Wednesday, July 31, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 31


Welcome to Day 31 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! You made it! Today is the last day of July. Congratulations! I hope you all keep doodling. It is great for building hand/eye coordination, reducing stress, releasing and increasing creativity, and it's fun, too. What was your favorite prompt this month? Leave it as a comment or let me know your thoughts. The Doodle Day Facebook Group page will not close - it will stay open and active and I will continue to post my doodles, links to tutorials I find, classes to recommend, books I hear about, artists I want to share, ideas and inspiration and I hope you all will, too. The Doodle Day participants have been such a great group of supportive and encouraging and inspiring individuals - I hope you will stick around or pop in when you can so that you can continue to inspire and be inspired.

Here is the link list of every prompt post from this month - you are always welcome to use the reference photos and doodle from any of the prompts.

JULY PROMPTS:DAY 1 - DOODLE the word "DOODLE"
DAY 2 - SKYLINE
DAY 3 - MANDALA
DAY 4 - SPARKLE
DAY 5 - SWING
DAY 6 - SAD
DAY 7 - STORM
DAY 8 - NOTAN
DAY 9 - DUCKLING
DAY 10 - PICNIC
DAY 11 - CRUSTACEAN
DAY 12 - ROBOT
DAY 13 - CAR
DAY 14 - CLOUD
DAY 15 - DANCE
DAY 16 - WORDLES
DAY 17 - ROCK
DAY 18 - BOOK
DAY 19 - KITE
DAY 20 - HAIR
DAY 21 - BOX
DAY 22 - MONKEY
DAY 23 - PUPPY
DAY 24 - TOTEM POLE
DAY 25 - WISH
DAY 26 - WIGGLE
DAY 27 - ANXIETY
DAY 28 - COW
DAY 29 - SCHOOL
DAY 30 - FLIP, FLAP, & FLY

I will post a summary tomorrow that shows at least one of my doodles from each day this month and I encourage you to look at all of yours, too. It is fun to see how much your doodles have improved and styles have changed from the beginning of the month to the end.

I did create a t-shirt, notebook, mug design of the assorted doodles of the word "doodle" that were emailed to me and I also have the design at the top of this post. I will post the link to the Café Press store later today.

Now, for today's doodle prompt - Alayne has posted one of her favorite ways to create a doodle that truly embraces the absentmindedness of a "doodle." Click below to head to her blog and check it out:

Have fun!
 

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 30


 
Welcome to Day 30 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! Only 1 more day this month - is everyone doodling? I am very proud of all of the participants and have really enjoyed seeing everyone's doodles.

I will post a summary on Thursday with one of my doodles from each day of the month and I encourage you to do the same and share the link on our Facebook Group page and Twitter. You'll see how much you have grown as a doodler by taking a few minutes to create something each day.


Today's doodle prompt is FLIP, FLAP, and FLY.



You can doodle dinosaurs or anything else that flips, flaps, or flies. Think of anything from bugs to birds to pancakes to gymnasts and create a doodle.

Some of you may already know that my debut picture book released last year, FLAP! So I am always inspired by flight. Have fun!

 
Alayne is posting tomorrow's prompt and I will post a link to it.
Don't forget about the Character-a-Day Challenge at the end of August!

Monday, July 29, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 29


Welcome to Day 29 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! I challenged myself (and all of you) to doodle a cow yesterday and I am impressed. There were realistic cows and cartoony cows and they all looked great!

Down here in Georgia, school starts in a week and my kids and I spent the weekend on a scavenger hunt for the very specific supplies on the school supply list. Later this week, the lists will get posted and we will know which teachers they have and which other kids will be in their classes. Very exciting time. They are sad that their summer is coming to an end but they can't hide their excitement that a new school year is beginning.

Today's doodle prompt is SCHOOL.

You can doodle a school, any type of school supplies, a backpack, a school bus, a lunch box, a child ready for school, a back to school sign, etc... anything related to school. Remember that kids are both nervous and excited. They are gathering supplies, back to school clothes, labeling everything, selecting the right lunch box, looking forward to seeing old friends and new friends, scared that the new teacher will be mean, ...

