A Whole New Doodle

Welcome To A Whole New Doodle

Welcome to A Whole New Doodle online workshop. 

You can simply start right here and work your way through the entire class by scrolling down or you can print out the 23 page Instruction PDF and work that way..or, you can do both!  Whatever work best for you.  So glad you are here...let's get doodling!

With Love,

Stephanie

 

What is the definition of a doodle?

My Webster’s pocket dictionary says that doodle means scribble.

My Webster’s pocket dictionary says that scribble means to write carelessly

 Stop for a moment. When I explain doodling, the word careless is not one that I would use. In fact, it has never crossed my mind. I suppose if you’re scribbling then that could be considered careless, but that doesn’t sound like fun to me.

For a long time, I tried to be perfect when creating and doodling.

 STOP trying to be perfect.

It’s unnecessary and no fun. It doesn’t work for doodling. Well, it doesn’t work for most things, but since we’re just working on doodling right, let’s stay focused. Perfect is not good, but when I looked up the word perfect, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the word means complete. That makes me feel a lot better. And when I looked up the word careless, I was sweetly surprised by the definition. My Webster’s pocket dictionary says that careless means carefree.

After all of that mumbo jumbo, I’m pleased to say that I doodle to relax and to exercise my creative muscles, which helps my brain feel a little carefree and enables me to embellish a rather simple piece of cardstock in the form of a card, tag or layout – which completes things. Not perfect by any means, but for me, just right...and complete.

For this class, all you have to do is start here and scroll down.  Everything you need follows....

 Supplies

 

I am a use-what-you-have kinda girl, so let’s start with what you probably already have.

• Mechanical pencil or #2 pencil
• White eraser
• .03 or .05 black liner pen and Paper Mate Flair M
• A composition book (lined, or if you can find it, graph ruled)
• Paper – regular ol’ computer paper, white cardstock/heavy weight paper
• 
  

Simply Complicated Doodling

Now the first thing you need to know about this class is that doodling is a very simple skill that we can, of course, complicate.  Besides a little patience and a ton of practice to develop your own style, eventually, I promise, there will be that defining moment when the light bulb flickers on and you may even say, “ahh” out loud!

Most importantly, I want you to relax. There is no pressure, no hurry and no perfection needed. You are in charge, so leave all your concerns and the need to be perfect at the door, or on the floor, or outside, or wherever you may be.

Just relax.

It’s time to let your mind wander and be open to new ideas. It’s quite possible that you may find yourself addicted to doodling.  This might sound crazy, but just like cutting felt letters, stitching and baking, doodling is what I do to relax.

Class Outline

1. Basic Lettering: Part One – Create upper and lower case letters from your own writing that will be ready to detail, color and shadow.
2. Composition Workbook  - Creating a workbook/practice book from a composition book for practice.
3. Lettering: Part Two – Adding dimension.
4. Lettering: Part Three – Adding Shadows
5. Details, Details – Borders, boxes and scallops. Photos and Practice Print Out Sheets
6. Home Sweet Doodled Home – Step-by-step photos, video and photos on how to create a “Funky Folk Art” home doodle. 

This class is a work at your own pace, in your space, online class, which means you log on and you do what you want, when you want. If you have any questions, please e-mail me homegrown1@att.net.

We’ll be using the composition book as our practice workbook, but for the first few lettering practices, lets start with a piece of paper.  Preferably cardstock or something slightly heavier than regular ol’ copy paper.  Why cardstock, you ask?  We’re going to be erasing a lot and the lighter paper scrunches up when you erase if you’re not holding it down tightly.

You’ll also need a black pen. Any pen will do right now, but here is what I use: Paper Mate – Flair M (sometimes smears a little) Sakura Pigma Micron Black size .03 (fine tip).

 

Here we go...

Just the Basics – Lettering Part One

 

1. Start with your pencil and simply write out a letter or two.

2. With your black pen, trace around your pencil lines.  Don’t forget to get those “inside” lines

3.  If you are using a Paper Mate pen, let the ink dry a second.  Then erase all of your pencil lines.

4.  Now you have a letter that is ready for a little detail.  Start by adding a few lines inside your letter.  Maybe add polka dots to another.

5.  Let’s add color!  I suggest starting with 2-3 colors to begin. You can experiment with color combinations as you go.  I am using PrismaColor markers in Light Aqua, Goldenrod and Light Olive Green.  Starting with the Light Aqua, I colored in a few of the lines. Then I added a little Goldenrod.

and finished it off with Light Olive Green.
Using your black pen, go back in and retrace all of your lines.  It is not important to stay on the lines that you already have.  Just loosely retrace your lines and don’t forget those inside lines!

Time for some shadows.

I’m using a grey marker (Zig Writer in Platinum). Refer to “Lettering Part Two” for options on where to add shadows.

