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Why Doodle?

Aug 4, 2009 Art General, Drawing

Do you doodle?

I came across this post the other day and it got me thinking that maybe I had lost touch with doodling. Don’t get me wrong, I try to spend as much time in front of the easle as I can, but that is a deliberate attempt to “make art.” Doodling is more an aimless, mindless exploration of pencil on paper.

I used to doodle constantly. Especially in school. I would have a sheet of paper behind my notes that would be covered by the end of class. Even at work I would print off a bit of receipt paper and doodle all over that during the slow times.

So, what’s so great about doodling anyways? You tell me! Why do you doodle?

For me, doodling is like stream of conscious writing. An idea starts in my head and flows out of the pencil, without any wory whether it’s right or wrong. It can be constant and continuous, it can be drawing pictures, making patterns, experimenting with shapes. It can be practising techniques or merely scribbles. There are no rules! If you want a pressure-free way to explore new ideas, try doodling.

Doodling is a form of artistic play, and we all know how important play is!

I have actually kept some of my favorite doodles from my school days. I look through them now and again for ideas or to get inspired. They remind me of  ideas I want to explore further.

So, knowing that doodling is an important way to let loose artistically, how can we make sure we do it? Here are some tips:

1. Make Time: Life is busy, and the best way to make sure we do something is to schedule it. Consciously set aside ten minutes a day for doodling.
2. Be Prepared: Have some scraps of paper and a pencil handy in the places where you’re likely to have some free time.
3. Multi-Task: Doodle while you watch TV, talk on the phone, or even ride the bus.

So you’ve made time, you have a piece of paper in front of you, but what do you doodle? The best way is to let your mind wander and draw whatever you think of, but here are some ideas to help kickstart your doodling:

• geometric shapes
• curlicues and swirls
• hearts and flowers
• houses
• straight lines
• cartoon people
• body parts
• cars
• dots
• animals

Doodling can yield some interesting results and give you ideas for further artwork, or just be a way to enrich your creative experience. Grab a pencil and get going!

Related posts:

1. Get Started with Drawing!
2. 7 Tips to Make the Most of Art Gallery Openings
3. 21 Ways to Kickstart your Creativity and Become a Better Artist
4. All About Drawing with a Reference Photo
5. Drawing Tools: How to Choose a Pencil

Tags: art, art tips, better drawings