No reference pics for this one - too many things to choose from.

Have fun!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 28

(Check out the faces on this cow's forehead!)
 
Welcome to Day 28 of the Doodle Day drawing challenge! Are you doodling? Have you enjoyed how relaxing it can be to draw absentmindedly and just see what happens? This is an exercise in hand/eye coordination, creative expression, meditation, relaxation, and stress reduction. I am thankful that such a great community of artists, writers, teachers, parents, grandparents, children, and friends have joined me on this journey. Seeing the doodles posted each day are truly inspiring.

If you have been doodling with me since Doodle Day began on May 1st, you may have noticed how much my drawing has improved. I certainly have seen your growth. Bolder lines, more daring poses, facial expressions, symbolism, paint, tablets, experimentation with other media. Well done!

Today's doodle prompt is COW.

Doodle a cow. I have never drawn a cow (at least not in my adult memory). I find them (and horses) intimidating to draw but I have grown and come to the realization that style plays a factor. My cow doesn't have to look like a real cow. It just needs to be cow-ish. Thank you Peter Reynolds for pointing that out with your fabulous book ISH.

If the idea of drawing a cow isn't inspiring, then doodle a pattern of cow spots or a cow font, or write the word "cow" in a funky way or a pile of hay or something else cow-ish or on the farm-ish.

We have created doodles of soo many different subjects. Everything from Notans to zig-zags to puppies. Looking back at all that we have accomplished here in Doodle Day, at the bottom of this post are all the doodle prompts (links) since May 1st. If you are new to the group this month - you are always welcome to go back and use a previous prompt if it is inspiring you.

Here are some cow reference pics:

Heard this limerick before?
 
I never saw a purple cow
I never hope to see one
But I can tell you anyhow
I'd rather see than be one.
-Gelette Burgess
 














MAY PROMPTS:
FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE
Day 1 - Zentangles
Day 2 - Monsters
Day 3 - Think outside the circle
Day 4 - Make a face
Day 5 - Flower
Day 6 - Hat
Day 7 - Dog
Day 8 - Tree
Day 9 - Critters
Day 10 - One Continuous Line
Day 11 - Give Me a Hand
Day 12 - Mothers
Day 13 - Through the Window
Day 14 - Sun
Day 15 - Heart
Day 16 - Space
Day 17 - Fruit
Day 18 - Swirls
Day 19 - Triangle
Day 20 - Fish
Day 21 - Shoe
Day 22 - Font
Day 23 - Vegetable
Day 24 - Flame
Day 25 - Square
Day 26 - Leaf
Day 27 - Star
Day 28 - Paisley/Filigree
Day 29 - Ribbon
Day 30 - Shell
Day 31 - Wave

JULY PROMPTS:
DAY 1 - DOODLE the word "DOODLE"
DAY 2 - SKYLINE
DAY 3 - MANDALA
DAY 4 - SPARKLE
DAY 5 - SWING
DAY 6 - SAD
DAY 7 - STORM
DAY 8 - NOTAN
DAY 9 - DUCKLING
DAY 10 - PICNIC
DAY 11 - CRUSTACEAN
DAY 12 - ROBOT
DAY 13 - CAR
DAY 14 - CLOUD
DAY 15 - DANCE
DAY 16 - WORDLES
DAY 17 - ROCK
DAY 18 - BOOK
DAY 19 - KITE
DAY 20 - HAIR
DAY 21 - BOX
DAY 22 - MONKEY
DAY 23 - PUPPY
DAY 24 - TOTEM POLE
DAY 25 - WISH
DAY 26 - WIGGLE
DAY 27 - ANXIETY

This group will stay open long after Doodle Day ends. Don't forget to join me for the Character-a-Day challenge at the end of August!
 
Have fun!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 27


Welcome to Day 27 of the Doodle Day drawing challenge. Our group of participants is growing every day and it is exciting to see the doodles on our Facebook Group page.

I am heading out in a couple of minutes to take my 12 year old dog, Mitzy, to the Veterinarian for some surgery. I held her close and barely slept last night. I am worried about how the procedure will go today. I know that every day that I have with her is a special gift and I just fear that she doesn't have many days left.

