Drawing Made Easy

Learn Sketching, Pencil Drawing and Doodling

 Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 – The Basic Tools
Chapter 2 – Why Doodling Is So Stunning
Chapter 3 – Barrel and Pincushion Effect
Chapter 4 – Creation of Your First Doodle
Is string always necessary?
Chapter 5 – More Doodling Pattern Ideas
Making your own patterns
Chapter 6 - The letters of the Alphabet
Putting letters together
The background to the initials
Chapter 7 – Starting Kids Out On Doodling
Step 1 – Drawing your strings
Step 2 – Filling in the first pattern
Step 3 – Filling in other areas
Finalizing the Doodle
Why it’s important to work drafts
Chapter 8 – The Importance of Composition
Density of Patterns
Chapter 9 – Your tools and the way you use them
Using your gel pens to produce lines
Start by drawing out lines
Using Gel Pens
Shading using your pens
Chapter 10 – Projects You Can Do With Doodling
A treasure chest or toy box
Furniture Items
Items of clothing
Doodling Patterns on Canvas
The Doodle Wall
Wall Mounted Artwork
 A Doodling Pattern Book
Making Greetings Cards
Coasters
Using Doodling for Embroidery
Chapter 11 – Getting Support and Help
Online support and friendship
Conclusion
Preview of "DSLR Photography Made Easy: Simple Tips on How You Can Get Visually Stunning
Images Using Your DSLR"
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 Introduction

It’s interesting what people say when you discuss Doodling with them. They seem to think this new
art-form is something complex. Well, in one way they are right, but in another they are very wrong.
You remember the type of designs that you may have created while you were patiently waiting for a
human being to answer when you telephoned the bank? Well, that’s where Doodling began. The idea
to take them a step further was a very sensible one, because it meant that people with no talent for
drawing could create wonderful images just by repeating patterns and filling in different areas of an
image with that one pattern. Each area is filled in with a different pattern and what you produce at the
end of the day is a wonderful illustration, regardless of your artistic ability.

Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas decided to experiment with sketching and they found that it had a
very therapeutic effect on people. The art form that they pioneered is used in hospitals worldwide to
help people to build up self-confidence. The last way to do that would be to present someone who
wasn’t artistic with an artistic challenge which was beyond the scope of their knowledge. However,
Doodling isn’t like that. It’s easily explained and patients have been finding that it helps them to
center their thoughts, to get over depression and to start to build self-esteem. Not only that, it also
helps hand-eye coordination and can be practiced by people of all ages. That’s pretty amazing isn’t it!

If you look among the videos which grace the pages of YouTube, you can see many Doodling fans at
work and although there are many books published on Doodling, this book concentrates on the
beginner and shows how these designs are created from scratch. Thus, it’s the ideal companion for
those who want to take a leap of faith and start something which they believe could be beneficial and
creative at the same time.

Doodling is a wonderful art. From the contrasts of black and white, through to using color, this art is
something that even a child can enjoy. Walk through the pages of this book and learn to draw stunning
and artistic designs to enhance your Doodling experience. This simplified system of building up
designs will fill you with inspiration and that’s where Doodling really does come up trumps in
helping people to realize their artistic ambitions.

There is also a section which is devoted to kids, so that during the summer break, you can get them
busily trying their hand at simple designs and patterns that will really get them enthused and keep
them out of mischief. The thing about Doodling is that anyone at any age can create something. The
pictures in the book will help you to see how it all works. Expect a treat because if you copy the
patterns that are shown in the book into a scrapbook, you will have a head start on others because it’s
all about collecting different patterns and learning how they are made up. Remember that the thing
about Doodling patterns is that they are all made of simple construction and if gone through in
different stages can give great satisfaction to the kids and make them feel like they have achieved
something very special indeed. In fact, you don’t even have to invest a great deal of money to involve
the children. A good quality felt tipped pen and an exercise book is enough in the initial stages and if
the children show an interest later as they progress with their Doodling work, then birthdays and
Christmas gifts can give them better quality pens and paper upon which to practice their newly
acquired craft.

The writer of this book is enthusiastic about Doodling because they learned from scratch and it’s an
art that is spontaneous. As you work, you will begin to create patterns of your own, simply by seeing
areas on your doodling that look bland and as if they need more detail. Even a stripe can be made to
look more interesting by filling patterns into the white area. Triangles, circles and rectangles are all
part of the picture but they are not the only shapes that can be used. Uniformity is what it’s all about
because instead of doodling with no purpose or aim, Doodling goes further than that in that once you
decide upon which pattern to place where, the uniformity of that pattern within the chosen space is a
discipline on its own. It is this discipline that makes the work so good for kids. They learn pen
control. They learn accuracy and they learn concentration and these are all positive attributes for
children.

Take a walk on the wild side with us and learn what Doodling can add to your life. It really can add a
whole new perspective to your life, and give you a place where you can find relaxation and
enjoyment as well as reward and a great sense of anticipation as your pattern takes form.
 Chapter 1 – The Basic Tools

You do need to know the basic tools that are used for Doodling because it will be a worthwhile
investment. Doodling can be done with paper and felt tips, but that’s not the best way to experience it.
In fact, if you buy standard paper and felt tipped pens, you are likely to get something happen which is
called “bleeding.” This means the color may run through the paper and spoil your designs. Thus, for
the small investment it takes for the correct tools, it’s worth it. For kids, get pens which are relatively
good quality rather than the cheap ones that bleed because bleeding will cause the kids’ work to look
careless in rendition when in fact it may not be their fault. There’s nothing more discouraging than
drawing something and then finding that the colors spill into the next section.

Probably the best value that you can get these days for the adult is to buy a Doodling kit, which will
comprise different sizes of Sakura Pens, a Doodling pencil and some Doodling cards. Since this is
not a heavy investment and can be bought from websites such as Amazon.com, it may be enough to
show you whether this is a route that you want to continue with in your artistic hobby career. People
have been very surprised about how much they love this art and thus, this will give you a great taster.
At the beginning you also need a piece of string which is fine. This is used to envision your pattern on
the paper and is placed onto the paper and moved around until you have the composition that you feel
is aesthetically pleasing. Later in your experience, you will find that you don’t need the string, but can
create “strings” or lines of your own that help you to create the foundation of your designs. You will
soon be able to throw away the piece of string and come up with strings of your own, which are
basically lines in which your Doodling patterns are placed.

Another handy item to have is a scrapbook or several pages that you can draw a grid of squares on, so
that each Doodling pattern that you find can be added to the squares to remind you of all the of
patterns that are possibilities for your Doodling creations. Most Doodling enthusiasts collect patterns
and use them over and over again although each Doodle is going to be individual because of the
variances which can be added to it in patterns. The idea of the scrapbook of patterns is so that when
you see one from another Doodle artist that you like, you can jot it down in your scrapbook and use it
when the opportunity presents itself.

There are many places where you can get free downloads of sheets so that you always have a new
design to try. If you look at the construction of the patterns shown below by Jane Oliver of
Strathmore, this company supplied patterns in a pdf format that you can download and that’s really
useful as one of your tools. Their papers are rather good and you may want to look at their selection
of tools so that you can use for your own Doodles. It’s worthwhile adding these sheets to your
scrapbook as they will all help when you are creating new Doodles.
As you can see from the designs, these are really easy to construct and although they may look
complex when you see a Doodling image, they are in fact made out of initial lines which are then
colored in like you used to when you did doodles. Call them organized doodles and you wouldn’t go
too far wrong. You will need to have plenty of art sheets or doodling tiles but these are available
from most retailers online and you can even buy them in shops which sell art supplies.

