Happy New Year, Sketchbook Challengers and welcome to newbies. Diana here with January's theme
*Doodling**
Non-Threatening Drawing for Anyone At All
Doodling, Noodling, Moodling, call it what you'd like.
This quote from Brenda Ueland, sums it up nicely:
So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.
We all doodle: on the phone, at meetings, on grocery lists. On our calendars. Do you remember all of the hearts and little flowers on your school notebooks? Until your teacher told you to "pay attention." Really puts the kebash on doodling greatness. (I pay better attention whilst doodling.)
Somewhere along the line, you may have stopped doodling. Let's get your doodle on this month!
Here are some doodling starters tips for beginning-again doodlers.
Doodle on brown paper, graph paper, looseleaf paper, in your journal.
1. Use a really simple pen and any kind of paper. For instance, are you working on a work related problem? Doodle on the edges of that paper. Let doodling begin to creep into your everyday life.
2. Doodling is meditative but sometimes our minds resist (believe me, I know). Decide to "take 5" and put on a song you love. Doodle to it. I'll bet you go for 15 minutes.
3. Doodling is really good for developing drawing skills. Your eye-hand coordination will improve.
4. Doodle straight lines, curving lines, open shapes such as boxes, circles, ovals. Look at what you've already doodled and repeat some of these motifs.
5. Make a doodle sampler. A page full of doodling ideas: flower shapes, pod shapes (like my pods). Link the shapes together with lines, dots, flourishes.
6. Mix it up and use different line widths. I like to start with a Micron 01 and go up to 03 and 05.
Coming up ... resources in the art world to broaden your doodle vocabulary. Happy Doodling!
The theme for January 2012 is:
*Doodling*
This year on the Sketchbook Challenge we're going to be giving away some art! Each month one (or more!) of the Sketchbook Challenge Artists will be sending a piece of mail art to one (or more!) winners each month! Winners of the mail art will be chosen by random draw from the photos posted on the flickr group for that month. More details on how to be eligible are below.
And we also have an additional prize package this month donated by our sponsor Joggles!
Two winners will each receive a $25 gift certificate to Joggles.com!
How to be eligible for prize drawings:
In order to be eligible for one of the January 2012 prize packages you must post at least one photo of a sketchbook page related to the January 2012 theme to the Sketchbook Challenge Flickr group and you MUST tag one of your photos with the code "jan987".
IMPORTANT: PLEASE ONLY TAG ONE OF YOUR PHOTOS with this special code!
It is not necessary to tag more than one and it will not increase your chances of winning.
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.
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.
Yay!!! I am all over this theme. I will actually post more than last month.
ReplyDeleteHappy new year!
I would like to take part in this theme but how can January theme be judged on 31/12/11???????????? - from your blog entry: Winners will be chosen based on random draw on 1/31/11 and announced on the Sketchbook Challenge blog either on that day or on 1/1/12.
ReplyDeleteAnna that was a typo, sorry for the confusion. The winners will be chosen by random draw on 1/31/12 and announced on that day or the next.
ReplyDeleteExcellent theme! Happy doodling! Happy new year!
ReplyDeletejust the way to start off the year! I'm looking forward to getting started
ReplyDeleteGreat way to start the new year! I was so excited my friend Kerry turned me on to this group last January and I actually posted something EVERY month!! Whooo HOooooo!! Here's to another year of playing with my colored pencils!;)
ReplyDeleteLove this theme Diana! Doodling is my thing!I am so glad the Challenge is going on and on!It is the first thing I check everyday after my emails! It is my daily treat! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteIn Feb 2009, there were Scientific reports of a study which showed that Doodling actually helps memory!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226210039.htm
Now I have a reason and don't feel guilty for doodling during meetings at college!
I might actually join in some of these this year. Actually I have a meeting on Tues! Good day to start.
Sandy in the UK
Thanks Sue - I thought maybe it was me having too much on New Years eve :-) I have put up my first doodle (or zentangle!!)more to follow
ReplyDeletePerfect theme for me as I'm wanting something "easy" to start me drawing!
ReplyDeleteHi there doodlers, can someone please tell me how and where I post my mini creations...thanks heaps, looking forward to getting to know you all:-)
ReplyDeleteArtyjules post your pages to the flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sketchbookchallenge/
ReplyDeleteyou'll find more information on posting at the bottom of the theme post under the special giveaway announcement section and on the How the challenge works page (the link is at the top of the sketchbook challenge blog)
Thanks Sue, I tried to add this to my flickr page but it didn't work....maybe I had the tag wrong....I haven't used my flickr page in a while :-)
ReplyDeleteYea! Happy 2012 now let's go forth and doodle!
