Most of my doodles are straight up black and white, using Procreate’s Gesinki Ink brush on a white background. This combo seems to give me the easiest path from brain to page, with the least static obscuring a doodle during translation.
If I get in a rut, I give one of the other brushes a whirl. There are a zillion, and like scribbles, they are suggestive.
A scumble is a freshly dug border bed:
A sponge is a gray mizzle:
Even wild grass, though a touch literal for regular doodling, is a nice prompt for fresh ideas:
Doodling on top of these contexts opens new channels to my brain.
So the question becomes: what is my doodle DOING in this context? In the process video above, I considered four answers.
I started the doodle with the kid, but became more interested in the broad-beamed lady standing next to her.
Was she gardening? No, it was a gray day for wheeling around weeds; she’d probably be curled up with a book.
Was she holding a balloon above her to brighten things up? To be honest, I’m not really a balloon person, and also that seemed not so interesting.
I did like the bright yellow, though, especially within the bounds of the mizzle. What if she had harnessed a ball of sunshine to oppose the gray? What a spectacular umbrella THAT would make.
I labeled this one “Courage, Mes Amis” and made prints; I was delighted at a request to reimagine it in pride colors. Her defiance of the oppressive gray seems to translate.
Process Peek: Accessory Selection