Summer is often the time of year where I am found either outside and actively participating in summer-related activities or –-quite contrastingly— huddled in front of my computer. However, due to how using my laptop isn’t exactly beneficial for me in terms of health and it doesn’t always equate to productivity, I often find myself illustrating and doodling. These doodles and sketches are (most of the time) unfinished and left to sit in the corner of my room, forgotten and forever incomplete. So, to combat this, I innovated art ideas from using old doodles and also created new project concepts that anyone can do.
1. Silhouette Remake
If you happen to come across a doodle or drawing you are not particularly proud of, modify the outline of the doodle so it is distinct. Then, splash the page with colours and patterns and innovate, ignoring the original doodle. Make sure to do this so you can still see the outline of the original drawing. After finishing your mosaic of colours, use a dark colour or light colour (depending on the colours you used before) to outline the former sketch. Fill this shape in with the same colour you used for the outline and… finished! A fun tactic I love to use is to mix paint with a bit of water and dab the colour in the middle of my drawing. From there, I can use a straw to blow the paint and the texture of the paint creates an abstract effect. I repeat the process often with different colours and the intermingling of colours pleases me. 🙂
2. Carving
Got Styrofoam? It’s perfect for this next project. For this idea, you must have paint, brushes and a carving tool (such as an exact knife, butter knife, etc). First, sketch your design onto the styrofoam (you might want to make sure the styrofoam is thick due to how you will be carving into the foam). Then carve your design out, keeping in mind depth, shading, etc.
3. Document Your Summer with a Comic
Instead of writing, videotaping or photographing your summer experience, why not redraw it? This time you go on a vacation, bring your sketchbook with you and sketch your surrounding and friends/ family posing for pictures (or should I say a drawing). Even if you aren’t good (trust me, I am fairly unexceptional in terms of drawing scenery so I can feel you), sketching and drawing constantly will assist you in honing your art skills. After sketching these scenes, you can scrapbook them to give your scrapbook a unique, personal touch.
4. No Lines
Find a photo or object and just colour — don’t use lines! Try making it as rough and as abstract as possible. Then, when you are finished the drawing, leave it on your table (or somewhere clearly visible) and leave your parents and friends in curiosity as they try to interpret your drawing. Then, ask them for interpretations and, if their guesses are completely off, draw their guess with an inking pen or normal dark-coloured drawing tool. This concept is great for the artists out there who love to illustrate abstractly. I usually like to use people I know as my reference photos because it’s fun seeing how my friends interpret their own faces.
5. Watercolour
If you happen to find a doodle of still life or want to draw still life but find it too boring to maintain realistic colours, this idea is a good and fun concept to try. Instead of using normal colours, find two colours that compliment or fight each other (try playing with colours you dislike to challenge yourself). Then, delegate each colour to a specific purpose (Ex. Green is for outlining, dark blue is for shadows and light blue is for light parts). If you feel the need to add decorations, feel free to embellish your drawing with lines and patterns of the colours you use.