Today's doodle prompt is about the feeling that I had today: ANXIETY.
Noun
  1. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
  2. Desire to do something, typically accompanied by unease.
Synonyms
worry - concern - care - uneasiness - trouble - disquiet

You can doodle the word or the feeling or anything that makes one anxious. You can doodle a zig-zagging scribble that represents the crazy feelings of anxiety. You can create a font that shows anxiety. Doodle something or someone who is feeling anxiety, fear, nervous, worried.

I am not posting pics for this one since it is soo open ended. Think of the word, something pops in your mind, doodle. If you can't come up with anything - you are over thinking it. Just put your pencil to the page and see where it takes you.

Good luck.

Friday, July 26, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 26

 
Welcome to Day 26 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! With several new participants joining us, I'm excited to see how many people have jumped into the freedom of doodling. Yesterday's wish doodles were very interesting to see - thank you Alayne, for posting that prompt. Since we have recently doodled box, monkey, puppy, totem, and wish - I propose we step back a bit and take a breather from the concrete doodles.

Today's doodle prompt is WIGGLY.

Doodle something wiggly or fill a space with wiggly lines or create a Zentangle of a wiggly pattern or create a Notan using wiggly spaces, or design a wiggly font. If you are new to Zentangling or Notans, we did those prompts earlier so check out the examples below to see some really fun doodles.

Wiggly Zentangle


Wiggly Notan

Wiggly Font

By definition, wiggly means:
1. To move back and forth with quick irregular motions.
2. To move or proceed with a twisting or turning motion.
3. To insinuate or extricate oneself by sly or subtle means.

Today's prompt will loosen up those doodle muscles. Go ahead and start drawing a wiggly line and see what it turns into or just keep wiggling that line around the page. Here are some wiggly doodles to get you going:






 

 




 
Have fun!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 25


Welcome to Day 25 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! Are you doodling? Yesterday's totem poles were fantastic! If you haven't checked them out, go to the Facebook Group Page to see the doodles. There are over 1000 of them!

If you are new to the group (10 new members yesterday!), below is the list of prompts we have doodled this month so far. You are welcome to doodle any prompt on any day or even go back to Doodle Day May to grab some inspiration from that month full of prompts and tips. Remember, you never have to use a prompt at all - they are there for inspiration. There are those who wake up ready to cover pages and pages of a sketchbook with doodles (me) and there are those who look at a blank page and feel anxiety. The prompts are to give you a little push. If the prompt is puppy and you woke up feeling like doodling cupcakes - go for it!

Definition of a doodle (for this challenge): Your doodle each day can take you 2 minutes (or less) or up to an hour or more. Honestly, though, if you are spending more than an hour on a doodle, you are trying too hard and worrying too much. That is a drawing, an illustration, a masterpiece - this challenge is simply asking for a doodle. The participants in this challenge are artists, writers, teachers, parents, children ages 4+, friends, and friends of friends. You don't have to be a professional artist or an elementary school student to enjoy a doodle. This exercise in creative expression is for everyone.

Grab a pencil, pen, colored pencil, crayon, marker, chalk, craypas, pen, or even a bottle of chocolate syrup and start doodling! If you don't have a sketchbook or a computer program with a tablet, use a notebook, post-it note, scrap paper, the back of your child's homework from last week, copy paper, pancake, or whatever you can get your hands on. Put your pencil to the page and see where it takes you.

(If you are joining us late in the game, don't feel like you have to do a massive catch up - just start today. This is a stress free challenge meant simply to inspire creativity.)
DAY 1 - DOODLE the word "DOODLE"
DAY 2 - SKYLINE
DAY 3 - MANDALA
DAY 4 - SPARKLE
DAY 5 - SWING
DAY 6 - SAD
DAY 7 - STORM
DAY 8 - NOTAN
DAY 9 - DUCKLING
DAY 10 - PICNIC
DAY 11 - CRUSTACEAN
DAY 12 - ROBOT
DAY 13 - CAR
DAY 14 - CLOUD
DAY 15 - DANCE
DAY 16 - WORDLES
DAY 17 - ROCK
DAY 18 - BOOK
DAY 19 - KITE
DAY 20 - HAIR
DAY 21 - BOX
DAY 22 - MONKEY
DAY 23 - PUPPY
DAY 24 - TOTEM POLE

Today's doodle prompt has been posted by our own talented doodler, Alayne Kay Christian. This one is very open. I'll let you read her description and see her examples to understand.
 