The above sheet shows loads of designs that are easy for you to copy down when you are working
with your own doodles and having sheets available or scrapbook drawings of patterns, you have
plenty to choose from when you start a new doodle. Look how I took one of these designs and made
my own design from it. That’s what doodles is all about – adaptation of ideas to make them your own.
I chose the simple central pattern from the sheet and did my own thing with it. I used the shape that the
design pattern showed me, but adapted the pattern to make it my own and that’s what artists are
encouraged to do. These are raw drawings that I have done to demonstrate a point. Of course, if you
take time with your doodles they will look a lot more accurate than this, but at least it gives you the
idea.
I chose stripes because you can see how having stripes in different directions can make so much
difference. Does it matter that your lines are a little blurred in places? Not really as there are no rules
but as you practice more and more your drawing actually becomes more and more accurate
It’s also a wise precaution to have a geometry set which includes a triangle, ruler and compass as
these will help you to draw accurate lines, shapes and angles. Try to avoid plastic. If you can buy
decent metal ones these are less likely to smudge your work. I once tried with a plastic ruler and
found that every time I moved it on the image, I smudged the picture and that was really frustrating.

An eraser is helpful for your initial lines as you will use an HB pencil to draw out the lines and if you
want to change them, this gives you the possibility.

As you can see from the above, it isn’t complex to get the tools together to try out doodling. They are
relatively inexpensive and once you have them all and gain more experience, you can be a little more
experimental and buy black card and try your doodling art with white pens instead of the standard
black, giving you a whole new experience of what doodling is all about.

If you look at the above image, you will see that this is divided into several sections with a new
pattern in each section. This is how you store your patterns and you will have loads of sheets by the
time that you have finished, many with your own new and original designs and others that you have
picked up from websites such as Strathmore or from Pinterest where many doodling artists get
together and share ideas. I did the same thing with my interpretation of one of the patterns and you can
add whatever you like to your interpretation. That’s how wide the scope of doodling is. Let’s look at
another pattern off the sheet and show you how you can make it your own.

See how I changed some of the patterns. You can do the same thing, using the same curves but adding
your own detail to the picture to make it totally original or to use some parts of the source picture and
mix them with your own.
 Chapter 2 – Why Doodling Is So Stunning

Doodling is stunning because it takes several concepts and wraps them up nicely in one package. The
first of these concepts dates back to the sixties when Op Art was created. The idea behind Op Art
was that you use two contrasting colors to create a whole and it is the contrast that works so well.
The black against the white, or the white against the black creates an element of interest that really
does draw in the eye. Look at these images from the op art era and you will see what is meant by that.

In this image you can see how stunning black and white can be, but when you use it in Doodling, it’s a
little more abstract than the image above. This was merely created to demonstrate the roots of black
and white imagery and show you how this has always been used as a stunning art form.

In Doodling, the artist goes a step or two further with this concept. What Doodling does is take your
overall pattern and then give you loads of areas to color in. Instead of coloring them in with solid
color, you color them with patterns that you can either source or design yourself. In fact, if you really
want to start quickly, there’s nothing wrong with downloading coloring pictures intended for children
and practicing different designs within the framework of the lines on the drawing. You can make some
amazing pictures and encourage children to use this art-form to really create art from nothing and
that’s what kids are really good at.
 Image copyright: Creative Commons Attribution: Diane M acKillop

In the above pattern you can see some of the standard doodling designs being put to good use. The
artist has used squares, stripes, broken stripes, circles, shells and bamboo rods to create a fairly
stunning picture and has then added simple plants to create her own style. You can do this too. For a
practice example, why not print out a printable coloring picture from Google images, and then try the
different patterns shown on this example in each of the areas to be colored. This will help you to get
your pen work a little more accurate. At the beginning, of course, expect to make mistakes. We all do
and you learn from these to be a little more careful with your work or to change your pen to a more
suitable thickness.

One of the most special things about doodling, which distinguishes it from other art forms is that it’s
all about discipline and concentration. Once you get into doodling designs, the therapeutic effects of
the craft come from this attention to detail. Its discipline is what makes it useful as a tool for
recovery. People who are depressed or who are having trouble expressing themselves find that
doodling gives them an outlet. Kids who are restless and unable to concentrate for lengthy periods of
time learn focus because if they don’t, they do not achieve and most kids, given the choice, want to
produce good results. The discipline of doodling lies in the repetition of lines or shapes to form a
pattern. It’s like putting small pieces together to make a whole and that’s where doodling differs from
doodling or from other art forms. Look at the pattern below. It is made from different lines added at
different stages to make a set pattern and that’s why anyone, regardless of artistic ability, can get so
good at doodling. The patterns are so easy. Handling the pen in the right way comes with practice, but
when it does, all of those stray lines are disciplined into great solid lines that show confidence of the
artist in practice.
 Image copyright: Creative commons attribution M oon Attic, Flickr

The reason that this style of art is so impressive is that it doesn’t stop there. So far, you have only
seen flat doodling art, but the amazing thing is that once you begin to add curves to your lines, you get
the most stunning effects and that’s because of something called the pincushion and barrel effect. That
will be explored in the next chapter.

Doodling can be as stunning and impressive as you want it to be and adding loads of detail helps your
image to look superb, but if you want ease, you can have that too by using simple patterns such as
stripes, squares, triangles and those shapes which you are more comfortable working with. Gradually,
you will find yourself looking at one of your doodling designs and asking yourself whether you could
add something else to make those stripes more interesting. Of course you can. There are no rules
except these:
 Create lines to form different areas on your Doodling card
Fill each area with a set Doodling pattern

It really is as simple as that and the patterns that you will find that look very complex may actually be
easier than you think, once you also examine the different stages that lead to the completion of each
pattern.

Drawing all of the designs that you find into your scrapbook will take a lot of time as there are
literally thousands of them available all over the Internet and in source books and as you do this,
make sure that you draw down the different stages that make up the whole so that the next time that
you do them, you are not confused by the complexity of the design that you are creating or don’t
remember how you constructed it.

Now, let’s move on to making your work look even more stunning by introducing the barrel and
pincushion effect which is part and parcel of having fun with doodling. Once you do, you will never
look back.
 Chapter 3 – Barrel and Pincushion Effect

It may sound a little bit obscure to you are the moment but if you were to draw lines onto your
doodling tile, and then lines the other way, you create what looks like tiles. These are simply patterns
made from straight lines. When you start to replace straight lines with curves, you create the illusion
that the image lifts in places.

Do you see how this could be distorted even more by adding curves which are more pronounced?
You have what looks like a cushion now because the shape appears to go down at the edges, much as
a cushion would. Curve the lines even more and you create a barrel effect. Now try looking at this
image. It’s made up of colors and lines but gives the impression that the top area is made of barrel
shapes.

Here is a design that I did that includes the pincushion effect and you will see that it makes different
parts of the image look distorted.

The above image really is a simple diagram which shows a distorted area to the top right hand side.
That’s what happens when you use curves to create the pincushion effect. The pincushion effect can
be used to create interesting shapes and to give the picture a more three dimensional effect. Now look
at the image below and see what this picture does. Look at how the curves were introduced to give
the picture depth. You can do this on your doodling as well.
Of course, the image is on flat paper, but the reason for including this image is to demonstrate what
simple lines can do to distort what people see. This is used in doodling to give the image depth. You
can also use shading to help lift areas from the flatness of an image or use lines which get narrower in
the center and which give the impression of falling into a pit. It’s very clever how the different widths
or the curve of lines creates such a stunning difference to the perception of the viewer. If you
introduce this to your doodling, you give them more visual impact and it makes them look really
professional. You can even make people have to stare at them to see how you managed to get all that
detail onto your small doodling square and it is all to do with perspective.

