paper.

Hand carved stamps that started out as doodles. Take your doodles to all new levels or just enjoy doodling for it's own enjoyment.

Horse Doodles

2009-08-02T00:24:00.001-07:00

Sometimes doodles can lead to bigger and better things. See what I did with the horse doodles I did last night. I'm so glad I found a place to put them other than inside a notebook where no one will ever see them.

Sketch for Embroidery

2009-06-09T00:56:00.000-07:00

Doodles can be useful.

Noodlehead

2009-03-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

That title got stuck in my head so I'm sticking with it.

Doodling,drawing,rendering

2009-03-08T01:26:00.001-08:00

I realized I was being remiss in my doodling so I'm trying to add it as part of my daily art journaling project. So I made some faces and some winged people and animals. I've already used 2 of the angels I drew as a reference for some gourd painting. I still have to spray a finish on. Do you think most people prefer matt or gloss. I have no idea where my gloss spray is, but I know where the matt spray is. At least I think I do. I'll put some photos of this week's drawings on this blog post.

Piggies & Other Doodles

2009-02-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Keeping a monthly journal has given me plenty of opportunities to doodle. Sometimes expressing my feelings is easier with a drawing than with words. Look at the mouth of the robot that shows my anger and frustration at being addicted to sugar. And I've drawn piggies in this style for years. I thought my style was the way everyone drew pigs but then I found some pigs on this blog that were quite different. . Which just goes to show, never take your own work for granted.

A video I made tonight

2009-01-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hope you enjoy it. I've already started on another one. They are addicting.

Mandalalike Zentangles?

2009-01-05T13:49:00.001-08:00

Drawing as meditation? A cheap marketing ploy? A little of both? After seeing a youtube video on it I thought I'd make some even though I don't know the 'official rules'. At least it gave me an excuse to draw a bit.

Doodle Inspiration

2009-01-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

This definitely inspires me to doodle more.

Doodle blog

2008-12-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

A very cool doodling blog. http://www.doodlage.com/

2008-09-08T11:56:00.001-07:00

I just signed up for Tagfoot. http://ping.fm/lfV6m Come see all my links and comments and my wishlist.

2008-08-31T22:36:00.001-07:00

Want to join ping.fm too? Go to http://www.ping.fm.Use the code 'legendofping' and you could have the luxury of posting to all your blogs in one fell swoop like I do. Way more efficient than doing it one by one.

2008-08-31T22:34:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what 'ping my default' means but I guess I'll find out when I hit send.

2008-08-28T13:40:00.001-07:00

The week sure went by quick. I had a lot more planned but didn't have the energy to do it. My hands are still sore from woodcarving, and so I've had to lay off the knitting and crocheting. I'm looking forward to the weekend. My daughter may visit. We'll see.

2008-08-27T10:08:00.001-07:00

Come view my Flickr photo stream. Over 3000 photos I've taken are waiting there for your pleasure. http://ping.fm/3TTAi

2008-08-27T09:53:00.001-07:00

I just signed up for Ping.fm to make social networking more effiecient.

wrap dress

2008-07-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

A dress I want to make.

Five Minute Doodle Group

2008-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I got frustrated with the doodle groups on Flickr because people post drawings that obviously took many hours and they are calling them doodles. I guess I have a way different definition of what a doodle is, namely a spontaneous bit of art done in a short time without a lot of erasing, pre-drawing, re-drawing, or touch ups. In otherwords, flowing in all it's powerful imperfection onto the page. So I started a new flickr group called http://flickr.com/groups/doodleunderfive/ Doodle Under Five. You set your timer for five minutes, and then using any medium, you draw. After five minutes, you post it to the group. If I see art that was obviously not done in five minutes, I'll remove it.
It takes a lot of courage to post a drawing with all it's flaws, but when you 'fix it' in my opinion, you ruin it. So if your vision agrees with mine, please join the group and set a good example.

Homeless Souls

2008-06-24T01:15:00.000-07:00

I rolled out of bed this morning and made a drawing called "homeless souls", because so many are losing their housing because of foreclosures. It's affecting both home owners and those who rent. If the person you rent from is losing the house in foreclosure, you have to move. It's been on my mind a lot lately.

My doodle pool on Flickr

2008-06-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

I also have a flickr group for doodles here: http://flickr.com/groups/oodlesofdoodles/pool/ It has about 200 members.

The ones I added to the pool are here: http://flickr.com/groups/oodlesofdoodles/pool/96067616@N00/

Friday's doodles

2008-06-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

I started this day before yesterday so here are the ones I already did.

Request a doodle.

2008-06-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to do daily doodles by request, but until people know I'm here I'll just have to add whatever doodles I think up myself.
Each doodle is done without pre-drawing and there is no erasing. That means things are going to look a little funky. So many people nowadays don't want their 'doodles' to be seen, so what they are actually doing is drawings that are preplanned in pencil and then inked over later. Yes, they look better that way usually, but they aren't doodles then. A doodle should be a spontaneous expression that usually takes under 5 minutes to create. That is what makes them so cool and exciting.

I also don't have a scanner so each photo is taken with a camera, which is tricky because the flash washes it out and the non-flash leaves the paper looking 'not white'.