On My Mind: 2013-07-28

Thursday, August 1, 2013

My Doodle Day Journey

I just finished the Doodle Day July drawing challenge. We had also hosted the Doodle Day May challenge. More than a hundred other doodlers from around the world were creating a daily doodle along with me - including my five year old. What a fantastic experience to see my own drawings improve as well as the sketching abilities of other participants. We shared our doodles on the Facebook Group page as well as our comments, suggestions and praise. Participants posted links to websites and blogs, etsy shops with doodly products, art tutorials, how to draw books, videos, and more. Thank you to every single participant. I looked forward to your posts each day and found myself checking Facebook several times a day. If you would like a t-shirt, hat, or notebook with the Doodle Day logo on it - check out the selection at the Café Press store.

Consider joining me in the Character-a-Day Challenge (where I will be posting a type of human character to develop on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 2 weeks) at the end of August. At the end of that challenge, you will have designed 6 characters ranging from baby to teen.

At the end of May, I posted a look back so that I could see my doodles all together. You can see that post HERE.

Below is my look back for July. I didn't include every doodle because some days there were 4 or 5 pages but here is at least one for each day:

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

DAY 31 - SCRIBBLE (activity with my kids)

Keep doodling!

If you post a summary of your Doodle Day July doodles, share your link in the comments below so others can enjoy seeing your work.

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:

CLICK HERE TO GO TO ALAYNE'S BLOG FOR TODAY'S PROMPT

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