When you learn to use perspective to create distance, you really can produce some stunning results.
Give it a try. Try drawing the lines out from the above image in simple format and you will find that
you image looks like it’s three dimensional and that makes it a whole lot more interesting than a flat
image.
Do you get the impression of falling? You should because the lines are pulling you into the image.
Complex doodling uses all of these tricks of the eye so that the image is given three dimensional
effect.

A good example of this distortion in a doodling format is the example below and all of these ideas
are given to help you to understand how doodling works. In the image below, you are given the
impression that the round shapes are lifted from the flat surface. Of course it’s a flat picture, but the
shading and the chosen patterns have made the picture look as if it is three dimensional. This is
achieved by using very clever design on the picture so that the viewer is left in doubt as to whether
the image is actually flat. Of course it is flat but the clever curves and shading make it look like it’s
not completely flat at all and that the bottle top effects actually lift from the image. It’s stunningly
clever and something that you can bear in mind when you are designing your doodling designs.
 Copyright: Creative commons attribution: M edialike

Look now at the designs that were used as it is the startling difference between black and white that
helps to define the shapes. Take any one of these elements on its own and add it to your design book
because they are all very clever designs which look complex but which are actually quite simple
when broken down into stages. For example, the circle at the bottom of this image consists of a drawn
circle. Inside that circle is drawn another, although this isn’t a flat circle, it is a little distorted to give
the image lift. The curves would be drawn next followed by the shading in and the stripes.
Look how simple some of the patterns are. The mini pyramids are a simple design, the roses are
stunningly a series of straight lines and the leaf shapes were used with a simple cross in them. Each
one of the designs forms a doodle design for you to add to your doodle design book. Thus, each time
you see a doodle, choose the patterns which please you because you can use them within your own
designs.
 Chapter 4 – Creation of Your First Doodle

You may be able to draw out your basic shape freehand. You can actually use anything, from squares
to abstract shapes. The idea is to create a pattern that is balanced and pleasing to the eye. The idea of
incorporating a piece of string into your doodling practice is because the initial lines that you make on
your paper are called “strings.”

If you don’t yet have the imagination to be able to create these on your own, don’t worry. Cut a length
of about 15 inches from your string and place it onto your paper. Move the string around until you see
a pattern that pleases you. Remember that the ends of your string should be off the side of your doodle
tile because you can’t really have broken lines for the initial doodle pattern as this would make it too
complex to color in. If you are really stumped for ideas, do you remember the old game of cat’s
cradle, where you use a band of string which has been joined at the end with a discreet knot?

That’s a great shape for a doodle and if this is something that pleases you, create that shape with your
string and then pencil around each of the shapes so that you have definite lines. As the string does not
reach the edges of the paper, add some more lines in so that you have an overall design that covers all
of your tile. If you haven’t understood this, then go to the chapter for children because it is explained
in more detail with pictures in that section.

The next step is to decide which patterns to use in which coloring area and here, you shouldn’t give it
too much thought in the initial stages. You are merely getting used to using different designs for
different shapes created on the paper and all of this is great practice for your eventual doodling
experience.

Now comes the interesting bit. As you have a penciled outline of your design, take the string away
and straighten up your lines with fiber pen so that you can clearly see all the different areas. Doodle
into each area using a choice of patterns from earlier in this book. You won’t be happy with your first
attempts but as you learn, you will begin to appreciate how to curve your lines, how to give the
picture 3 dimensional effect rather than simply looking flat and how to choose which design goes
where.

Image: Creative Commons Attribution: Terri Lynn

This image uses a series of very simple doodling designs which, on their own, are easy. Each of these
is a design on its own and should be added to your doodling design book. What makes the picture
stunning is the way in which the artist has colored and shaded each of the simple elements. Try your
own designs with similar patterns. Zigzags, dots, circles and lines all come together to make stunning
patterns that you can use on your first doodle.
Is string always necessary?

No. In fact, when you get into doodling, you can throw the string away and use a hypothetical string.
The piece of string was only used to demonstrate to you how you create shapes with lines and you can
do that regardless of whether you use string or not. It was a little symbolic because in doodling, the
lines that you use to create your image are called strings. Thus, use of string seemed to be a good way
to show you what was intended.

Here is a typical string to show you what it looks like, but look also in the section relating to
composition as there are some more ideas tucked away in that section.

See how the string lies within the framework of the doodling card. There’s no reason why you need to
keep to that card shape if you want to experiment more but this is the standard doodle shape and many
of these are put together to give a great patchwork of ideas that make up artwork for the wall or
whatever project it is that you want to do with your doodle. Some are so detailed that they stand out
on their own as well and are simply framed for the wall using a colored background so that it really
does show up the work that was put into the doodle itself. For kids, they can always do a drawing
around a hand, for example, and then create lines on that hand and add different doodle patterns to it.
That’s a great encouragement for kids because it’s easy and they don’t have to think too hard about the
strings. They can then go on to learn how to produce correct strings on a doodle shaped card and use
this for greetings cards etc.
 Chapter 5 – More Doodling Pattern Ideas

So where can you get more doodle pattern ideas? Some of the standard patterns for doodling use very
basic shapes. For example, you may want to use stripes in bold black and white, a brick pattern,
zigzags, triangles or any other shape that you can come up with and add your own individual touches
to that shape.

If you are a little bit lost at this stage and are not sure what to color in next, take a look at this
inspirational image because you will see the different elements that make up the image are all simple.

Image Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution: Stephanie Reid

The artist has begun to draw this image using circles which she entitles “bubbles” and you could use
the same method, but put the circles in different places. Where they overlap, you use a different
pattern for each area created. There are literally dozens of patterns shown in this image, from simply
dots which represent the markings on a domino to more complex stripes and scallop shapes, there are
so many patterns within this one image that you can add another dozen or so to your stylebook.

What is suggested when you are creating patterns or using ideas that you have found is that you adapt
them, add your own detail and create your own original doodle patterns and then perhaps, share with
others. The doodling craze has caught on and people are sharing their patterns and the system they
used to construct those patterns on websites such as Pinterest, DeviantArt and Flickr. You can also
find ideas from looking at the great range of doodling work that you can find when you search Google
Images.

As this is an evolving art and every day, people are finding new patterns, it’s likely that you will
come across inspirational ones that will suit the particular piece of art that you are working on.
However, many of the patterns incorporated in the images within this book will help you to build up
your repertoire of patterns, so that you are never short of inspiration. Looking on Pinterest will fill
you with enthusiasm because there are loads of images there and you can adapt them to make your
own pattern.

Tip: Draw your strings with pencil and then bold the strings afterward because this really does give
your work a lot of extra definition and clarity. I find that even if I make a mistake on the lines, I can
thicken them up and that means that I can get rid of the mistakes easily. You will make mistakes.
Expect to. In the image below you will see a collection of patterns and these are endless. There is no
end to the ways in which you can use different designs to fill in each of the spaces your strings create.
If you have areas that are too big, you can make these smaller by adding a few twists to your strings.
If you have spaces which are small, use smaller patterns and make the detail every bit as important as
the larger patterns are.

You will soon get accustomed to which patterns work best in a large area and in a small area. Look at
the more detailed patterns in the next chart as potentials for areas which you have on your doodle
design.
 Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution: M rs.Cook, Weebly.com

Some patterns are built up by a series of steps. These are worthwhile keeping too. The series of lines
and different elements that make up a doodle are fairly straightforward though you may enjoy trying
more complex ones once you have gained more experience.

Here’s how the patterns are constructed. This will show you that if you find a pattern that looks
complex, it actually isn’t. It’s a case of working out all the different lines and elements that make up
that pattern and then doing them one by one. Every single pattern starts out simple and more lines or
detail are added to build up that pattern.

