Mo's first scribble-doodle, maybe more to come...

[Maureen]

Hi all you amazing doodlers! Jules encouraged me to start a discussion and post my first doodle, which I realize now is really just a scribble. But it was fun!

One thing I know for sure, after browsing through some of the discussions here, I need an education on doodling! I have several questions that are probably answered in here somewhere, but wasn't sure of where to look. Here they are:

1. What is the difference between a:
a. Zendoodle
b. Zentangle
c. Mandala
d. Doodling in a circle
e. just a plain old doodle

2. What are other types of doodles?

3. Best markers? Paper?

4. Any doodling tips?

I had more questions come up, but those are all I can think of for now! Thanks so much, and I am so impressed with all of your beautiful doodles! They are pure art.

Love, Maureen

[Carol@Swallowcliffs]

Maureen: I believe that the word zentangle is the name of a company that sells a kit to doodle with.
zendoodling has evolved from zentangle as a way of not infringing their rights as a company. Really, all they are is doodling in what ever way you want. zentangles use a 3x3 in format, zendoodling has gone into any shape including circles which has morphed with mandala which is a word used for art in a circle for tribal or religious reasons, which is the same thing as doodling in a circle. All of them are just plain old doodles. I hope this helps, laughing!

[Camille]

Mo, your first doodle has a surprising amount of dimension! How cool!

Definitions: I will post some definitions, but us doodlers have had many a discussion as to defining this art form...we basically came to the conclusion to throw out the rules on Zentangles aka Zendoodles!

Doodle definition from wiki

Various doodlesA doodle is a type of sketch, an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. They are simple drawings which can have a meaning, a shape or just irregular forms.

Doodling is mainly made by young people around the world, notably students. This activity is normally made during long or boring classes as the students begin daydreaming or losing interest. They do it mainly on the notebook margins or in the back pages starting as random lines and sketches and then becoming more elaborated.

Doodling can also be made while talking by telephone for a long period of time if a pen and paper are available.

Popular kinds of doodles include cartoon versions of teachers or companions in a school, famous TV or comic characters, invented fictional beings, landscapes, geometric shapes, textures, banners with legends, and animations made by drawing a scene sequence in various pages of a book or notebook.


ZENTANGLES http://www.zentangle.com/about-theory.php This page and the site itself could give more insight...It is not necessary to buy the Zentangle kit to do them!
.

MANDALAS
mandala - A circular design containing deities, geometrical forms, symbols and so on that represent totality, the self, or the universe.
highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072835060/student_view0/chapter4/key_terms.html

mandala - A symbolic circular design.
www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationF...

mandala - The word comes from the sanskrit and means sacred circle. The circle symbolizes the womb of creation.
www.spiritual.com.au/dictionary/dict_m.html

Anyone of these types of doodles can be done in a circle, probably considered a mandala...

See examples of Millande's ZENDALAS

http://www.milliande.com/Zendala-How-To-Draw-A-Mandala-Zentangle-St...

There is lots you can pick up by viewing the Doodle group too! Enjoy!

Hope this helps!

Love Dabs

[Valerie]

Thanks for the explanations Dabs. As Maureen says the doodles or zendoodles done here are, to me, more works of art. The description of the group is black and white drawings in 3.5" x 3.5" format.

My doodling is more in the category of your first explanation. "a type of sketch, an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied" which I usually do with a pencil or whatever is at hand, on the back of envelopes or whatever is at hand and I don't think they would fit in here.
So is it doodling, or drawing going on here? I'm confused about it all.
The doodles, zendoodles, zentangles, zendalas, or whatever, that I see here are amazing and what I would consider art.

[Camille]

Val, do your doodles your way and consider them art explorations...one thing always seems to lead to another when exploring, and the definitions for doodling are so wide and varied and contains the seeds for creating doodles that you feel as a true expression from your heart to the paper! Labels are limiting...making up your own doodle recipes is where your signature doodling begins and never ends...

Love Dabs

[Valerie]

I never thought of them as "art explorations" I like that and will look at my doodles with a whole new respect now.
Thanks Dabs

[Camille]

Yes, Val... do one doodle generates ideas for the next one...on and on...at least that is my doodle experience...I like to ask myself a lot "what if I try this kind of thing on my next doodle?"
"I wonder how it will turn out?" I enjoy letting the doodling process itself take me to it's own conclusions! It makes it for very exciting exploration and discovery!!! Have FUN, Val...number one...attitude to have when creating doodles, or anything artistic...Mystery not mastery is the play way! Love Dabs

[Valerie]

"what if I try this kind of thing on my next doodle?"
"I wonder how it will turn out?"

This is all very interesting to me. I never consciously sit down to doodle. I might sit down to draw and then my mind wanders and the next thing I know there I am doodling. Sometimes they start out as doodles and turn into some kind of drawing. I never thought about incorporating them into my artwork. I bet I could even get some embroidery designs out of them. After all I see embroidery designs and fabric all over this group : )
I think I'll keep them from now on. See what ideas I get when I go back and look at them.

Thanks Maureen, for posting these questions and to everyone else for your help.

[Jules]

"I never consciously sit down to doodle. "

Valerie- I said those words myself !! Not to long ago either. Right after I said that I began to sit down just to doodle- that is when I started my progression discussion :-)

Now I say "I sit down to doodle"

LOL you know what I mean

[Valerie]

LOL, I know what you mean Jules. I'll try it again. Tried to stay in the 3 1/2" square format before and it 'bout drove me nuts. I'll try it again, but can't do the black and white thing that 'bout drove me nuts too LOL. Don't know why.

I'll use pencil and let you know how it goes. It obviously worked for you, your doodles are amazing.

[Valerie]

Maureen, I really like this. Doesn't look like a scribble to me. It's very playful and free and I love the bits of color.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Your "scribble" is a lot more interesting and beautiful than anything I've ever scribbled, Maureen! Love it!
Thanks for asking the questions you did ... a lot of interesting answers :) Thanks for the links, Camille, I'll be sure to check them out.

I had not doodled a lot, since the student days of marking on my Pee Chee folder, giving more personality to the sports figures printed on it, creatively writing the name of the current heart throb, all that stuff students do to amuse themselves when they're bored. I got back into doodling here at CCS with the doodling group.

For me, the zentangle style is different from being bored and amusing oneself ... I'm more focused on the lines my pen is making, and my brain sort of goes into a zen like state when I'm doing them. I don't ever know what the outcome will be.

To answer your question number 3 ... my weapon of choice pen-wise is the Pilot Precise V5 rolling ball pen, extra fine. If I want heavier lines, or want to fill in a large area, I use a Sharpie extra fine black permanent marker. I use card stock for printers for my doodles.

Recently I've been getting some various sets of color ink pens to play with ... I have some sets of these that have been untouched in a drawer for many years ... usually when I try them I find they've dried up. I may also try some color doodling with water soluble color pencils pretty soon :):):)

[Maureen]

Thanks everybody for all of the great information and feedback! It really helps a lot. Dabs, thanks for all the great links and the doodle definition from Wiki. It's true that I did my most doodling in math classes growing up! I was also glad to read that a doodle was something done while a person's mind is occupied on something else ... does that mean I can doodle while I watch TV? (I have a hard time with silence, I am finding. Something with my ADD brain, or MM as some call it!)

Barb, I also use the Pilot Precise V5 rolling ball pen -- I love those! I use them for my Morning Pages too.

I tried doodling in a circle last night, and really enjoyed doodling in the confines of a shape like that. I think I will also try the 3x3 square.

Thanks again, everyone! I am learning so much from all of you!
love, mo

PS. here is the doodle I did last night ... I think I would like to put some color in it: