Time flies, doesn't it? Perhaps you have been wondering where I have been all this time, so I thought I would combine a speed drawing with some news about what I have been up to. So much has happened since my last video. Thank you to those of you who have subscribed, especially those who have been following my channel for a long time. Your support and encouragement means so much to me. I am feeling excited about making videos, and hope to have lots more coming your way soon. There are so many ideas in my head, if only there was more time!
I'm happy to introduce my new 'Art Activity Cards' for all those keen doodlers out there. These are fun for children, teens, or adults. The 29 different activities are available for instant download on my Printables Page , or in my Etsy shop, for a very affordable price. I hope you enjoy them! I would also love to see any completed activities, feel free to share them with me on Facebook.
These would be great for teachers too! Please share with anyone who you think would like to use them.
Being stuck in the hospital with my sick daughter may not be such a bad thing after all...at least I have internet connection here, which means I can show you this amazing mural which greets us every time we visit the children's ward. I have been meaning to show it to you for a while as I know you are the sort of people who will appreciate the work that must have gone into it. It was painted by a group of artists whose names are shown in the last photo. The mural covers the whole hallway around the ward and it is quite long. I will try to post more photos as the days go by. Regards, MM.
The children's bookcase I am working on. Where should I go from here?
Hi Folks! Tonight I have been busy painting this cute children's bookcase we picked up from the school next door to us. Perfect for three home schooled children who love books.
Today has been a really book themed day, actually. I took my children to the little local library and they signed up for 'The Great Reading Race' competition which the library are running at the moment. Then the kids chose about a million books to take home (hey, I'm not complaining...I would rather they read books than watch DVDs) and then on the way home, we passed the primary school next door and lo and behold they were getting rid of all this school furniture. For free! Most of it was pretty useless, but we grabbed this cute little book shelf. It even has cubby holes in the back to put more stuff inside!!
My husband said 'We can just stick it in the garage to store things, it's pretty ugly'. 'Oh no', I said, 'I will paint it!'. 'Yeah right' he said, looking at me sideways with a smirk. My husband knows my bad habit of not finishing things. We have a lamp sitting next to our bed with a half finished painted design on it that has annoyed him for years. However, this time I was feeling very inspired. I grabbed the paint, rolled the bookcase out on the grass under a tree (it has wheels too!) and my two eldest and I began to throw on some paint. They (aged 4 and a half and 6) both now have pale purple acrylic tinges in their hair and the youngest was almost completely covered in paint splodges when he finished, but we had a great time. It's all part of the homeschooling experience, right?
Children's bookcase. View from the front.
Children's bookcase, with books added.
Anyway Once we got the main colour on and they all went to bed, it was brought inside for some details. Here is what I have come up with so far. What do you think? I was aiming for a sort of 'books flying through the clouds and off into the distance' sort of effect. These are just the outlines. Now I need some advice. What should I do next? Should I add more details, some shading, some different colours? Should I paint over it and start again? Or should I just leave it the way it is? I really am a bit stuck and need some inspiration, to prove husband wrong and finish the project. Waiting eagerly for your comments!!
Paisleys are great, aren't they? I love 'em. If I see anything in a shop with paisleys on it, it immediately catches my eye. They are so much fun to draw, because they have a lovely flowing shape, and you can make each one totally different just by changing the pattern. Once you have the general shape down pat, you can then add whatever your heart desires.
As part of my Moleskine Experiment series, I doodled this particular one on a recycled cardboard folder, using 'gesso' paint which had been watered down so that it flowed just so. What do you think about this design...should I use it to paint on my Moleskines? Let me know in the comments below...and don't forget to watch the video and share it with your friends.
First of all I want to give a big HOWDY to all the new MM blog subscribers. You have probably found yourself here because you are a keen doodler like me, or maybe you just like to look at all the pretty pictures. Whatever the reason, I am glad you are here in my little corner of the internet. Welcome to the workings of my brain hehe.
Anyway, I'm not sure if you have discovered it yet, but over on my YouTube channel, I have a playlist just fort the serious doodlers out there, called 'Dangerous Doodles'. Make sure you check it out if you haven't already, and feel free to leave comments and share with your friends. Hope you like it!
Here's a bit of Jungly fun for you! Create a tangled jungle pattern with this new Dangerous Doodle tutorial called 'Deep in the Jungle'. I have made it pretty simple for everyone to follow, but you are welcome to get complicated and tangle those vines as much as your heart desires.
Click on the video below. Looking forward to your comments. Enjoy!
Regards,
P.S: (You are welcome to use the 'Dangerous Doodle' pattern designs in any of your own creations, as I have provided them for free, however I would really appreciate it if you have the chance to link back to my articles so that others could share the doodly fun! Thanks :))
Ta-daaaah! A new 'Dangerous Doodle' pattern tutorial. I am really enjoying making these. Can't wait to see what you think of this one. If you use it in your drawing, I would love to see it. Send me a link to your blog or just send me a pikkie.
I'm thinking of running some sort of competition where people submit drawings they have done using some of my patterns. It's in my head at the moment, but I will post a competition soon, so don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on any news!
Happy doodling!
Regards,
P.S: (You are welcome to use the 'Dangerous Doodle' pattern designs in any of your own creations, as I have provided them for free, however I would really appreciate it if you have the chance to link back to my articles so that others could share the doodly fun! Thanks :))
Building up layers is a great way to give perspective to your artwork. Make the top layers bigger than the bottom ones, and voila! You have instant perspective...because we all know that things look smaller as they get further away.
My 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son were mesmerised by the idea that things look smaller far away but are really the same size as the same object close up. I guess it is something we understand but take for granted as grown ups.
Anyway, here is a Dangerous Doodle tutorial for you called 'Over and Under'. I have made it fairly simple, but you could easily embellish this with more shading, colours, and patterns to make it your own. The sky is the limit!
Join the Dangerous Doodles Flickr Group.
How can this be a dangerous doodle, I hear you ask? Well just be careful not to get caught up in those vines or fall through the spaces as you draw...doodling can be a risky business, you know!
I can't wait to see what you come up with! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the next tutorial, and please share this article with all your doodler friends :)
Send me your doodles at miraculousmosquito (at) gmail (dot) com.
Have fun!
Regards,
P.S: (You are welcome to use the 'Dangerous Doodle' pattern designs in any of your own creations, as I have provided them for free, however I would really appreciate it if you have the chance to link back to my articles so that others could share the doodly fun! Thanks :))