The limit really is the limit of your own imagination and it’s important that you try different things.
You can even add color if it pleases you. It’s really your choice, though it’s advised that you start out
simple or at least work with patterns which are simple to create such as the pattern shown below. If
you do that, you won’t go too far wrong. See the simple square in the middle, add the lines and curve
them. It looks like the picture goes inwards in the center because of the curves.
 Image: Creative Commons: M arie Almunia

If you look at the final stage of this construction, for example, you can see that the image provides a
lot of depth. The eye is drawn into the center of the picture. These kinds of lines are ideal for drawing
flowers so that the petals look like they come up from the central stamen area of the flower and that
makes your drawings more unique and more realistic. You can take these doodle patterns a stage
further if you want to by coloring in alternate lines with black or even colored pens.

This gathering of ideas should give you plenty to work on as you make your way through the
possibilities that doodling offers you. The above example gave me several ideas and these are rough
sketches that I did using the ideas. See how many you can make from one simple pattern explained in
detail.

Remember that these are roughly drawn sketches to show you the difference and what happens when
you move the center. Immediately I moved the central square to the side of the picture, it put me in
mind of a flower and that’s why I decided to use the swirls created as petals and to color in the
background in black to make the flower stand out much more. Of course, imagine these when they are
done with a lot more care and with doodling pens because the paper and the pens that you use make
an enormous amount of difference to your eventual presentation.
Making your own patterns

Start with a square and use one of the designs shown in this book but adjust the pattern so that it’s
your pattern and you will see how easy it is to create new and unique designs. The basic shapes and
patterns come in very handy indeed and can be:

Squares
Circles
Oblongs
Lines
Tiles
Curved tiles

But that’s not where it ends. There are so many designs that are created using these shapes and simple
dots can look very effective as can different shading techniques and using light and dark contrasts to
make your picture complete.

In the following chapters, we show you how children can use doodling and there are some projects
for them that will help them with their alphabet or using doodling for their names so that these designs
can be used to label things which are important to them. Covering a text book with brown paper, the
child can have their own monographic doodle to denote that the book is theirs. Remember, never
work on brown paper covers as the ink may go through and damage the book. Always work on paper
or the doodling cards when working with kids and apply these doodles to whatever you want to add
them to afterwards using paper glue that will not damage anything at all. A Pritt stick is a very handy
tool to have in the playroom for sticking doodles onto projects that the kids are encouraged to do.
 Chapter 6 - The letters of the Alphabet

In this chapter we are going to illustrate the letters of the alphabet in outline so that kids can copy
them. If adults want to do more refined versions of the alphabet, you can get some great
downloadable alphabet letters that may be of use. Doodles can also be produced in embroidery and if
you are that way inclined, you need to first come up the idea on graph paper, such as monolog
alphabet letters and then use the squares from the graph paper to help you to decide where to put your
stitches on a counted canvas or embroidery fabric.

Let’s gather ideas from the alphabet which are simple for kids:

Any child can draw this. It’s a simple letter, but then it gets interesting. They add their strings to the
letter. In this case, the strings that I have added are simple ones that all take the same direction. They
can do this in any way that they want to. Advise the child to create different areas on the letter so that
they are big enough to add doodle designs to them. Remember, at this stage it doesn’t matter how
rough your drawing is. Getting the kids to do doodling is a start. They will want to excel. They will
get more accurate as a natural progression of wanting to make their pictures look superb. Kids do
have this wonderful sense of ambition.

The next element is filling in each of the areas with doodle patterns and that’s where the child should
be left to decide how simple or how complex the child wants to make their design. What we are
doing at this stage is simply getting used to using doodle designs within given guidelines. What we
will eventually do is to create a monograph of initials using this process but placing it within a square
tile so that it becomes doodle art.
You see how kids can color in their initials? It’s easy. In this case, I used spots in the bottom left hand
side, scallops, then stripes, then curved stripes, a sunshine at the top, white dots, curved tiles, fan
style stripes and then normal stripes again. That makes up the A. Draw out the alphabet letters that
represent your child’s initials so that the child can practice on those letters.

Below is a straightforward alphabet produced by color printables.com and this can be printed off on
your computer from their website. These are standard letters which a child can use to shape the
initials of their name. If they want to add any shapes or swirls then they can incorporate these at the
drawing of the letter stage.

However, each of these is neat and tidy and will be good for making a doodle tile because they can
be scaled down or up before you print them so that two initials fill a standard doodle pattern of three
and a half inches square. You may think that drawing to this fine a detail for a child will be difficult,
but the point of the exercise is to increase the child’s awareness. They are not just coloring in. They
are reproducing patterns within given spaces. Thus, small is good because it’s a lot of detail to get
onto the tile and with the help of a ruler or a piece of tracing paper, this is very possible for them to
achieve.

If you do use tracing paper, you may need to have carbon paper so that you can trace the letters
through to the doodle square. Place the tracing paper so that it is correctly positioned, fasten it with
painter’s tape and then put the carbon in place when you are sure that the letters are in the right place.
If kids practice their lettering on plain paper, this gives them an idea of what the letters look like and
then they can choose their favorites for their doodle design. There are loads of “printables” on the
Internet and this may even give children ideas such as creating signs for a bedroom, a home sweet
home sign, or even making a card with a built-in message for grandma.
Putting letters together

If you look at typical monogram designs, these help to see how letters can be interlinked with each
other to form separate areas on a doodle design. As a parent, one of the best tools that you can buy a
child is a template in plastic because this doesn’t depend upon the child’s skill to draw. He/she can
use this to intertwine their initials or to spell out a word, by carefully tracing the letter in pencil
before making definite lines. If they want letters to overlap they are able to see this before they pen
the lines and if it doesn’t work, they can then erase it and try another.
The background to the initials

When the initials are placed centrally onto a doodle square, you need to think about what the
background will be like. Here, children can be taught about what dark backgrounds do and what
lighter ones achieve. In fact, if their letter is patterned in bold letters, the background would probably
be better in designs that are light so that the lettering stands out.

Copyright: Creative commons: Aline Deviant Art

In this case, the artist used fairly uniform designs on the lettering so if you were to use neutral designs
in the background, you would lose the lettering. Thus, in a case like this, the best background that a
person can have would be a contrasting background that lifts the letters. Place these upon a black and
white bold stripe, for example, and you still see the letters.

However you want to add lettering to your doodle, you have to remember that the idea is to fill the
entire square. That’s what it’s all about. When you have, you can use your work as an example of
what you can do and if you go wrong, it doesn’t matter because this helps you to build from your
experience and avoid similar mistakes on future projects. Ask any doodling enthusiast about their art
and they will tell you, it’s a process of learning little by little that leads to expertise. I can explain
how all of these things are done and can show you the results of work done specifically for this book,
but will never purport to be an expert because there is still much to learn.

One thing I have learned from doing detailed work such as monograms is that the quality of the pens
that you use counts. I have even done this using the standard doodling pens to create the lines and then
filled in areas with good quality ink using a very small paintbrush and that’s worth considering for
finely detailed work.
 Chapter 7 – Starting Kids Out On Doodling

Coming up to the summer holidays, it’s no wonder that parents go mad when the kids are at home all
day. However, you can introduce children that are too old for coloring books to the art of doodling by
printing off free prints from printable websites and then giving them the idea of coloring in different
areas of these using different patterns. These don’t have to be initials but they can be if this gives them
enough enthusiasm to start their tangling experience.