ReplyDeleteI'm in - Pam Carriker just posted about this on FB - that's how I found you ... I am excited!! :)
ReplyDeleteI also saw news of this on Pam Carriker's Facebook post.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to do this!
Here's to a new year of challenges that will fulfill the artist in us all! Happy doodling this month!
ReplyDeleteGreat first theme Diana! I love to doodle too...maybe my fav kind of drawing to do actually. Can't wait to see what everybody does with this one.
ReplyDeleteperfect theme to start with in 2012! I hope to post more drawings than last year..... Greetz, Nadia
ReplyDeleteCan't post anything...what am I doing wrong? Been a bad night. too much stress with a friend wanting to kill himself....no matter, ...over all this stress too hard to post anything....nite all
ReplyDeleteSo, I love the challenge because it really keeps me creating - and I LOVE the January Theme!
ReplyDeleteAND, I LOVE the addition of the art as a prize! FANTASTIC.
Thank you all for keeping this challenge going. It - and you all - add a richness to my life and I appreciate you for it.
Love this theme as I'm taking a Doodles Unleashed workshop hosted by Strathmore. This should be fun! Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that we started the year off with doodling - so approachable and doable!
ReplyDeleteHere's my first one on my blog post here:
http://brightwingsofsummer.squarespace.com/display/ShowJournal?moduleId=12555722&SSScrollPosition=165
Sounds like fun. Off to scribble and doodle!
ReplyDeleteHi, This is my first contribution to "The Sketchbook Challenge." Its not as pretty as I would have wanted it to be, however I just let my hands run and did not think much over what the final version would look like. I did most of it with a size twelve brush, using leftover watercolors from my palette.
ReplyDeletehttp://seemasartcorner.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-doodles.html
Oh goody I'm gonna get busy right away and will post some photos in Flickr soon...what fun this will be!!! love you all.
ReplyDeletemy favorite - doodling - I'll be posting many in the flickr group - in fact I thinl I already have!
ReplyDeleteIs there anything else I have to do to sign up besides join the Networked Blogs group? I had signed up last year, but got very ill so I didn't finish the projects. Hope to do better this year. Thanks, CindyLew
ReplyDeleteCindy it's an open challenge so you don't have to do anything official to join. However, if you want to be eligible for the giveaway you have to post a photo of your sketchbook page in the flickr group. Check the bottom of the post for all the details on how that works and if you have any questions, please feel free to write.
ReplyDeleteA great theme, thank you, I love doodling and this is the first page I've done on a large scale so it was a very enjoyable one for me. My blog post is here http://sketchingstamper.blogspot.com/2012/01/doodles-unleashed-workshop-piece-1.html
ReplyDelete:)
Thanks for the encouraging comment on my doodle. This is a lovely challenge to start the year with :D
ReplyDeleteI have posted another entry for the "January Theme" at: http://seemasartcorner.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-more-doodles.html
I am happy I discovered this site and just did a post with one of my first doodles. creativityblossomsafter60.wordpress.com I look forward to being involved with this great group of artists. Michelle
ReplyDeleteYay! I need a jump start and getting my doodle on will do the trick! Thanks! Count me in!
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI thought you might like my latest blog post where I have recommended your web-site
http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/2012/01/11/the-creative-path/
It's about how we can encourage creativity...
so fun! i used my 'doodle' page to complete a color study for another piece! please count me in the drawing!! thanks so much...
ReplyDeletehttp://bluebirdslivinginthemeadow.blogspot.com/2012/01/color-study-ii.html
jean
Just heard about it from Cathy Bluteau's blog. If ever I am going to jump on the bandwagon, with a theme of doodling kicking it off, now is the time! Margie
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to get the sketchbook challenge page to show up on my FB. I went to the S.Challenge FB page and liked it, but must be something else I have to do? help? anybody?
ReplyDeleteHi Im delighted to have read Connie's blog this morning and her mentioning the Sketchbook Challenge delighted I just made it in time for January's theme, a new year and a new Challange, I needed somethuing to get me back to my sketchbooks thank you! I will be doodling today!
ReplyDeleteYvonne
Doodling is good for you. I'm convinced. I've added my latest doodle to my blog. It's waiting for you there.
ReplyDeletehttp://julie-annemcdonald.com/
Really enjoying this, posted some pictures of my doodle pages on my blog;
ReplyDeletehttp://boxoftrix.blogspot.com/2012/01/sketchbook-challenge.html
I really love your art, great expression, I'll try it too!
ReplyDelete