I am always looking for ideas and find these great website that help with doodling skills. I once had a student tell me she couldn’t doodle and I needed to teach her how. I just figured everyone doodled….there was no correct way. So, for anyone trying to doodle and can’t get the hang of it, here are some helpful sites and suggestions.

-ZenTangles

“Zentangle method is a way of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is fun and relaxing. Almost anyone can use it to create beautiful images. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being.”

This is a great technique that has prompts. You can buy books with ZenTangle ideas and kits. Plus they have a blog that has some really interesting posts.

-Doodle Anonymous 

“Doodlers Anonymous was founded to celebrate our addiction, and like any other, we’re hooked. The need to draw, sketch, and doodle is constant. We doodle on almost anything we can find — pencil in a moleskine, marker on a napkin, ink on a torn receipt, sharpie on concrete. And we do it habitually — while on hold, in a meeting, during class, or while we should be sleeping.”

It is free to join this site and there are some wonderful doodles on here. A treasure trove of ideas. They have featured artists and an email newsletter to keep you up to date on the sites postings.

-Doodle Studio

You can doodle online and using a screen capture download it to your Desktop to save.

-Doodle Art Alley

“Print out as many as you want and please share them with others. These pages are perfect for all ages, kids to adult.”

These are PDF coloring sheets and are free to download and share. Lots of great ideas on this site.

-Doodle Bug

This site animates your doodles. It is fun watching the doodles and drawing come to life.

-Moleskine Sketchbooks

There are people that use use Moleskin sketchbooks to draw in. I have several and love them. All different sizes and kinds for you to choose from. There are sites just dedicated to Moleskine drawing. Here is a Flickr Group to post your Moleskine doodles,plus if you do a Flickr search there are lots of different doodle groups.

Doodle by Jim Bradshaw

If you have some doodle sites you would like to share, please leave a link in the comment section. 

Doodle by Werdnus_Roo

Remember that National Doodle Day is March 5th!!

I was delighted about this month’s Sketchbook Challenge theme since Doodling is my main inspiration for my artwork. I like the letting go and just playing with shapes and designs..never knowing what I will come up with. I try to fill up a page in my sketch book as a challenge to my creative side. As soon as the page is filled, I pull out my trusty isolation frame to find my ideas for my next painting or embroidery. 

Here are examples of my doodles and how I go about finding my next compositions. 

Once I decided, I make small drawings of what my compositions might  look like. Here I can play some more with the designs. 

Above is an example of ideas I have for some small paintings. I make several versions using my large doodle designs as a jumping off point.

  Above are some of my Doodle paintings I have been working on. 

(I like to paint when my hands begin to hurt from all of my hand embroidery. Also, I can see using these designs in my collages and mixed media pieces too.)

Here are somes pieces where I used a doodle as my inspiration and made it into a mixed media collages using paper, embroidery, beading and painting. 

 Have fun with this month’s theme.

*Doodling**

Special Prize Giveaway Announcements:

Information on how to upload photos to flickr can be found here.

Winners will be chosen based on random draw on 1/31/12 and announced on the Sketchbook Challenge blog either on that day or on 2/1/12.

I love going to these places that sell old house furnishings for people restoring old homes. I came across some wrought iron fences, grates or gates leaning against each other and I loved how the spaces and designs blended together. Plus the peeling paint is awesome!!

I cropped my image and did a drawing of just the top part of the photo.

I was wondering what I would use this drawing for and I got an idea! Santa brought me a new Android camera/phone for Christmas and I thought I would play with some of the Photo Apps that are available. Wow..I never thought I would be able to be so creative with my phone! Here are some of the filters I used on the drawing.

I made my drawing “fat”.

Here it is in Fish Eye.

Mirror image vertically.

Mirror image horizontally.

Opposites

Colored and Curved

Colored and Mirrored

Mosaic

There are a bunch more, but you get the idea! I can see a lot of different ways I could use this as a fiber art or embroidery piece. It is nice to take a drawing and make it into a whole new image!!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

Susan Sorrell :>

www.creativechick.com

Doodle Designs

6 weeks/6 lessons

$60.00

Begins Jan. 4th

Sign ups until March 1st

Class Description

Buy Class Here

Creative Embroidery-Organic Design 

Fiber Collage Workshop

This is the original photo that inspired this piece. I played with in in Photoshop and cropped it to get the desired design that I have up above.

 I love taking photos of rust, decay and trash and find it really inspiring.

I hope you do too!!

susan

Stump 2011

Mick 2011

Also, I am doing some fun ones and birds too! This month’s challenge got out of hand and now I have found a new way to make a little cash! You never know what will happens if you do something different!

If you would like to buy one of the quirky paintings, I am selling them through Christopher Park Gallery, in Greenville, SC. 

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If you would like me to do your fur baby, email me! sorrell@creativechick.com

The cost is $75.00 (plus shipping) for a 6″ x 6″ gallery wrapped canvas. Here is one in progress. They are ready to hang, so no framing!!

Domino 2011

I thought I would post photos of the piggy bank I decorated for Hands On Greenville. Along with my pig, I am collecting a basket full of goodies. 100.00 gift certificate to Addy’s, a bottle of Red Champagne with champagne glasses and some yummy local honey from Breneman’s Bees! The auction will be Nov. 3rd at the Hugenot Mill located next to the Peace Center, in Downtown Greenville, SC.

It starts at 6:30 and ends at 9:30. 25 per person (all you can eat and drink) Plus the money goes to a great cause. Get there early to start bidding!! The title of my pig is “Swine, Wine and Dine”