To get them started, try them out with their initials as shown in the last paragraph. Get them to draw
an outline of their initials so that they are large enough to color in with different doodle patterns. The
great thing about doing this is that doodling takes up loads of time and the more they get into the art,
the more they will enjoy it and find their own ways of expressing it.

See how much fun your kids can have with their initials, using different doodle patterns and elements
to color them in.

In this image, there are loads of patterns, but look how the artist has rounded off the bottoms of the
letters to give them a stubbly look. It’s very attractive and your kids could use this example and then
use simple doodle patterns to fill in their initials, being encouraged to make up their own patterns,
based on simple things at first such as stripes, brickwork pattern, scallops and circles. You may need
to prepare your pattern book in advance with patterns that you think the children would be capable of.
This is really therapeutic and helps them to put their energies into something which really will keep
them interested. It is never about right or wrong. Kids will err outside of the lines but they soon learn
that it looks better when they can keep in each of the individual areas. Here are some sketches that I
did quickly to give your kids some ideas of easy patterns that they can use for their first experience of
doodling.

Your kids can design any kind of pattern they want and the reason for this being in draft format is that
they can use it to get ideas from and make up their own patterns from it.

If you present a child with a goal which is too hard, they may not even try, but if you can demonstrate
what is meant by random patterns, they can really have fun with it.

Trying their very first Doodle Square

Here are the steps that it takes to create a doodle square. An older child may want to try this and you
can set them off on their doodling journey by showing them all the steps that are taken to produce a
doodle. Theirs does not have to be the same as mine, but this is just to walk children through the
process so that they know what they are expected to produce.
Step 1 – Drawing your strings

Most kinds can handle a figure of eight so it’s an ideal shape for your first doodle. The top and
bottom of the figure of eight hit the edges of the design on purpose, thus creating different areas to be
colored in with doodling patterns. They could also join the edges of the eight to the sides if they want
to create even more areas, but this is simply shown so that a child can copy the idea and see how it
works. It’s quite different from coloring in because instead of colors used to color each square, a
doodle design is used.
Step 2 – Filling in the first pattern

Okay, I decided to use a ruler for this design. The design is bold stripes and I drew the lines with a
ruler and then colored in every other stripe so that it’s quite a bold design. You can choose whatever
doodle pattern you like, so don’t feel restricted to stick to the ones that I have chosen.
Step 3 – Filling in other areas

In this case I chose to use tiles. These are drawn easily. You simply draw stripes, either with a ruler
or without and then draw stripes across them so that you create a grid of tiles. Then you color in
every other tile. Again, this doesn’t have to be solid color. You can use things such as patterns within
the squares of the tiles if you so wish.

I thought that the tiles were actually a bit bland so what I did was to create a flower in the center of
each of the white tiles and that worked. I then started on the area that formed the base of the figure
eight. First I drew the dark lines which are simple curves and I then made them into a cobweb pattern.
I then added blobs at the intersections where the cobwebs hit the main curved lines. Then I drew
circles around the blobs and finished off by doing cobwebs in the other direction. By all means, turn
your work around as you work because you will find it easier to draw your lines.
Finalizing the Doodle

It wasn’t intentional but you remember what we said about Barrel and Pincushions effects. Look at the
top shape. Because I decided to use curved lines, it actually looks like an egg as opposed to a flat
oval. I added different designs to the stripes that I created and was quite pleased with the results even
though this is just in draft format.
Why it’s important to work drafts

Doodle squares, if you buy them, can turn out to be very expensive if the kids are let loose with them.
If, on the other hand, they try ideas in a scrap book or graph paper, they then have time to try different
things before using that more expensive resource. It’s actually a good idea for adults as well
because it means less waste and it also means that when they tackle their doodle, they know exactly
what mistakes were made on the draft and which areas caused them difficulty and can overcome this
the second time around.

Creative commons attribution: Diane M acKillip

 Chapter 8 – The Importance of Composition

Although you may not have thought about, the composition that you create is a piece of artwork. As
such it needs to conform to standards which mean that your strings form some kind of composition so
that what you draw is pleasing to the eye. In many forms of art, there are rules which help you along
the way, although if you don’t know these, it can be a little bit of a struggle. These are fairly simple
and I can show you with some rough pictures that explain each one of them. These are simple sketches
to demonstrate the point of composition and what it does for your image.

In this image which I call the Crossed “T” string, what I did was to put a “T” on its side and then add
two others. Although you cannot see them clearly, one is to the right of the “T” that can you see and
there is the stem of a “T” above the central “T”

The rule of composition that this image follows is the rule of thirds. In art and in photography, the rule
of thirds means that you place the main feature of the image to the left or right of the center. This is a
very good way of presenting your doodle design and the design thus follows the rule of thirds. It
draws the attention of the viewer toward the central “T” but because this is to one side of the image,
the other shapes which form part of the image are important too. They create the background. When
choosing patterns for this doodle design, I would choose a very bold pattern for the central “T” so
that it stands out.
In this case, I have chosen the same rule of thirds and applied it to my doorway. This gives the doodle
a lot of depth and the viewer would be drawn into the central area of the doodle, which would use
very dense patterns to accentuate that the doors are central to the theme of the doodle. By doing this,
you are drawing attention to the central feature but you also need to remember to fill in the areas
around it with patterns of less density. The idea of this is to give the shape some kind of three
dimensional effect and it works very well. The curved window area can also be a deep area and can
be dark in nature because this would follow the same rule of composition.

This rough sketch was done to demonstrate something else entirely and that symmetry. Pictures look
great if they are balanced in some way. In the Butterfly String picture, I would choose patterns of
similar density for the tops of the wings, and then other strong patterns of similar density for the
bottom of the wings. As I want viewers to recognize the butterfly in the picture, I would use patterns
with less density for the background patterns.
Density of Patterns

You can see from the above illustrations that the density of the pattern matters. For example, those
patterns which are the densest are those which use bold black and white in large quantities so that you
are immediately drawn to them. Look into your scrapbook or if you have not yet started one, look at a
sheet of doodle patterns and the first ones that will hit your eyes are those which are dense. These are
used for parts of the image where you want the eye to be drawn.

Medium density patterns are less pronounced but have a lot of detail and are good for background
work and the least dense are those which are bland to look at but still a very necessary part of the
image being created. Thus, your picture needs to have a mixture of these patterns used for the different
specific purposes to which they are the most useful. Remember the following:

Bold or dense designs – Great for areas you want to highlight

Medium density designs – Good background that matters
Low density designs – Used for edges or for areas that are less important to the
composition. These may be fill in areas.

Thus, you need to mark your patterns in your book and decide which fall into which category so that
when you actually draw out your doodle patterns, you can choose the ones which give your
composition the very best that you can do in presenting the image in a three dimensional effect.

Look at the image below because this artist has got it right. She has perfect symmetry and she has used
a dense pattern in the central area to draw attention to it. That is perfect use of density and gives the
picture a great look. Look also how she has used uncomplicated and less dense patterns around the
edge of the picture because nothing more was needed. In fact, the fact that she used these means that
she allowed viewers to see quite clearly her intention to show circles, by not trying to complicate the
doodle design.
 Creative commons attribution: Diane M acKillop

This lady has some wonderful designs. Look how fine her pen work is. I have written a chapter which
is after this one that explains all about the different pens and the way in which people can use them
correctly. Sometimes, it just takes practice and this lady has certainly had plenty of that because she
produces very fine work indeed.

It makes a whole lot of difference to the presentation of the doodle what pens you use and how you
use them, so do spend a little time reading the next section as it may help you when holding your pens
so that you produce the best results possible. When you see results like those in the image above, you
can see why the quality of the pen counts!
 Chapter 9 – Your tools and the way you use them

You may not think that it makes a lot of difference how you hold your pens but it does, especially if
you have never used gel pens before.

