A New Dangerous Doodle Tutorial! - Bounty of Beads (Free Narrated Drawing Video)

There is a brand spanking new drawing tutorial up on my YouTube channel!  This time I have shown step by step how to draw full strings of beads that have been dropped randomly on a surface.  This doodle is similar to another video I made showing how to draw beads which are spaced out along a string, so if you enjoyed that one, you are in for a treat.  Bounty of Beads is jam packed full of tips, tricks, and advice, and I have added quite a few slow mo sections so you can really understand the detail.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for the appearance of some of my random cartoon characters, who insist on popping in and out to add their own random comments and art jokes.  You can blame my children for the addition of these characters, they watched the video and told me that these were exactly what was needed to spice up the tutorial.  I figured that I should take their advice, as we adults are really kids at heart, aren't we?  If you feel you have lost your childish spark, then maybe this will help bring it back :)

Happy doodling!
Regards

'Art Activity Cards' Instant Download Printable

An example of one of the Art Activity Cards.

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.

Find the cards here

Three Sparkly New Videos!

    Goodness, it has been a long time since my last post, but I am going to make it up to you all by posting three videos for you to enjoy.  Two of the videos are proper tutorials with instructions ('Dangerous Doodles') and the other is just a fun experiment I painted a while ago.  I hope they inspire you to pick up your paints or pens and go for it.  As always I love to read your comments, wherever you choose to add them (Youtube, my blog, my website, facebook, twitter etc) and I can't wait to read what you think of my latest videos.  Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter, I am working on the next issue at this very moment (see the 'Swamp' link on the left sidebar of this blog).  Newsletter subscribers are special because they get extra goodies :)  You can also catch all the MM news by subscribing to my channel on Youtube, and liking my page on Facebook.

Here are the videos:
'Egg-Shaped Tree' Speed Paint Doodle
Draw Beads Tutorial
Draw Snakes Tutorial



Regards,

The Ultimate Doodling Playlist!

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!

Regards,

Don't Jump In! Another Moleskine Experiment Video.

I thought it would be nice to bounce back from my long online absence with a bit of an experimental painting video.  So many things have happened since my last post, including moving our family to a different house...stressful to say the least!  However, it has all been worth it, we now have more space (including more space to do our artwork...YAY!) It meant moving a bit further away from the city, but it is to be expected...cities are not really designed for families, are they.

This little painting experiment is the next in a series I am doing, as I prepare to paint on some lovely Moleskine notebooks, as well as a Moleskine drawing book with beautiful paper, that I picked up from the local art shop. The books have darkish coloured covers, so I wanted to experiment on some similar surfaces before I tackled the actual Moleskines.  As always I recorded it all on video.  I did quite a few different experiments which I will be posting soon, so if this is your kind of thing, make sure you subscribe to my blog, facebook page, twitter and all the rest of the thingies I am attached to, so you don't miss out on any new videos.

If you would like more info, I recorded an intro video about my Moleskine experiments which you can view below.

Hope you are all well!  Can't wait for your comments :)
Regards,

Cast Your Vote for a Dangerous Doodles Pattern Tutorial Book

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on one of my previous articles, 'A Dangerous Doodles Pattern Book?  Suggestions Welcome.'  There have been some really positive comments and many people have expressed interest in buying a book if it was created.  I have been busy drawing a whole new collection of exciting  patterns, and looking into the best format and layout for a
how to' style book.  I am thinking of making something that looks more like a booklet or 'zine' which will cost people less to purchase, and not too hefty for shipping.  I'm still open to different options and ideas, though, so please feel free to add your comments below.

To give me a better picture of how many people are interested, I have added a quick and easy poll on the left sidebar of this blog.  Please cast your vote, share this article with as many people as you can think of, and hopefully this will help move things along a bit.

By the way if you haven't already seen the DD tutorials on YouTube, you watch them here.

Regards,

Peas in a Pod - Dangerous Doodle Drawing Tutorial (Video)

 

I have been doing a bit of gardening lately.  Well let me correct that slightly,  I have been sitting in a deck chair drawing pretty flowers and vegetables in my sketchbook, while my HUSBAND actually does the gardening.   I like to think of myself as providing the encouragement for the garden, saying important things like 'those tomatoes are so big and shiny', and 'how long will that horse poo take to get properly mixed into the compost heap?'. 