Let’s recap the steps:

1. Write a letter in pencil, any letter!
2. Outline it in black pen.
3. Erase the lines.
4. With the black pen, add in little details like stripes, lines, circles.
5. Add one color.
6. Okay, maybe add a little more color.
7. Re-outline.
8. Add a little shadow and ta-da! You doodler you.

Now, just keep repeating the steps with different letters, maybe, shall I dare say it, an entire word!

And remember, no two letters will ever look the same.

Doodle Practice Workbook

We’re going to create a doodle practice workbook for you to practice in. I’m using a standard composition book with graph ruled grids in it. You can find them at any office supply store. I love the paper in them and the way the PrismaColor absorbs into them. Note: If you’re going to use markers in these books, you must place a few papers underneath the page you’re working on as the paper is thin and the ink will bleed.

We’re going to break this book into sections, so I want you to move to the middle of back pages of the book and hold out 1 or 2 pages for each letter of the alphabet.

On the top right corner of each page, draw a box and write a letter in it. Do this for each letter of the alphabet. (Remember to skip a page if you save two pages for each letter!)

Hold out the first few pages of the book for later…move to about the 10^th page and maybe use a post-it note or something to mark off a page or two  for the following sections:

Colors 

Create pages that will be used as color charts for your favorite markers, pencils, crayons, etc.

Skip 5 pages or so and create a page called

Liner Pens

This will be a page where you will create a table of all of your favorite black liner pens with a sample of the width and pen information

Skip a few pages and create a page called:

Borders

This is going to be where we practice creating borders that can be used on doodles, cards, etc.

Skip 2 or so pages and create a page called

Boxed Up

This page is going to be where we will practice making different size boxes and then fill them up with letters and shapes.

Skip a few pages and create a page called

Things that are Round

This page is going to be where we practice doodling...wait for it...Things that are Round!!!

 

Lettering,Details, Drawing & Projects...

 

We’re going to play around with two of my own style fonts. One called “Down and to the Left” and the other called “Up and to the Right.” The names indicate where the shadow goes or where you add detail to give your letters dimension.

 Download Downtotheleftand Download UptotherightWorksheets

“Down and to the Left” shows that all of the dimension /shadow is well, “Down and to the left!”

“Up and to the Right” shows that all of the dimension/shadow is, you got it..”Up and to the Right!”

    The letter “H” is “Down and to the left “         

                   

The letter “D” is “Up and to the Right”

Use this technique when adding dimension and/or shadows to your letters.  If you’re adding shadows,  you do not have to draw in the lines.  Simply use a grey colored marker and draw in shadows following the patterns of either “Up and to the Right” or “Down and to the Left”. 

Here is an example of using a grey marker and the “Up and to the Right” technique. (I added little dots so you can see where I added shadows.)  Download Addalilshadow

 Download Lettering Practice Sheetto practice your letters.  Then go to your composition workbook and start playing around with different letters, styles and shadows.

Details…Details

Adding boxes, borders and circles around your doodled letters

Let’s start with practicing boxes and circles. Really, all they are is boxes that have doodles around them such as checkerboards, stripes, plaids, loops, swirls – whatever you want!

Download Lettering Practice Sheet. Print it out and practice.  Once you’ve practiced on the print out, head over to your workbook and create a page to doodle boxes and circles on.

Details - Borders

Borders are really just long skinny rectangles with dots, swirls, stripes, checkerboards and polka dots, or a little of each inside them, and then colored.  You can use borders on your scrapbook pages, around photos, on cards, really around anything.   Download Bordersboxescircleideasheet

Go to your workbook, create a section named Borders.  Draw a whole bunch of long skinny rectangles, fill them up with designs and doodle away!  Here is a look at my workbook pages:

Details - Circles

Now let’s try circles!

Here is a look at the page I created called “Things that are Round” in my workbook.  Create a section in your workbook to practice doodling “Things that are Round” and have fun!     

Now that we’ve practiced lettering, borders, and shapes, let’s blend all of the techniques together to doodle a picture like this. Download Home Sweet Doodled Home Practice Sheet

Here are a few things to remember.

1. The more you doodle and practice, the better you will become.
2. There is no right or wrong way to doodle, just your way.
3. Most doodles are just lines and shapes, so don’t look at something and think “I wish I could doodle that!”  because you can.

Now, look at the photo above and then read the following:

1. A doodled house is a just a square with a triangle on top and a heart in the middle (because a house is not a home without heart!)
2. A sun is just a circle with little stick lines coming out from it.
3. A tree is the “letter Y” doodled with a circle around it.
4. Clouds are just humps and bumps that connect together and are doodled near the circle with little stick lines coming out of it.
5. A fence is the same as the sticks that come out of the circle in the sky (There is no fence in this example.).
6. Hills are just uneven curved lines that go from one side of your page to another and have all of the above mentioned shapes above it.