The detail that this artist is able to produce is because of the way that the pen is held. Look at the fine
lines and how accurately they are drawn. Don’t expect this from kids when they start to work with
doodle because it’s not easy to produce that quality of line even if you have the right pens. You need
to practice it.
Using your gel pens to produce lines

Looking at this image, you can see why accuracy is so important. If you went wrong on one of these
lines, it really would stand out. Thus, the tools that you use and the way that you use them is vital.
Your pencil should always be sharp, your pens should not bleed when you place the nib on the paper.
If it does, chances are that you have been pushing too hard on it and the nib needs wiping.
Start by drawing out lines

Make a space in your scrapbook to draw out the lines using different pens and then mark which pen it
was that made that line. The reason this is so vital is that different doodle pens give different
thicknesses of lines and you need to know which pen to grab for your next line. Guesswork will lead
to mistakes. If you look at the detail in the images below, these are typical of what students would be
given in a class and the detail is very fine indeed. Thus, having your pens graded is essential so that
you can pick out the right pen for the job.

Your pens are what give the lines and shaded in areas their depth and if you do buy doodle pens,
pigment pens typically have a metal tip. If you hold them like a standard pen, you are likely to get
disappointing lines because they need to held straight upward to get the best results. I have a favorite
005 pen that I use and the lines that it produces are consistently fine and of good standard. When I
started, I didn’t see a lot of difference between this and a 001 pen as both seemed to produce
consistent lines, but when I got to doing close work, there was a marked difference and this is why
you need a sampler of each of the pens that you possess.

The pens that you use will also be responsible for the shading quality of your images. For example, if
you use simple felt tipped pen, you are unlikely to get the fine detail that can be produced from sigma
pens. These are more expensive for a reason and you need to allow the ink to flow, rather than
pushing on the pen. In fact, pushing on the pen nib is something that children tend to do to get more
color. They do need to have the working of the pens explained to them so that they do not damage the
tips.
This image shows all kinds of different pens having been used as there are shading areas as well as
areas which are simply worked with detail to give the impression of density. Remember we told you
about density, this is produced by the amount of ink that is put into one area. Thus the darker balls in
the image are obviously denser than other areas. To produce pictures like this, you do need to have
good quality pens and use them correctly.

Remember when you are using Sakura pens, these are very much like technical pens. You don’t hold
them the same. The angle is straight up and instead of putting pressure onto the paper as you would
with a Bic or similar pen, you simply let the ink flow. There have been problems using these and
these are usually because they were not used on the correct surface. Many people have tried on
canvas and rough surfaces and even on fabric, but if you are going to do doodle on fabric, then you
really do need fabric pens rather than the Sakura doodling pens as what happens is that fluff gets into
the nib and dries up the ink, giving very disappointing results.

With the lighter pens, the lighter pressure of use is essential. Hold the pen where you want it to be,
but no weight should be applied if you want to get accurate lines.
Images such as these are not produced with clogged pens and you need to look after your pens,
cleaning the nib when you have finished drawing with it. I use a piece of fabric that has no fleece to it
and simply wipe the nib between uses. Other people simply keep the pens away from dusty areas and
always make sure that the caps are replaced once they have finished using them.

The gel pens are the best for filling in areas of solid color and again, it’s not the pressure that you
place on the pen. It’s the position that you hold the pen and allowing the ink to flow onto the picture.
If you do hold it in a standard way, such as how you were taught at school, what happens is that you
get scratchy results and will see lines where you tried to fill in a block area with black or an
individual color.

Do you remember how children colored in pictures at school or when they were very young? The
chances are that there were lines that went outside the actual coloring in section but more than that,
you could always see the scribble lines in the solid color area. With doodling, you are trying to
produce a solid block. Moving the pen, held upright at a 90 degrees angle to the paper let the ink do
the work, rather than pressing down at all and you will find that your filling in is much better quality
and you produce a solid black as opposed to one which has gaps or where you can see which
directions the pen was pulled or pushed in.
Using Gel Pens

If the children or if indeed you start to enjoy doodling, then try some gel pens. These are great to work
with and you can get a whole rainbow of colors so that you can produce some pretty stunning artwork.

As you can see, Kate has used some pretty amazing color in this image and from a simple pattern of
circles has created a stunning doodle pattern using solid colors. Remember to draw your shapes first.
Then do the coloring in and then, if you need to, use your doodle outlining pen to reinstate the
blackness of the strings or lines as you may have messed these up a little during the filling in process.
Re-doing your lines also gives you a chance to place extra emphasis where you need this to occur.
Shading using your pens

Shading can be produced in the same way as it would with art or architecture plans in that a fine
hatching can be used. If you do have a very fine pen, this works because you can produce a hatched
shading that gives the impression of lift. Hatching is simply drawing a series of lines that make the
area look a little darker. These don’t have to extend the full width of the area where they are placed.
Perhaps you only need them to extend a short way to create the effect that you need.

Copyright: Creative commons attribution: Diane M acKillop

This is one of my favorite doodling artists and you can see gray areas in the image that are there to
give each of the elements extra depth. This shading is very effective and you can produce that either
by using a gray doodling pen or by using diluted ink or even watercolor, but be very careful. The last
thing that you need to produce is bleed from one area to another. Test your work and do not add the
gray until the rest of the ink is dry. She is particularly good at making shading lift areas of the image,
such as in the case of the scrolls, the bracelet and the different elements included in the doodle. It
gives the image a much better three dimensional look and should be something that you begin to
employ to make your images look more professional.

The kind of shading that you employ is up to you. You can try using pencil, for instance as it can be
erased if you find that the shading doesn’t give the desired effect. You can also work in colors and
add richness to the doodle pattern, but if you are using anything other than doodling pens, make sure
that the lines are all dry and that you use good quality pens where the ink will not run when wet. This
applies to using watercolor, acrylics, inks, etc. They can be used but you need to be very careful how
you use them and try to go for colors which are not too diluted.

For this purpose, you need small paintbrushes and should try to practice drawing between the lines
without compromising the lines. Another system that I tried out which was rather fun was outlining or
drawing all my doodling strings using lead lining from a tube. This was done on canvas, but
remember not to use your doodle pens on canvas because this will clog the tips. I then colored all the
different areas using acrylics and the picture was very effective indeed, although not on a standard
doodle card.

Remember to keep your pens clean, to store them correctly away from heat and to wash your
paintbrushes thoroughly. You need also to remember that when working on your doodle, leaning on an
area you have just worked can cause smudges. These can really spoil your picture. Try to turn the
picture so that you never have your hand over other areas of the image because it is so easy to make
mistakes in this way and far easier to turn the paper so that the lines you have created are not
compromised.

Good luck with your doodling practice and by looking after your tools and using them correctly, they
really will last you a lot longer and give you better service. These are relatively expensive pens when
you are doing a lot of work so looking after them makes good sense. You will have favorites but you
will only know this from use and from drawing out those initial lines, marking which pen produced
them, so that you always know which is the best pen to use for each kind of pattern that you create.
 Chapter 10 – Projects You Can Do With Doodling

You may wonder what you can do with all your hard work, but there are a number of things that are
very attractive that can be done with doodling. Often people are too busy tangling to actually think of
what can be done once the images are finished. This chapter tells you a little about the kinds of
projects that you can do with your doodle drawings.
A treasure chest or toy box

If you gather all of your drawings together from the playroom or make sure that you have loads of tiles
which are completed, these can be used to cover a toy box or to make your own little box of
treasures. In fact, if you really want to get the kids excited, why not undercoat their toy box in white,
and encourage them to do their doodle directly onto the box. This can be left to dry and then varnished
with a clear varnish so that the patterns last.

