The Complete Book of Drawing Techniques

Project One
DOODLES – FIRST THOUGHTS AND IDEAS

DOODLES

Doodles should not be thought of as
drawings without meaning or drawings that
have no importance or significance. In fact,
they do, as many artists find other peoples’
doodles fascinating. It’s an important way of
showing the unconscious process of
creativity. Doodles are usually created with
pen or pencil. They are usually a secondary
part of our thinking process. For example
most of us doodle when we are in meetings

• it helps us to escape the boredom of the
  moment - and doodling allows us to descend
  into our own private world. We also doodle
  when we are on the telephone when we tend
  to use the phone pad as a sketch book. I
  believe there is a wealth of ideas that come
  from doodles so treat them as research.

FIRST THOUGHTS FROM OBSERVATION

Just like doodles first thoughts from
observations are our initial visual response
to what stimulates our thinking processes.
Most artists always carry a sketchbook with
them. It allows us to record moments that
include landscapes, portraits, textures,
architecture, nature, light, atmosphere, and
so on. This is all visual research that is
stimulation and a continuous resource for
our ideas. Sketchbooks of artists are
fascinating to look at, as in the sketchbook
you can see the origin of ideas, and
responses, that the artist is engaged with.
One only needs to look at the sketchbooks

of the artist Turner to realise what a wealth of

information they hold.

FIRST THOUGHTS AND IDEAS

Many ideas start with a visual brainstorming.

The artist or designer plays with the

potential of their ideas in their sketchbooks.

They make thousands of rough sketches

continually changing and rethinking their

ideas. Stretching the thinking and the

dynamics of their designs to the limit.

Designers work first with open minds, which

allows for client comment. Before honing in

on a final statement, all this starts with visual

thoughts translated through sketches. All

those ideas, even the redundant ones are left

stored in the sketchbooks for later use. It’s

all visual information and that’s what’s

important and exciting.

COMPOSITION: THE BASIC ELEMENTS

Shape can have a very intuitive influence.

Only as we become more experienced do we

become formally aware of how to construct a

composition. Intuitively, the beginner will

invariably place the mass of the subject (still

life, portrait, whatever) in the middle of the

picture plane. In 90 cases out of 100 this

placement is a mistake, creating too much of

a focal point and not allowing the eye to be

taken on a journey across, and into, the rest

of the picture plane. The composition is in

effect becalmed, stale and therefore visually

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Pencil projects