My husband has been experimenting with many different compost ingredients, and today brought home a huge bucket of fish guts from the local fish and chip shop.  The cat was given some as his new year's eve present, and set about dragging the stuff all over the place in case some other cats might come along and grab it off him.  I could just imagine my husband lovingly  placing pieces of fish guts around each vegetable in the garden, and inquired whether this was practical with all the stray cats and dogs that hang around our place.  My husband informed me that he would be digging a very VERY deep hole, burying the smelly treasure, waiting for a week or so, and then digging it up again and using it to feed our hungry plants.

So  I am looking forward to the super vegetables all this 'compost gold' will produce.   I seem to recall some famous story about a giant turnip and all the people needed to pull it out of the ground...that could be us in a few weeks.  I will keep you posted.

I hope that little story explains why I have started drawing peas.  Natural objects really have such beautiful shapes, and when you draw them you really have to appreciate how wonderful they are.  I hope you enjoy my latest drawing tutorial video.  Maybe it will encourage you to get out your gardening gloves as well!

Regards,

'Peas in a Pod' A Dangerous Doodle Drawing Tutorial Video
by Miraculous Mosquito.

Paisley Power

Do you like Paisleys?  I do!  For some reason I have always found myself attracted to the Paisley design, whether it be on wrapping paper, clothes...I think I once had a very loud Paisley shirt when I was at university (I was such a dag back then...probably now too hehe.)

Oh...sorry...'dag'? That's a bit of kiwi/New Zealand slang for you.  See, you get so much free bonus information here at the MM drawing blog.  It's worth subscribing just so that you can learn these useful little gems of kiwi culture.  The word 'dag' can mean a variety of things, usually 'unfashionable' or 'old fashioned', but it can also mean that a person is funny, or has a good sense of humour.  There is also another meaning, but I will let you Google that one and find out.  I will give you a clue...it has something to do with sheep.  When you Google 'dag', you might also find a person called 'Fred Dag'...he's another story altogether LOL.

Anyway back to the point (yes, there was a point to this post, I promise).  I am really addicted to the Paisley design and I love drawing them.  Once you know how to draw that curly teardrop shape, the world is your oyster.  You can really go for it and fill those wonderful shapes with all sorts of patterns and decorations.  They can be as bright and colourful as the one shown in my drawing above, or you can draw them in soft pastels, or perhaps just limit your design to one or two colours, which always looks effective.  

I really enjoyed drawing and editing the latest video tutorial, 'Paisley Power'.  I hope you enjoy it.  Don't forget to let me know what you think either in the comments below or on my youtube channel...and why not have a go at drawing your own paisley, record it, and create a video response to the tutorial video?  I would be so happy if you did:)

Happy drawing!

Regards, 

'Paisley Power' - The Full-Length Tutorial Version

'Pasley Power' - The Speed-Drawing Version

Dangerous Doodle - 'Awesome Overlap'

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.

Regards,

Dangerous Doodle Spotlight - 'River of Lava'

'River of Lava' by Belatrix29.
Click image for more detail.

It's time to spotlight some of the lovely work people have been adding to the 'Dangerous Doodle' group at Flickr.

I chose this piece, 'River of Lava' by Belatrix29 (also known as Helena). You can see more of her beautiful drawings here.

Come to think of it, maybe it could be a bit of a subconscious choice on my part, considering the title of the piece.  Last night I had a rather confused dream about a volcano erupting.  I spent the whole dream either trying desperately to get away from it, or getting distracted by other nonsense. 

Aren't dreams great?  You can be escaping from an erupting volcano, but still have time to pop in to your friend's house for a nice cup of tea.

Anyway, back to the subject!  Helena has encapsulated such a diverse collection of patterns in her 'River of Lava'.  I like how she has framed them all in the circle, and each pattern swirls outwards from the geometric shape in the middle. 

Let's have a closer look at some of those patterns, and discuss how Helena has used them to create a really wonderful artwork.  This is something useful that you can do with your own drawings as well.  If you select interesting pieces, cut them out (either on Photoshop, or with good old scissors) then they become even more beautifully abstract.  You can even use them as starting points for new artwork.

This pattern resembles 'Sea Sick', a very wavy doodle which has puddles of concentric circles wedged in between moving parallel lines.  Helena has taken the pattern to the next level by adding a subtle shadow next to the wavy lines, which creates even more texture, height, and layering.

 Here is such a beautiful interpretation of  'Shell Treasures'.  Helena has drawn overlapping shells which get smaller as they work their way around the spiral.  This adds perspective/distance to the piece.  She has also layered some gentle hues of pink and purple to the shells which really bring them to life.

 Here we see 'Deep in the Jungle', with vines curling around themselves, and lush green leaves popping out here and there.  I love the way she has added a hint of shadow in just the right places to make the vines look three dimensional, as if one curl might be in front of another.

 The 'Over and Under' Dangerous Doodle is a very versatile one, as it can be interpreted in many different ways.  It could be a crisscross of highways, branches, nerves, or whatever your imagination dreams up.  Belatrix has used this pattern to emulate waves of hot molten lava, using sizzling colours of yellow, orange and red.  She has woven this through a darker background, which really makes it stand out.

This reminds me of some wooden steps going down to some sort of mysterious trapdoor.  Again, those wonderful shadows do the trick.

 Sometimes it is not WHAT you draw, but it is what you DON'T draw that makes all the difference to a shape!  Leaving out a little piece of each line in these swirls gives them the effect of being ultra shiny...great technique!

 Cleverly hidden in the 'Sea Sick' pattern are some sharp 'Spikies'...  Watch out!

This wonderful pattern reminds me of a futuristic transportation tunnel made of glass.  Again...great use of perspective, with the lines all disappearing at a vanishing point behind the curve.





Thanks again for adding your wonderful masterpiece to the group, Helena!  That's the end of the second Dangerous Doodle Spotlight.  Don't forget to subscribe so that you don't miss the next exciting episode.  Keep adding your drawings to the Flickr pool...yours could be next!

Regards,

Sunny Side Up

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.

This drawing was my attempt at #1 challenge 'BREAKFAST' for the 'Dangerous Doodles' drawing group on Flickr.

You can also buy this drawing as a print in my shop.


Bon Apetite!

Regards,

Dangerous doodle challenge #2 - 'UP!'

Are you ready for the latest Dangerous Doodle Challenge?  Well here it is!

Use the latest tutorial 'Cumulus, Head in the Clouds' as inspiration for this challenge. Interpret the title 'Up' in an artwork, and include the cloud pattern somewhere in your work. There is no time limit, just post it to the Dangerous Doodles group pool and we will all then 'oooh' and 'aaah' at it. 

The group now has 38 fabulous members, by the way! I wonder if we can make it to 100? Don't forget to tell all your friends :)


When you post your work to the pool, include this tutorial link in your description so that I can click the 'approve' button:
miraculousmosquito.blogspot.com/2011/09/those-lovely-soft...

Have fun!
Regards,

Those Lovely Soft Fluffy Floaty Things - A new Dangerous Doodle Drawing Tutorial.

Clouds...something we get a lot of here in Wellington, New Zealand.  My house is often actually IN the clouds, as we live fairly high above sea level.  Sometime I look out the window and see the fog rolling in from Wellington harbour, in between the hills.  It's a really eerie sight, and one I always love to watch.  Within minutes it envelopes everything, and you can barely see the house across the road except for a few lights, and it can sometimes stay like that for days. After assuming that the whole of Wellington must be getting tired of this heavy fog, I am surprised when I drive down the hill towards the harbour and see that the rest of the city is drenched in lovely warm sun!

Clouds around here mean business, they are not just for looking pretty.  They usually mean either heavy rain that goes sideways and will knock you off your feet (with the help of the sideways wind, of course) or hail that covers everything in tiny little white perfectly shaped balls.  Sometimes we even have snow, although that only happens about every 10 - 20 years apparently.  Wellington is one of those places that can have 'four seasons in one day'.  It pays to wear lots of layers of clothing sometimes, as you could either end up wearing a t-shirt or a large jacket at any time in one day.  And don't even THINK of opening an umbrella, or you (and the umbrella) will suffer the consequences.

And so...the subject brings me to my next 'Dangerous Doodle' Drawing Tutorial, named 'Cumulus, Head in the Clouds'.  Use this to draw a masterpiece of floating white fluffies, or dark brooding stormies.  Your choice :)  Don't forget to subscribe, so that you don't miss the next tutorial.  To see all the tutorials, click on the tab at the top of the page.

Happy Doodling!
Regards,

Some Of the Artwork Inspired by Dangerous Doodle Tutorials.

A beautifully intricate artwork by 'Country15' inspired
by the 'Shell Treasures' Tutorial.

The Dangerous Doodles group on Flickr now has 32 members, and the photo pool features some fantastic artwork!  Here is a slideshow for you to enjoy.  I'm thinking of having a competition or two...what do you think?  Perhaps you have some competition ideas...I'm new to all this sort of thing, but it would be fun to try it and see what sort of response I get.  I also want to encourage the nice people who have taken the time to add their artwork.  Write your ideas in the comments below :)

You can see the tutorials here.

Regards,

PS:  Click on the arrow to begin the slideshow.

A New Video - 'Hidden'.

