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The adventures of Puglington Pug

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Sketching, sketching!

I've not posted any sketches to the blog for a while, for a variety of reasons, the main one being that I've just not been travelling very much lately, and it's on train journeys that I tend to find the time to sketch and doodle for the most part. Most of this past year has been spent in the studio every day, working on overdue picture books and other work tasks, no trip to Tokyo last year, (almost) no train journeys outside this area. The fact is I just don't sketch as much when I'm in the home/studio all the time. One of my New Year resolutions is to get out a lot more, it's important to refresh, exercise your legs ... and brain!


I've not posted any doodles from my sketchbook pages either recently, partly for the same reason. But also I made a conscience decision last year not to post idea drawings to social media, for once a drawing is "out there" it's shared, it's somehow "finished" so I thought I'd be less likely to do anything else with it, like re-work it as a finished illustration/exhibition piece, or develop it into a story. I also wondered what my patient editors may think of it all - are they not worrying "why does he have time to doodle and post things on social media? What about my deadline?" If you're in your work studio (as opposed to time off on a train journey) is doodling simply a form of procrastination, distracting you from the real job in hand?


And there's the dilemma.

Drawing for yourself is good for you, sketching and doodling is very important for illustrators, without it we become stale, we need to sketch and doodle to explore and express our creativity outside the confines of commissions. Sharing encourages you to draw more and create new ideas - one drawing shared makes you want to create another. But you still have to work and earn a crust!

Getting the balance right is the key thing, everyone has 'time-off' from work, whether you realise it or not, no artist works from early morning until late at night without break, seven days a week. The challenge is to identify those transient time-off moments and focus on using them in a creative way, though it may be difficult to differentiate between time "on" and time "off" when your studio is a room in your domestic home. Switching between work and non-work is tough, work and home life, everything blends together. You can try placing a sketchbook in every room in the house, so that when the urge to sketch hits you the materials are always at the ready, however there no guarantee you'll use them. It's not about the convenience of materials, it's focusing the brain on using time-off to sketch, and that's very tough in a home studio.

So this is another reason it's important to just get out, get away from the studio for a change of scene,  "sketching lunches" in cafe's etc..... if only there was a decent cafe near where I live!

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The Messy Monster Book by Rachel Ortas had me with the title alone. Even better, I discovered that Ortas is the co-creator and Creative Director of OKIDO, a very cool art and science magazine for kids. Follow the link above and you can see a sample of the bi-monthly, which is packed with activities (experiments, songs, recipes and crafts using cutouts from the magazine and found items) and

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Just when you thought you were safe from puns for the rest of the holidays…

Why not take a stroll on over here for links to see what the rest of the HoHoDooDa doodlers are doing.

Oh, and if you are wondering what the heck HoHoDooDa is, check this out.

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The first rule of Fight Clause is: You do not talk about Fight Clause.

Why not take a stroll on over here for links to see what the rest of the HoHoDooDa doodlers are doing.

Oh, and if you are wondering what the heck HoHoDooDa is, check this out.

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Alright, I realize these moths would have to be iron and steel eating moths to put holes in armor… but hey, creative license.

Why not take a stroll on over here for links to see what the rest of the HoHoDooDa doodlers are doing.

Oh, and if you are wondering what the heck HoHoDooDa is, check this out.

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Yep, I’m counting all three characters again. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, stop on over here for links to see what the rest of the HoHoDooDa doodlers are doing.

Oh, and if you are wondering what the heck HoHoDooDa is, check this out.

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Ok, I know they’re actually antlers, but antler-ments just didn’t really work.

Why not take a stroll on over here for links to see what the rest of the HoHoDooDa doodlers are doing.

Oh, and if you are wondering what the heck HoHoDooDa is, check this out.

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Holiday frivolity is already claiming doodle time and it may just be a bunch of bull, but I’m counting each character as a separate day in an effort to catch up. Yep, just making up the rules as I go along!

So hey, why not take a stroll on over here for links to see what the rest of the HoHoDooDa doodlers are doing.

Oh, and if you are wondering what the heck HoHoDooDa is, check this out.

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…and then, as if by magic, Bruce Sprucington Treeworthy wobbled impossibly into a stately bow.

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Looks like we have a few masochists joining HoHoDooDa this year. Below are the names and links of said participants (at least any who have left their name and link to where they are posting their doodles, in the comments here.) If I’ve missed anyone or your link is not working or any other proof of my heinous lack of organizational skills, please let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it.

Let’s get doodling!

For more HoHoDooDa info please go here.

HoHoDooDa 2014 Participants:

Heahter Soodak

Roberta Baird

Pam Tanzey

Bobbie Dacus

Heather LittleBearies

June Goulding

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HOT SHOT ROACH & AUNT KILLER

Inspired by a misspelled Home Depot sign. I know, not very holiday-ish, but hey.

What is HoHoDooDay you ask? Check this out.

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Nothing like a holiday pun to start things off, eh?

What is HoHoDooDa? Check it out here!

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Announcing (last minute as is tradition) the beginning of HoHoDooDa 2014 (or Holiday Doodle A Day!)

As nutty as November was, what with PiBoIdMo (thank you so much Tara Lazar!) and SkADaMo 2014, it was just what the doctor ordered as far as a shot of creative, mojo-inducing stress.

A few Decembers ago, to keep the momentum going, my fellow illustrator pals, the talented Marion Eldridge and Laura Jacobson along with myself, engaged in yet another month-long sketch-a-thin which we dubbed HoHoDooDa, short for Holiday Doodle a Day (hmmm, not really that much shorter. Is it?) We did our best to create a holiday-themed doodle a day… or even every other day… or as often as humanly possible, throughout December.

What with the holidays and all, I admit it’s a little crazy and there may be some gnashing of teeth and tears shed, but overall, I’m sure it will be a blast and very rewarding, as it was last year. So, doin’ it again this year!

Just like SkADaMo, anyone who wants to join in is more than welcome! Regardless of what winter holiday you celebrate!

Rules for HoHoDooDa:

“What are the rules for HoHoDooDa?” You may ask.

1. THERE ARE NO RULES! NO SIGN UP! NO REGISTRATION! NO GIVEAWAYS OR GUEST POSTERS!  No regulations, themes, daily words, Facebook pages or anything else resembling organization. Just lots of holidaydoodling, commenting back and forth and hopefully lots of inspiration and craft honing!
HoHoDooDa Doodlers are scoff-laws and Mavricks! (Really, I’m just not that organized.) The only code we live by this month is Doodle! Doodle! Doodle! Doodle everyday from December 1 to December 31, or at least try to.
You may not Doodle every single day, but by golly you will have tried and you’ll have more doodles in your sketchbook at the end of December than you might have otherwise.
So, there’s that!

2. If you send me a link to your blog, (or wherever you are posting your HoHoDooDa doodles) I will keep a running list of all the participants and their links on my blog. This way we can all keep in touch and root each other on and enjoy the sugarplum fruits of each other’s doodle labors.

If you post to your blog it helps if you tag your illustrations HoHoDooDa or create a HoHoDooDa category. If you are posting to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram it helps to add a hashtag (#HohoDooDa.)

It has been my experience that Facebook’s hashtags are not all that reliable, which is why I decided to go back to listing any link you give me.

If there are any broken links, bad links, I forgot anyone, misspelled anyone’s name or any other heinous act was performed, please let me know and I’ll do my best to correct it.

3. Smile, this is fun!

Doodle on my fellow HoHoDooDa Doodlers, (should there be any!)

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Enjoy the last weekend of Summer.

 

from my WORD SWIRLS book.

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Photoplay! Doodle, Design, Draw by M.J. Bronstein is the coolest doodle book I have seen in  quite a while! Bronstein, who is known for her hand-colored images and work with the photographic negative is also an art educator at ArtLab, a hands-on education program at the center for Maine Contemporary Art. Her website, This Playground, a fantastic resource. Besides the chance to see Bronstein's

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What if I told you is healthy and wise to do this from time to time? 

I believe it is. As an instructor I always look for ways to push my students ever so slightly out of their comfort zone (or sometimes, way out of their comfort zone...but more on that a different time).

Doodling straight onto the watercolor, around or on an already exisiting piece, demands several thoughts at once. You thinking about composition, you make your marks with more meaning and intent, but at the same time you're doodling!


What is doodling?

doo·dle
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), doo·dled, doo·dling.1.to draw or scribble idly: He doodled during the whole lecture.2.to waste (time) in aimless or foolish activity.3.Dialect . to deceive; cheat.noun4.a design, figure, or the like, made by idle scribbling.5.Archaic. a foolish or silly person.

So let's focus on the art part. In all seriousness, it's to not think, yet to just do idly.  When you doodle on a piece that you've already invested in you're using both your right brain and your left. A great exercise!

I encourage you to find a piece, one that MATTERS to you, one you've INVESTED in, and do some doodling upon it. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, just something you ENJOY.

Look up Zentangles if you haven't before, they're great inspiration. ;)

What does it do for the art?

It's great for the mind and practice, but what does it really do for the art? How is this a tip for drawing?

Doodles are loose, highly creative, and usually detailed. They can add a great layer of interest and some of the best ideas, ones that can compliment your subject, will come through. It will keep the viewer's eyes moving and interested. I find some of my best backgrounds come when I don't plan them. 


I'm interested in seeing what you've done. Please post in the comments below and share your work!

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COMPUTATIVE CHAMELEON

For some reason I felt compelled to redraw this little guy from a few years ago when the Illustration Friday word was “adapt” Perhaps more appropriate? You decide.

Well, it  must be karma… get it… karma karma karma karma karma chameleon. No? Oh come on! How can you see the word chameleon without that song going through your head?

Unless you’re under 30.

Nevermind.

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Sheila finally solved the mystery of that wet dog smell in her closet.

Felt like it was time for a nice animal idiom.

“Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing:
One would use this idiom to describe a person or thing appearing to be good but is, well, not so much. There seems to be a few different ideas about it’s origin, but here is what Wikipedia has to say about it.

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Mitzy, Manny and Mo took eagle lookout duty very seriously.

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The Illustration Friday word of the week is “search.” I had a hankering to draw meerkats today, so these little goofballs showed up.

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