Watch the “Doodle & Color Video” (password is houseonthehill) and then come back and go through the step-by step photos on how to create a doodle similar to the one pictured above.

The dots are there for you to see what I am telling you to draw. USE A PENCIL FIRST.

Start approx. 1/3 up from the bottom and from one side of your paper to the other. Draw in curved uneven lines to create the “hills.”
Draw a square almost but not quite in the center of the hill.  Add a triangle to the top.

Add another curved uneven line to create a hill in the background.

Add a circle and small stick lines coming out of the circle in the upper right corner (a sun).

 

 

 

 

 

Add a “Y” to the left side of the square and a smaller “Y” to the hill in the background that you created in step #3 and draw a circle around each one to create a tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add humps and bumps to create “clouds” in the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Create “sections” in the hills here and there.
 
 
 

Now that you have your picture all sketched in lightly with pencil, it is time to go over those lines with a black pen.

Go into the sections you created in the hills and start adding a little bit of design here and there.  Horizontal lines, vertical lines, polka dots, ladders, dots…and remember that you can add in more later.

Here is another example of hill sections.  Play around with the shapes and again, remember you can add more as you starting adding color.

 Adding Color

I always add a frame or box around my doodle to finish it off.  Sometimes, a checkerboard box or sometimes a scalloped box. Take a look at my examples and experiment to see what you like best. The steps I’ve taught have now enabled you to create your doodles on any type of medium. Depending on your surface, you’ll indicate what type of color medium you will use. If you doodled on canvas, then you can use paint. If you doodled on paper, then you can use ink, paint, watercolors, crayons, etc. And if you doodled on fabric, well then,  you can use thread! 

For this class, I’m using PrismaColor markers.  Please do not feel like you have to go out and purchase what I am using.  I always suggest, as I mentioned before, that you use what you have and experiment with different mediums.  Please refer to the video for my color techniques with the blending pen when using the Prismacolor markers.

 

Here is my workbook practice page. I LOVE the way the colors absorb into the graph paper.  Just remember to tuck a few scrap papers in between your pages because the ink does bleed!

The following pages are just examples of my work for you to look at and hopefully be inspired to create!

Please note that all images are property of Stephanie Ackerman Designs TM and are for use in this class only.  Images cannot be reproduced or sold.

"Life Life to Express" Canvas Project

The next project is doodling on a canvas.  I am using an 8" x 8" canvas, a Sharpie Pen, some craft acrylic paints and of course a paint brush & water!  The short video shows you how I draw out my canvas and then the step by step photos will walk you through how I paint this project.
 After the video, simply follow the photos as I walk you through the rest of the project.  This is an easy and fun project to do with friends, kids or both!

Just have fun!  The password on this video is awndcanvas

Once you have written out what you want on your canvas, it is time to paint.  I am using a few colors of craft paint and some inexpensive brushes.  

I am starting off my canvas by painting the background.  It is a thin coat and I just paint up and around the words and shapes.

Don’t forget to paint the sides!  Please notice that my paint goes outside the lines and it is okay if yours does too!

I used black paint to fill in letters (or if that makes you nervous, use the Sharpie!)

·        I used a smaller brush and started filling in the background areas around the shapes and words.  Use your fingers to paint and don’t worry if you cover the words.  It is okay because we are going to go over those lines later.

 

Take a look at this next photo.  Here are a few things that I did:

 

Once your canvas is all painted, it is time to add detail, first by going over the black lines with your Sharpie or a thin brush and black paint.

Once that is dry, using either a white pen or white paint, add lines, dots and stitch marks or do whatever you are comfortable doing.  I used the pen and added lines to the letters, flowers and borders.

•  Instead of “outlining” the word, try “inlining” the word
• Divide the stems into segments and inline and outline your petals
• Add “stitch marks” and dots here and there for a little added detail.
• I also used the white pen to add some shadows to some of the letters.

 

 Finish off your canvas by adding some white to the border around the canvas and call it done!

One Last Thing...

Consider doodling your “Home Sweet Doodled Home” on a piece of cardstock that measures 4x6 and then frame it and give it as a gift…even better, incorporate the address of the recipient into the doodle!!  Remember, .Homemade Gifts from the Heart are best!

Just Color....sit, relax, print out some downloads and just color.

On the right sidebar there are three of my newest doodles there for you to print out and color.  All you need to do is double click on the link, press Cntrl P and print away!

Here is a look at what I did with them:

As you practice your doodling, your lettering and your coloring, always remember to think a little outside the box.  Add lines, circles, boxes, borders and color.  Experiment.  Try combinations of colors that you might not usually use...and enjoy the process!

Thank you so much for joining me in A Whole New Doodle!

P.S. I am going to use one of these patterns above as a stitching pattern..shhhh!