This was supposed to be a 'work in progress' video, but I couldn't help myself and turned it into a sort of mini tutorial as well.  You can read more about it in my previous post.  Hope you like it :)

Regards,

Works in Progress

'Hidden' - A work in progress.

 Just a quick note to show you what I have been up to.  The first is this piece I have been working on as a bit of an experiment.  I might turn into something I can use, I am happy with it so far.  It was drawn freehand in 'Scribbler Too', and then coloured in Photoshop.  As you can see it is a work in progress.

I used a few of my 'Dangerous Doodle' Tutorial designs in this one.  Can you find them?

Henna update:  the colour darkens.

Here is the video, if you want to watch me draw it.  I have also included some helpful tips along the way :)











The second update is to show you another sort of 'work in progress' - my henna hand that I decorated last night.  I forgot that it actually goes darker after a day or so, which is a nice surprise!  It was a sort of orangey-yellow last night when I washed off the henna paste.  Now it has turned a lovely earthy brown colour.  Apparently you can put a mixture of lemon juice and sugar on the henna paste after you have finished the design, and this will make it go even darker.  I will have to try that next time.

Regards,

The Latest Dangerous Doodle - 'Shell Treasures'.

There is so much inspiration in the natural world around us, the possibilities are endless.  I love stopping to look at all the small details in natural objects.  Children also remind you that you should take the time to look at these things and appreciate them.  I have three small children, they are aged 5, 3 and 6 months, and they never get tired of talking about things like how a snail is different to a snake, and how all the animals have their own special abilities.  Just today I found myself explaining to my 3 year old son how a snail can stick really well to objects and has these wonderful things called antennae sticking out of its head, whereas a snake is shiny and has scales and can hurt you.  We then spent some time watching some great videos on YouTube about snails and snakes and discussing the difference.

On that note, here is the latest 'Dangerous Doodle' Tutorial, which celebrates another natural object, the sea shell. Not just exquisitely beautiful, but totally practical as well...and when the original animal has finished with it, it becomes a home for someone else who needs it.  How's that for recycling!

Isn't is amazing how natural objects are designed perfectly to fit in nicely within our environment, whereas it is usually the objects designed by humans (usually the ones that we think are so clever) that tend to cause so many problems. If only we could learn to appreciate the world that has been provided for us and not try to change or 'improve' it, perhaps we would be a lot happier.  Anyway, that is my deep thought for the day...now let's draw!

Oh, and don't forget to join the Dangerous Doodles Group on Flickr.
Have fun!

Regards,

A 'Dangerous Doodles' Pattern Book? Suggestions Welcome.

A Photoshopped example of what the
'Dangerous Doodle' book cover could look like.
Click to enlarge.

Some of my readers have suggested that a 'Dangerous Doodle' book might be a good idea.    I would like to have a go at making one, so I thought I would ask you for your input.  What do you think?

Should it be just a book of patterns, or include step by step tutorials as well?

How much would you be prepared to pay for a book full of dangerous doodles?

Would you like to see examples of other people's artwork inspired by the dangerous doodle tutorials?

What else would you like to see included in the Dangerous Doodle book?

Please join the discussion in the comments below if you are interested in this idea.

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions:)

Regards,

Join the 'Dangerous Doodles' Flickr Group and Add Your Artwork!

Some of the designs from the 'Dangerous Doodles' Pattern Tutorial Collection

Thanks for all the encouraging comments about my new 'Dangerous Doodle' Pattern Tutorials.  I am feeling very inspired about these, and have already recorded many new doodle videos which are waiting in line to be edited (including the new shell design you can see in the picture above). Don't forget to subscribe to my blog if you haven't already, so you don't miss any new ones.

The good news is, I have created a Flickr group named 'Dangerous Doodles' where you can share any artwork that you have made with these tutorials as the inspiration.  You are welcome to join and post your masterpieces!  They can be made out of any material, or be in any shape or form, as long as they are clearly inspired by the Dangerous Doodle tutorial series in some way.  Just include a link to the particular tutorial/s that you used, in the description of the photo/picture.

I have always loved this style of drawing, and I am so happy to see that there are others out there who also enjoy it.  I think it really began for me as a serious addiction during maths class in high school...was it the same for you?  Where did you first discover you had an uncontrollable urge to doodle?

By the way, in case you were wondering, I never did too well in maths class.  Art class, however, well that is a totally different story!  The Art room was my favourite place...I think I even used to eat my lunch in there!

Don't forget to tell all your mates about 'Dangerous Doodles' the new Flickr group!

Happy doodling!
Regards,