Line Dancing

Staff meetings, waiting rooms, airplane rides, talking on the phone - all perfect opportunities to doodle and play with line drawing. I love pressing my brain to create fun patterns, using my journal as my playbook. 

Some may call this Zentangle but I don't conform to any particular rules, just allowing my mind to envision pattens and willing my hand to follow through. 

One of my students stared at the blank pages of her journal saying that she didn't know where to start. I told her not to think about it too hard - just put the pen to paper and begin drawing random shapes. Once you get going with nothing particular in mind, magic happens! These shapes are then sectioned out, filled in with staight lines, circles, zig-zags, and other patterns resulting in wonderful designwork.

Alicia's doodle page

I've created several pages of patterns that I reference when doing new work. It's addictive!

Pinterest or searching the internet for doodle patterns are excellent places to get ideas from. 

Having several sizes of pen tips is a plus. This allows you to make very detailed patterns and designs. I like using Pigma micron pens because of the variety of pen tips, they are permanent ink (which is great if you want to watercolor over your images), and they last a long time. Look for these qualities in the pens you use.

 

 

Here are more of my students' artwork - 

Donna goes wild!

Donna's creation

Sandra's lines

Marla's mandala

Open your journal, let loose your mind, and see what exciting art comes flowing out!

Selfie Journal Pages

Who doesn't make selfie pictures these days? I challenged my journal students to take the selfie craze to a new level by applying their head shots to magazine images. Tons of fun and giggles ensued when we found ourselves with new bodies whether human or animal or flowers. Or maybe the heads showed up in unusual locations like Nicole's face peeping out of a flower basket. 

Nicole in a basket

Print out some pictures of yourself, friends, and family, then thumb through some magazines for that perfect image. Crop your photo face close around the edges and glue it to the found image.

One student decided to draw a caricature of her face and designed a watercolor and washi tape portraiture. Super clever! 

Donna

This is a great project to do with the kids, to create fun greeting cards, or as a ladies art night adventure over cocktails! Where will your imagination take you? Want to be a giraffe? A sunflower? A mermaid or a rock? Now's your chance! It's a whole new you!

Journal Pattern Play

A journal is an artists' playground! An opportunity to paint, doodle, write, layer papers, and explore new techniques. There is no limit - let your imagination take you on a journal journey!

On the pages above, I first laid down some basic squares and rectangles using watercolor paints. I kept my color choices to about 5 shades so it wouldn't be too crazy. But don't let that stop you from going with whatever moves you!

The paint dried rather quickly and I was able to move on to the really fun part - doodling. I used Sakura pigma micron pens with several tip sizes so that I could vary the design details. I love these waterproof, permanent pens but you may use any brand of permanent pens for your creation.

I played with different patterns within and around the squares and rectangles just to see what I could come up with. I liked what I made so much that I use the patterns as inspiration for design work on other pages.

Here are samples of what some of my art journaling students are working on...

Dawn Whitehead

Sandra Wolters

Sue Vanlandingham

Sandra Leonard

Aren't they a creative bunch! I am so thankful to inspire and be inspired by them.

I'd love to see what you are working on. Let's post your projects here!