Have fun!
 



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 24


Welcome to Day 24 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! One week to go but I hope you all check back in with our Facebook Group - it is such a great community of artists, writers, parents, teachers, children, ... You are all soo inspiring that I have filled another sketchbook half-way already and this is my 3rd sketchbook since May 1st.

Yesterday's prompt was puppy and the doodles were adorable. Thank you to those who attempted a puppy doodle.

Check out all the subjects we have doodled this month below. There are over a 1000 doodles on the Facebook Group page!

DAY 1 - DOODLE the word "DOODLE"
DAY 2  - SKYLINE
DAY 3 - MANDALA
DAY 4 - SPARKLE
DAY 5 - SWING
DAY 6 - SAD
DAY 7 - STORM
DAY 8 - NOTAN
DAY 9 - DUCKLING
DAY 10 - PICNIC
DAY 11 - CRUSTACEAN
DAY 12 - ROBOT
DAY 13 - CAR
DAY 14 - CLOUD
DAY 15 - DANCE
 DAY 16 - WORDLES
DAY 17 - ROCK
DAY 18 - BOOK
DAY 19 - KITE
DAY 20 - HAIR
DAY 21 - BOX
DAY 22 - MONKEY
DAY 23 - PUPPY

Today's prompt has been posted by Jennifer Young. This prompt is sure to bring some interesting doodles so check it out below:
 
 
Have fun!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 23



Welcome to Day 23 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! Have you been doodling every day this month? Great! If you haven't, just take a minute or two and whip one up. We're not asking for portfolio quality, just a quick doodle to get what's in your head to the page.

For today's prompt - PUPPY

I don't want you to spend your time trying to draw a dog that looks totally realistic. A Doodle is a Loose drawing. Don't overthink it.

Use some light circles or ovals to create a head and body and then add your legs, facial features, tail, etc... I'm going to doodle puppies with super exaggerated features. They won't look like real dogs and that's okay. They will be dog-ish.

This prompt is specifically puppy, not dog so remember that just like human babies, puppies have big heads. Puppies also have big eyes, short legs and big feet.

There are many different breeds of dogs, too - you can make up your own or make a puppy of a breed you like. I like furry dogs, so you can remember what you learned doing the hair prompt on day 20 and apply that for a puppy.

Here are some HOW-TO pics and adorable puppies for reference:





 






 
Have fun!







Monday, July 22, 2013

DOODLE DAY JULY - DAY 22


Welcome to Day 22 of the Doodle Day July drawing challenge! I've been having a lot of fun posting prompts and doodling the first thing that pops into my mind when I look at each prompt. I hope you're having fun with this, too. Yesterday, was "box" and we saw everything from gifts to kangaroos. I like to go back and forth between prompts that inspire more angular designs and prompts that inspire more curvy lines.

Today's prompt is MONKEY.

This does not mean you have to doodle a monkey. What does the word make you think of? Personally, I call my kids my little monkey's so I think of them first, then a stack of bananas. I also think of trees and swinging.

TIPS:
If you do doodle a monkey, think of gesture. Draw a shape for the head and then just a faint line to show the position of the body. Once you are happy with that, add in the legs, hands, and face details.


There is a great video I found on gesture for figure drawing - the example he uses is a bean. *Warning, there is nudity in the video because it is about simplifying figure drawing.* You may be wondering, What?? Watch a bean drawing video and then doodle a monkey? Yes. I use gestural lines when I am drawing anything living - including trees and plants, animals, children, ... I'm not posting the video (because my kids use my computer and there is nudity in figure drawing) so go to www.YouTube.com and look up ProkoTV. He has several fantastic videos on gesture drawing.

Here are some monkeys for reference:







 
Have fun!