Saturday, March 31, 2012

they call her quirky...

this girl - she gave me such problems with her quote - she didn't like ANYTHING I could find on the internet, or in my meditation books - such a troublesome girl... she kept trying to tell me to just be MYSELF... and finally I sat back and listened to her. 

She was right all along...

new art, and a class update...

Happy Saturday morning everyone... quite cold and raining, perhaps winter has finally hit NJ? I did an alpha doodle last night, (Letter Love 101 with Joanne Sharpe!) which is going in Etsy - the subject of the doodle is something very near and dear to my heart....

Class update - Coming along - still working out some video bugs, but we're on schedule for going live May 10th!




Sunday, March 18, 2012

break time!

I took a short break yesterday to finish up a bunch of projects... and load some finished things into Etsy.  I did a little work on the class also, but basically now I am just waiting to video, which should be on Wednesday or Thursday...

Then I realized I hadn't updated this blog with my projects!  So here you go:
This is a 'brave' doodle I did for Mel...


This is a 'badassery' sign - it is probably one of my most favorite things I ever did.... but I really didn't need another badassery sign, so i threw it in Etsy... and it sold! 

I started this wellie wearing badass chick a long time ago and put her away... so while I tanned the tatas yesterday I colored her in... and tossed her in Etsy too.... she's still available!
And I also had a flat canvas panel sun/moon combo in the works for a while - my original is on paper, this one is slightly different, slightly smaller ... and on canvas.  Also in Etsy. 

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Class Supplies for I doodle, do you?

I am hoping for the class to go live by my birthday - May 10th.  I loved how Joanne Sharpe did that with her birthday - she's my inspiration in so many ways!!!

I wanted to give everyone a heads up for the supplies that I recommend, they are certainly not set in stone, and I will happily give you help with alternatives.  There aren't many things you will need, but I took advantage of the Dick Blick site - (GOSH I love that site, and truly, just saying the name makes me giggle) and set up a course materials list.  Again - just to give you an idea of what will help you get the most out of this.


Here is a link - click me - you'll need to enter 'online course' under the "state" drop down, and find "i doodle, do you" under the "school name" drop down.

Also, my friend Kaere has a fantastic store and here is a link - http://www.theplanetyou.com/shop/ - excellent prices and has indicated a coupon code will be available to I Doodle, Do You? class members!

For those of you with a Michaels or Joanns or Hobby Lobby, etc, you should be able to find everything you will need there.  And, FYI - do you know how many art supplies I find at garage sales? Pads of paper, paints, brushes...

You will need a good, heavyweight smooth pad of paper.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Strathmore Smooth Bristol 300 series.  Here is a picture of what I use:


Next up is the black fine tip marker for all your outlines and some of the doodles.  I LOVE the Faber Castell Pitt pen - fine tip.  BUT - if you can't get your hands on one, a fine tip Sharpie will do the job, and I know 
you can find them.  Here is a picture of the Faber pen I use:
Next up are the markers.  My preferences may be completely different than yours - and there is no wrong way.  I LOVE my Prismacolor Markers - the Premier ones.  I am in love with bullet tips.  You really  need bullet tips for this - because the areas you will be filling in may be quite tiny.  Copics are fantastic, but all my Copics are brush/chisel tip, and the brush tip is just too large, wet and squirmy for the intricate spaces.  

Or perhaps I'm just not adept enough with them.  Also, you don't need the blending function - again, our areas are so tiny there isn't room for any type of blending.  

Can't get to the store for markers? Got kids? Look in their toy box.  Use their markers.  They'll never catch on.  

I suggest lighter colors - I can't stress enough that this type of doodle is filled with tiny boxes and circles and you will lose the color - it will just look black.  And you already  HAVE black, remember? ;-)

I use a lot of shades of greens, blues, purples, violets... yellows, oranges, reds... 

Here is a picture of the Prismas and one of the Copics.  The Copic pic is the brush tip type - so if you have the bullet tip type, you're in business.

 Oh - and you will need a pencil, and a good eraser, and a compass if you can get your hands on one - it may make your life easier.  I got one out of my husband's workshop drawer.  From the looks of it he was using it in grade school.  It's old and rusty (like him?) (don't tell him I said that) but it WORKS.  

Keep check here for updates!  Hope you'll join me in doodles... ;-)  
Toodles!

I crack myself up.  I hope you all know that.  

:-)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

i doodle, do you?

Hi.  My name is Sandi and I'm a Doodler. 
Hi Sandi, Welcome.  ;-)

I crack myself up.  But you guys know that.

I've been doodling in earnest for about six months.  Of course, I've doodled all my life, during school my notebooks were covered with boys names (big surprise, eh?) and swirls and squiggles... while on hold at work I draw flowers and boxes... I know I'm not alone - I'll bet a lot of you do it.  But the real 'doodle' stuff started last summer.  I grabbed a flat canvas panel, some Copics, a cup of coffee (major requirement for my doodling) and I hit my deck to draw.  That afternoon resulted in my first real art doodle...


I don't consider the flowers themselves a doodle.  It's what I did INSIDE the petals and centers - THAT is (in MY opinion) a doodle. 

I set my doodles aside for a while, and took some online classes, learning some drawing and sketching techniques.  I learned about different markers and pencils... their strengths and weaknesses, and that sometimes it's not much more than a personal opinion on what's a good tool. 

What's great about doodling is that it's a low overhead, paper and markers are all you really  need. 

One day, while taking Joanne Sharpe's Letter Love class (highly recommended - you should do it) I took a break from learning alphas, and doodled a sun in my Letter Love book.  It was a cold, dark day and I needed sun.  My doodle took on a life of it's own, and once I colored it in, it warmed me nicely. 


The sun got a lot of attention, and some queries on how I did it.  My answer was "I just doodled it."

Once I started doing this type of doodle, I couldn't stop.  A bigger sun, a sun and moon combo, an eye... and a new one that I finished tonight - stars. 

And each one garnered the same question - "how did you do that?"  And finally I asked - would you guys really want to learn it? Should I have a class?  And dang... I got a few yes's.  So keep your eyes peeled - I will be posting info on facebook/twitter/message boards, just about anywhere I can broadcast myself.  Your help in broadcasting me will help.  And I will be forever grateful.  ;-) 

I'm looking to see how much interest there is - and if you would want to take a class from me, a comment here on the blog or on facebook would lead me in the right direction.  (and as long as I don't have to make a left turn, the right direction is a good start)

I've already got video capability in the works, and ideas jotted down.  I promise you it will be very reasonably priced and fun.  I will do my best to behave, but banana dances may happen.  Tigger + Video = ???? Fill in the blank... ;-) 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

eye doodle (I doodle... LOL)

I crack myself up...

This is a work in progress.. adding some things here and there... tossing around some shading to tone down the starkness of the white... but this is amazingly cathartic (did I use that word correctly??) - I can sit for ages and just doodle...

What I have found though, is that the black and white part is my favorite part... and I'd be happy to doodle for you if you ever want to play with your OWN colors and markers... just let me know.  We'll talk.  ;-)