12 Leaves to Add To Your Doodle Art Library

Creating art may seem abstract in a lot of ways, but not when you think of it as a vocabulary. We first learn the letters of the alphabet, then we learn how to put a few of them to together to create words, and then we learn the correct structure of sentences. This last point is key; although we learn to speak in sentences (and can theoretically make any kind of art) early on, it takes a higher understanding of grammar and syntax to be a great speaker or writer.

Doodle art is no different. While some of our favorite designs can seem overwhelmingly complex, they can be broken down into very simple shapes (like the letters of the alphabet) that come together to create beautiful art.

Doodle art ideas | Deborah Mullen, ClothPaperScissors.com
Doodle art by Deborah Muller (PIN this!)

In the Spring 2016 issue of Zen Doodle Workshop, Deborah Muller shows how to create a doodle library so you can have trusty references at hand.

“I was a henna artist for 14 years and easily transitioned that experience into doodling,” Deborah says. “The basic shapes are the same, and I found henna doodling, as I refer to it, to be my passion. Creating patterns and doodles is easy when you realize there are some basic shapes that every design is built around.

“Learning to look at designs as kisses, spirals, humps, swirls, and dots will change your doodling forever and help you build a doodle library of tons of designs. When you look at a design as a series of shapes, it will help you to analyze how to build the design. For instance, a flower is a series of circles, humps, and drops with some fill-in lines and swirls. So start filling up pages and pages of designs and build your doodle library today.”

Doodle art ideas | Deborah Mullen, ClothPaperScissors.com

This is just one teensy bit of what’s featured in Zen Doodle Workshop! Editorial Director Jeannine Stein tells us, “This issue truly exemplifies the extensive range of doodle art. To this day, when some people hear the word ‘doodle’ they still imagine cute drawings on a piece of notebook paper. If you know any of those people, please show them this issue!” In the magazine, you’ll also discover ways to use stencils for unique mandala designs, how to make doodled origami cranes, an inspiring way to carve your Zen doodles in wood, and so much more. Pair it with the new book Doodle Trees and Happy Bees and you have the Doodle Happy kit, which is only available here. It even comes with one of my favorite mixed-media guilty pleasures: a six-pack set of Gelly Roll Stardust Glitter Pens.

With this many resources, you’ll be able to create a healthy library of marks for doodling. I’ve started practicing my own in an old book that, although water damaged, I just can’t throw away. It’s fun to draw over the text and see how the marks go through the pages with some of the heavier inks, creating a shadow of the original designs.

Where will you start your doodle library?

Live inspired,
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Art Journaling and Lettering, Blog, Mixed-Media Techniques

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