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!
The letter 'G'! Part of my 'Fun with Typography' series of quick drawing videos. The letter G video is below, and don't forget to check out all the other letters on my YouTube Channel. Subscribe to my YT channel and blog to make sure you don't miss out on any.
I'm making some progress with my fancy lettering videos. As you can see, they are not meant to be perfectly polished lettering, just a fun design with a few quick curls and frilly bits.
I was going for the hand-drawn look. Although I love using the computer to draw and add colour, it can sometimes turn out a bit mass-produced and cold looking. If you start with one of your own drawings on paper, scan it, and then use the computer to colour it, you can still keep that handmade look whilst enjoying the convenience of not having to get all your paints out and then clean up the mess afterwards (although I do love to get my watercolours out every now and again).
This is meant to be the sort of lettering that anyone could do fairly quickly, on a card or a poster for example. In the videos below you will be able to see that I have just drawn a very basic outline of each letter, and then added four elements which tie them all together:
1. A few curls here and there (no rules...just ad-lib and have some fun with it)
2. Some quick frills on the left hand side.
3. Some diagonal hatching , again on the left side (just repeated single lines, quick and easy).
4. A double-lined border, rather roughly drawn. Who needs rulers, anyway?!
If you would prefer to see a really fancy, much neater 'Illuminated Letter', you can always look at this one (there is a link to the video there too, if you want to watch me draw it).
Anyway, below are the 'Fun with Typography' videos that I have made so far, all in one convenient place. They are all very short and sweet. I hope you have a go at drawing some groovy fonts of your own, it really is fun. By the way, a small trick...start by drawing the basic letter shape first (like a thin stick) and then draw a thicker outline around that, as if you were drawing a plank of wood, or a letter made out of a balloon. Hey...why don't you just make your letters look like balloons? Now there's an idea!
Another Dangerous Doodle to inspire you! Let your imagination run wild with this tutorial. This pattern could be used to create all sorts of textures - scales, fungus, weird sea plant life, you name it! The best part is the little shine created by leaving a gap in the shading. Watch the video below to find out how to draw it in detail.
Don't forget to add your drawings to the 'Dangerous Doodles Flickr Group'. Don't worry if you are a beginner, either, because everyone in the group is very encouraging, and there are always lots of constructive comments. Have a go at the challenges, too...they are always great fun.
By the way, thanks for all the suggestions for new Dangerous Doodles. I'm keeping a list of ideas for when I draw my next batch. If you enjoyed this tutorial, check out the others in the tutorial section of the blog.
Have fun, and let me know in the comments below what you think.
Egg on toast...sunny side up, runny yolk, salt and pepper. Cup of milky tea on the side. My favourite breakfast. This one, however, has been cooked according to a special 'Dangerous Doodle' recipe:
Original black and white version.
Dangerous Doodle Egg on Toast(Serves one)
Ingredients:
1 drawing journal
1 thin black permanent ink pen (approx 0.3)
A generous sprinkling of Dangerous Doodles (eg: Head in the clouds, Deep in the Forest, Spikies, Sea Sick)
1 computer with Photoshop or similar software installed (or a set of coloured pencils or watercolours)
1 Scanner
1 imagination
Proceedure:
Draw the general shape of the egg lightly with a pencil. Outline with the thin black pen, then use your imagination and have fun doodling on the egg using a variety of Dangerous Doodles. Make sure the ink is dry, and erase the pencil lines. Use your choice of medium (Photoshop, coloured pencils or watercolour for example) to add colour to your egg to make it look as delicious as possible. You don't have to stick with yellow and white, splash in a few other different colours to spice things up a bit.
Yesterday I decided that the photos on my posts needed a bit of hand-drawn bling! My children were drawing in their daily journals at the kitchen table (they are 5 and 3 years old...they draw a picture and then they dictate the story to me as I write it next to the picture). I can't watch someone else drawing and not get into it myself, so I whipped out my pencil case and sketchbook, threw down some general shapes, and began to decorate them. Some turned out scannable, and others, I'm afraid, will have to remain in the sketchbook. After scanning I changed the colour in Photoshop (always fun!). I made quite a few of them, so you may see them pop up on future blog posts. Keep your eyes peeled!