You need to divide the box into squares so that the children know where their next design begins and
this can be done in pencil. If you don’t like the idea of black and white, the children can add color.

Creative Commons attribution: Dynamic Eagle, Deviant Art

Another idea which is simpler and takes up less room is to paint a shoe box white and then get the
kids to stick their doodle squares onto it in a collage, so that the box is very decorative indeed. This
can be given as a gift or it can be used to wrap up a gift to a friend. It’s very cost effective and all you
need is the paper for the kids to design their doodle, the normal tools and a Pritt stick so that you can
stick them on easily without getting glue everywhere. This kind of glue stick is ideal for the kids to
use and you can teach them how it works to stick their images onto the shoe box.
Furniture Items

The important thing to remember is that kids need to see an end product or they will run out of
enthusiasm. If you can give them the ideas, they really can get on with it with gusto. One of the
projects I set for my children was to make as many doodle squares as they could and I told them that
there was a huge project that I had in mind. I painted an old chair which was very attractive in shape
but which had no antique value. Once they had done a whole heap of doodle designs, I then got them
to add them to the chair using glue which is suitable for decoupage. They enjoyed getting up close and
personal with something messy, but what they produced was outstanding. Each part of the chair was
covered and that included the legs, the cross bar that held the legs together, the back rest and all of the
wooden back of the chair, the arm rests and the seat! I had to make sure that the paper they used for
the doodle was suitable for decoupage and that the inks they used were not ones that would run as
soon as they became damp from the glue. This provided them with hours of fun and we produced a
completely unique and original chair. The results were stunning and I finished them off with a
decoupage varnish. The black and white of the doodle was superb and everyone commented on the
chair, so much so that a friend eventually pleaded for it and the kids gave in and gave it to her.
Items of clothing

You may wonder how you can use doodle patterns for an item of clothing, but it’s easy if you have a
scanner and are able to scan in the images once they are drawn. We did this and bought some of the
transfer paper for the printer which enabled me to print what we wanted onto that paper and then
transfer it to tee-shirts. This gave the tee-shirts a completely original look and the kids were
encouraged to draw something which actually meant something to them and they used their initials in
doodle format surrounded by eight squares of doodle patterns that they had produced. I was able to
resize it exactly by scanning the image into Word before printing it.

One of my sons had the wonderful idea of painting up a pair of his sneakers. They were white and
before he started to draw doodle patterns onto the fabric, I had to make sure that the right type of pens
were used, rather than seeing him ruin his good pens. By buying waterproof pens with a narrow nib
area, we were able to draw squares all over the sneakers and then into each square, he drew a
doodle. How did we achieve a pair? That was simple – we simply duplicated every action, doing
one part of the pattern on both shoes before moving on to the next pattern. These were super and the
kids enjoyed it enormously and were coming up with all kinds of ideas for different items within their
bedroom upon which doodles could be drawn.
Doodling Patterns on Canvas

This was something very special indeed and didn’t use standard doodling pens at all. In fact, we
bought a lead liner from Amazon.com and this comes in a tube. It creates a raised surface on the
canvas and we were not sure if this would work or not. In fact, it worked very well indeed. The string
used on a standard doodle was created using this tube lead and it’s interesting that the best way to get
straight lines is to hold the tube above the canvas and squeeze evenly and pull at the same time. We
penciled the string first. Then we used pencil to create all the different patterns which were to be
included and these were then lined with the lead. It looked superb, but one of the boys suggested that
we add color to the image that was produced and we used acrylics because these gave good coverage
and did not get onto the lead lining so you could still see the doodle work even when the design was
colored in.
The Doodle Wall

This was my sons’ idea so I will not take the credit for it, but they thought that it would be rather neat
to have an area on their bedroom wall where they could have doodles. What we did was choose an
area which was relatively small as I didn’t want it to overpower the room. An alcove provided this
opportunity. You have a choice of how to do this. You can simply have a plain painted wall and stick
your individual doodle cards onto the wall or you can do like we did and actually draw the pictures
on the wall. We didn’t want all the designs to be straight or in rows, so the first thing that was done
was to draw a series of squares abstractly onto the wall, making sure that each was large enough to
do a doodle pattern. The background was already white and the pens used were good quality pens
intended for hard surfaces. For the coloring in, the boys used felt tipped pens that were washable. The
problem with using ones that are not is that these can bleed through any new wallpaper that you hang
over the wall afterward.

In case you are wondering where to get the lead lining, the correct name for it is Pebeo Vitrail and
it’s on Amazon.com worldwide and is a great addition to the art toolbox for doodling and other
projects.
Wall Mounted Artwork

When you get very good at the art, you may want to keep all of your tiles in a safe place and then,
when you have enough, make collage of them, placing them on a large sheet of card until you are
happy with the arrangement of the tiles. If you ever seen random tiling which uses very detailed
colors and patterns, you will know what effect you are likely to achieve. Placing this into a picture
frame to make a great piece of artwork for your home, your doodle can be a talking point when
visitors ask you where you acquired it. As you get better at the craft, you will find that this is a
wonderful way to place your work on show.
A Doodling Pattern Book

If you want to do doodling but you don’t have a project in mind, why not access websites such as
Pinterest or other instructional websites and try to gather together as many different designs as you
can. Many are very detailed and your design book will grow very quickly. The idea of working on
your design book when you don’t feel the inspiration to create your own artwork will actually enthuse
you and you will find that the encouragement that you get from other artists is really helpful as a
means to give yourself ideas.
In the meantime, your source book is getting bigger and that means more diversity in the work that you
do. Diversity is what doodling is all about, but remember that it’s also about relaxation and that you
should never stress over making mistakes. It’s not about mistakes. It’s about doodling and enjoying it
and even if you do make a mistake or go over a line that you shouldn’t have, you can always cheat and
use a little Tippex liquid over the top of the mistake if it worries you that much.

For this idea, it’s a good idea to have a large scrapbook format as many printable sheets are available
on the Internet which may be suitable for your scrapbook. Print them out and place the sheets into your
scrapbook. These usually include instructions on how patterns are created and this will help you
enormously when you are creating new doodles. Your scrapbook is a source of inspiration. Want to
make greetings cards? Look no further for inspiration as you will find that certain doodle patterns are
more suited to Christmas or Birthdays.
Making Greetings Cards

To make greetings cards, buy a packet of blank cards from your local art store and simply use doodle
tiles placed on the front of the card once the drawing is complete. There are a whole load of ideas
which are good for different occasions and your recipients will be very happy that you took the time
to make their card instead of lining the pockets of card manufacturers. If you cannot think of anything
for Christmas cards, use something like Christmas tree outlines and add all your own ideas for the
doodle patterns.
Coasters

These are a very simply thing to make and may give you a lot of satisfaction. If you cut your doodle
cards into a circle and then create your design, once these are really nice and dry, stick them to a
round piece of cork and then put them through a plasticizer so that your design is well protected.
These will last for ages. Some people actually draw their doodle designs directly onto cork though do
be aware that you need to be extra gentle so that you don’t puncture the cork that you are using.
Remember, we said in the tools section of the book, it’s not about how hard you press with a pen, it’s
about letting the ink flow onto the paper. Gently does it.
Using Doodling for Embroidery

This is a very satisfying way to use doodling art. If you draw your doodle onto a piece of graph paper
instead of plain paper, each of the squares of the graph paper acts as a guide for counted embroidery.
This is great for corners for tablecloths, but you can also use it for an insert for a greetings card or for
framing into a picture frame as a gift.

