DOODLING IN CIRCLES
Watching a video from a year ago on Zenart Doodle’s YouTube channel the other day, I thought I’d give this technique a try. It’s a mixed media project, and as you build up the layers, it is hard to imagine the starting point. Looking closely, you can still see it, but the final doodles so focus the eye that the initial layer fades into the background, but adds a level of colour, depth and interest that a mere blank page could not produce.
Laying out the grid
The project begins with the laying down of some masking tape in a grid pattern. Zenart Doodle used a narrower tape than I had available so my grid pattern is a bit more obvious. I used a piece of scrap watercolour paper with something on the back that was no longer required.
Adding watercolour
The next stage is to add watercolour in a random way. I followed her lead and created diagonal lines, using regular watercolours.
Once this was dry, I removed the painter’s tape. The grid lines underneath were rather stark white, so I added a little colour to tone them down a bit.
Adding circles
I drew a series of random circles, some overlapping, some concentric, using my Divide and Rule compass and a pencil.
Painting the circles
I chose colours to coordinate with the background colours to paint the circles. I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours for this, as they are slightly less transparent than regular watercolours and the colours are quite strong.
Blending the circles
Using a wet brush, I blended the lines towards the inside of the circles to soften the hard line of colour.
Outlining the circles
Following the outer circumference of the circles, I outlined them with a fine black Posca pen. This was the pen I used for the rest of the project.
Doodles
Time for the real fun to begin! Using a combination of doodles, Zentangle patterns and mandala designs, I proceeded to fill the entire piece with pen work. Shortly after beginning, I made the final decision as to which way up the piece should be.
In the photo, the original grid shows up a lot more strongly than it does in real life. The underlying diagonal stripes of watercolour provide the colour for this rich design, providing the desired depth.
Highlighting and adding gold
The finishing touches to the design were the addition of white highlights and gold accents. For these I used Artistro fine-tipped pens in white and gold.
This does make the grid recede into the background a bit more.
I am very pleased with how this turned out. I first watched the video some time ago and it was nice to discover it again. I think this is a technique that could be adapted to many different shapes.
Working on a large sheet, the result could be cut up into smaller pieces and used in albums, or to make cards or book marks and so on.
This technique is extremely easy to do, and relaxing as one works on the doodles. For this amount of detailed doodling it does take some time, but I finished it in part of an afternoon and an evening. The result looks extremely complex and difficult, but following the steps, it is really quite easy.
