Taking a line for a walk ... (1)

Hello! Alexa here, with a confession.

I can't draw. No, truly, I can't. But I have learnt that, for scrapbooking purposes, I can take a line for a walk. Along the way, we can take detours, double back, snake round a bend, loop the loop, and generally behave in an anarchic and silly way. Sometimes we acquire a few friends, like squiggles or spirals or dots along the path for a bit, or pick up a couple of little flowers or leaves en route. You might wonder what on earth you could do with doodles on a layout! I'll have some suggestions in future posts. In the meantime, if you've never tried doodling, then starting with an existing flower stamp can be comforting. Take a stamp which has a clear flowerhead design:

and stamp it with a colour you like onto card. I find the texture of Bazzill too rough for doodling, and prefer a smooth white card. Taking a fine-tipped pen - both the Copic Multi-liners and the Microns give a good clear line - start filling in lines and patterns within the stamped shape. Just dividing a flower petal in half or thirds, for instance, or adding small circles, hearts, stripes, zigzags ... Now comes the fun part; the bit that will transport you back to childhood and a relaxing, aimless, happy feeling of just sitting and, well, colouring in. It doesn't get any more technical than that! Any sort of pen or pencil will do - felt-pens, ordinary colouring pencils, watercolour ones, soft-tipped brush markers, sparkly ones ... just grab a handful and go, like this:

 

Stamp a few more, and add in a couple of swirls and invented flower shapes. It is of no consequence if nothing is even or identical - irregular is part of the charm. Use a chipboard swirl, or the edge of a saucer to get a curve. Add on some dots in random places, draw a leaf or two. Choose analogous colours (the ones beside each other on the colour wheel) and you can be sure they will go together:

Choosing a shape to draw within makes it feel less scary - all you need to do is fill the space! Take your time, and don't be afraid to experiment. One of the wonderful things is that you can pop the lids on your pens and go and do something else, and return for another five minutes whenever you have time - there's no rush... Have a go at using colours with a strong contrast too:

Use a small plate, or any other circular shape (I found a plastic circular Maths tool in an old pencil-case), and draw a circle. Using the same tool, draw curves within it to represent stems. Make little flowers and leaves sprout along them, and add a few in any spaces. Don't feel you need to colour in every shape - some left black look good too!

There really is nothing more complicated to it than that! And it's a great antidote to the stress of the day. Bored with taking the dog out? Not got one anyway? Raining? Just take a line for a walk instead ...

As ever, do point us to anything you do! and thank-you for joining us here today.

Comments

[claireliz]

these are great Alexa, will have to give this a go because I can't draw either :)
C
xx

[Caz]

Oh WOW! How inspiring :)

Caz
xx

[Sian]

Wow! How lovely, reminds me of the paintings on narrow boats. I'm not sure I could replicate this Alexa but I'm very tempted to give it a try. Very inspiring!

[Eleanor]

I can picture this on a bag, I think I really must have a go. The oval one in particular is just so striking.
E
xx

[Lynne V]

Great tips, I'm scared of drawing on my LOs but will give this a try.

[Boo]

OMG you really have got yourself a talent there - amazing!