Look for patterns which are not too complex at first, and work with your thread split down into two
strands as any thicker than that and you may wreck the look. Use fabric where you can count the
squares easily. If you do introduce this to a child, make sure that you choose a fabric where the
squares give them lots of latitude and can be very easily seen and the work done with a darning
needle.

These are just a few ideas but no doubt you will come across ideas of your own as you travel through
the world of doodling. Try white on black and see what results you get as you may be astounded at the
difference and prefer it. Try all different types of patterns and don’t be afraid of trying something
new. If you need inspiration, there are loads of places to get this, as outlined in the next chapter.

Here are some more images that may just give you inspiration and that can be used to help you with
your craft. If you find any of them too complex, you can adapt them to suit your level of ability.
Copyright Creative Commons Attribution: Pinterest
 Chapter 11 – Getting Support and Help

If there are classes available in your area, do take the opportunity to learn from qualified instructors
as the insight that they can give is very valuable indeed. Although you may find that the detail that you
are asked to perform is complex, there is a reason why teachers take on the curriculum that they do.
You will maximize your experience by using their expertise to help you to create some wonderful
designs. If there are no classes in your area, there are many websites with traditional instructors and
these may be useful to you. Do take note of the kinds of materials that you will need as they will
specify their own preferences and to get the best from classes, you need to adhere to their
instructions.
Online support and friendship

Art can be a very solitary thing and although you may enjoy that solitary activity for a while, you will
be very encouraged if you join an online group such as Deviant Art or a doodling specific group,
where people can share ideas online and get feedback and help from more experienced doodling
enthusiasts.

Remember, there are no wrongs and rights with doodling. The idea is that you express yourself
through your string, your designs and your overall composition and general presentation of your work.
You may even find that there are members on Etsy and eBay that will be happy to share their ideas
with you and encourage you to sell your work. There are loads of ideas out there for how to present
your work and you may find that you start to take the art very seriously indeed once you are
experienced and want to share that work with others. Learn how to sign off your work. Practice your
signature as this is a very important part of art. Even the way that your initials are written can reflect
who you are as an artist and there are many websites where you can find different styles and choose
one that you figure suits your personality and your style of art.

Pinterest is also a very good website to get support and ideas. Members who pin pictures of their
work onto Pinterest are doing so to share with the doodling community their creations and ideas about
how to construct them. Be a part of the community and do your share, scanning your own wonderful
doodle patterns onto your computer to share with others so that the relationship between you and
other doodling artists is a congenial one and one that benefits both you and them.
 Conclusion

In concluding this book, it is very worthwhile noting that this art can help you. It can help you with
your concentration levels and can do the same for your children. If they have trouble with
concentration, it could be just the craft to make a difference. It also helps people with self-esteem
issues and with being able to focus on something other than the inner turmoil that the mind often gets
lost in when you are ill or when you feel depressed.

It’s a very simple art form and one which can be enjoyed by anyone who can pick up a pen and use it.
If you are looking for inspiration or want to see doodling in action, then you really must visit
YouTube as the variety of people who are taking part in this kind of hobby is growing all the time.
The diversity of the age range which this hobby is suitable for makes it something special. Elderly
ladies enjoy it as much as children who are trying to express themselves for the first time artistically.
There are some wonderful videos that show you experts at work and some of the work that they are
doing is astounding. You will also see how doodling is used by people of all ages and that’s
interesting too because it affirms that doodling isn’t just something for kids. It’s an art form that can
be adapted and used by any age of artist. The amount of complexity placed in each image is really
down to the individual.

If you browse the pages of Etsy and eBay you will see the potential that this art has and how
enthusiasts are managing to sell their work in different formats, either as art work or as greetings
cards and gaining popularity in the process. Even if you don’t want to make money from your art,
what you will gain is confidence, both in presenting the art and also in the way you feel about
yourself. That’s why therapists use this form of art work for people who are convalescing or who are
at a point in their lives when life itself is questionable and people feel that they have very little
purpose. So many people have gained so much from doodling, including kids whose concentration
levels were bad or those who had trouble controlling their use of pens. Because these kids wanted to
succeed at the skill of doodling, they were able to sit still and actually find something of enjoyment
that didn’t make a noise or didn’t involve video games and that’s a real step in the right direction.

If you remember the days of doodles, think now of the new form of art which is made up of posh
doodles because they really do look astounding. Whether you use abstract format or more traditional
and recognizable forms is your choice. Either work very well. Remember that with each doodling you
become more gifted at the art and that’s something that’s a real treasure to unfold. Your first attempts
will be amateur. You will learn from them and develop techniques that really do enhance what you
produce.

That’s perhaps why doodling is one of the most popular art forms that there is worldwide and why so
many people are talking about it. It’s abstract but it’s organized abstract. It’s enjoyment but it is also
disciplined enjoyment. It’s drawing, but it doesn’t require any artistic talent. If you add up all of the
things that doodling is and weigh them up against what doodling isn’t, there is a whole load to be
gained from introducing it into your spare time as a hobby because once you do, you won’t look back.
It’s easily one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had in creative work. Being well
established in other fields, I keep going back to doodling, as you will, because it’s addictive, it’s fun
and it teaches you a great deal of patience. Once you have learned those disciplines, the world of art
opens up to you.
 Preview of "DSLR Photography Made Easy: Simple Tips on How
You Can Get Visually Stunning Images Using Your DSLR"

Chapter 1 - What Did I just Buy?

“It’s the man that makes the clothes and not the other way around.”

The same thing can be said about cameras. No matter how technologically-advanced your equipment
may be, your shots will only be as good as how well you handle the camera and composed your
photographs.
Unfortunately, cameras are slightly more complex than clothes. And understanding how your new
DSLR works is one of the most important steps you should take before getting those studio-quality
shots.
THE BASICS
The acronym DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex. Understanding this term will help you
better appreciate what makes a DSLR camera different from anything else.
As opposed to thinking of a camera with a complex array of lenses, the term “single-lens” refers to
the notion that both the photographer and film (or digital image capturing surface) are looking through
the same lens. There is no distortion between what the photographer sees and what will appear on the
picture.
As compared to earlier cameras that have a separate set of lenses for the eyepiece and the film, SLR
cameras allow photographers to see exactly how the picture will turn out before hitting the shutter!
Older cameras do not have this function because the eyepiece is separate from the camera lens.
This feature allows photographers to judge the quality of their images even before calling the shot.
They can adjust the light, change the lens, re-adjust the focus and anything else they feel that will help
make a better shot.
That explains the SLR part.
Take note that there are non-digital SLR cameras that still use film. That’s why they are simply called
SLR’s. The difference between SLR cameras and DSLR cameras is how the cameras capture the
image.
Both SLR and DSLR cameras host a single lens through which the light rays pass through. While the
shot hasn’t been taken, the light rays from the primary lens hit a mirror tilted at a 45 degree angle.
This will cause the light rays to go upward instead of hitting the rear portion of the camera.
When the now-vertical light rays bounce upward, they encounter a small system of prisms that direct
the light rays to a smaller outlet known as the eyepiece. This is where the photographer sees the
image before being shot. Since the user is being fed the light rays directly from the main lens, they get
an exact “preview” of how the image is going to come out.
When the user hits the shutter, the mirror that bended the light at 45 degrees flips upward, blocking the
prism system at the top which allows the light to pass right on through to the rear portion of the
camera.

This is where the difference between SLR’s and DSLR’s come in. Instead of having the light rays hit
a sheet of film to capture the image, DSLR’s host a digital-imaging sensor that captures the image and
translates it into a digital image to be saved unto a storage device. Once the shot has been taken, the
mirror slips back into original 45 degree angle spot to once again redirect light back to the eyepiece...

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