Doodling: adventures with found objects
This is one of our current favorite family doodling activities. There are many ways to do this, I hope you find one that you connect with! This work can be done solo or in collaboration.
Before we get to our materials and set up, you will do a little scavenger hunt around your home, yard, neighborhood, room, or anywhere that works for you. Gather a few (6 ish) small objects that look interesting to you. Maybe its a texture, shape, the object reminds you of something ... whatever strikes you. Don't think too much about it! Most likely nothing you use from your scavenger hunt will be ruined (it may get marker or crayon on it), so feel free to gather materials you can later return to where you found them.
here is a photo some of materials I gathered - some outside, some around my studio. your materials don't need to look anything like mine! they should just look like yours ...
Materials and tools:
* objects you gathered
* something to draw with (marker, pen, crayon - I recommend something you cannot erase)
* something to draw on (paper, cardboard, whatever you have handy that works with your mark maker!)
* something to color with (marker, color pencil, crayon, watercolor - whatever works for you)
Prepare your space:
* cover your work area
* have several pieces of paper or cardboard ready to work with
* keep drinking water nearby
* be sure your mark-maker works and your coloring materials are within reach
* place your found objects within reach, and on a surface that makes them easy to see (like white paper, or a solid color plate or tray)
* music? light? whatever makes it your ideal creative workspace, do that!
here are some found object doodles I did, as well as one I collaborated on with my son.
The work I - The Found Object Doodle:
* choose an object, and place it on your drawing paper or cardboard
* pick up your marker and, using that object as part of your drawing or doodle, add marks around the object on the paper.
* you can add as many elements as you like to your work! if you'd like to add color, do that
* take a photo of your piece! then you may remove the object and start a new drawing, or transform this one (see below)
here are some doodle transformations I worked on with my son!
The work II - Found Object Doodle Transformations:
* place one object on the paper, use the object and lines you draw to create a creature.
* Photograph the piece.
* lift the object, fill in the void created by the object leaving with your drawing materials
* add another object somewhere else, repeat the process, photographing after each addition.
* In the end, you'll have a completed drawing, along with photo documentation of the transformation of the work!
Extensions:
* use photos of your doodles as illustrations, write or tell a story
* do this work as a pass-around with other artists (take turns adding objects/drawing/removing objects, etc)
* look at the work of
Hyemi Jeong , and Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Have Fun! Be kind to yourself and each other.