Stream of Consciousness Drawing The Art of Doodling

Stream of Consciousness Drawing The Art of Doodling

Doodling is a means for an artist to tap into the subconscious part of the thought process to help generate ideas. Doodling also shows the steam of a persons thoughts and daydreams as they travel from one topic or subject to another. Doodling is usually obvious by its seemingly random nature, and the visual connectivity of what seem like very unrelated elements. Doodling also has several visual characteristics in terms of line weight, repetition, pattern and rhythm that are very distinct from other forms of drawing.

Madge Gill “Outsider Art” Outsider art is art created by people with no formal artistic training, and often from individuals who have mental or emotional issues such as Autism, Depression. Doodling is one form of creating that is almost universal to these individuals as a means of self expression.

Automatic Drawing (Automatism)

Automatism is a surrealist technique based on spontaneous writing and drawing, practiced without conscious artistic selfcensorship. The automatic writing and drawing initially practiced by surrealists can be compared to similar phenomena, the improvisation of free jazz being one. Surrealist automatism is different from mediumistic automatism, which purportedly uses messages from ghosts, spirits or other supernatural sources. NOTE: We are not practicing this.

Psychoanalytic Drawing • Today psychoanalysis comprises several interlocking theories concerning the functioning of the mind. • This also refers to a specific treatment in which the "analyst” and patient brings up material, including free associations, fantasies, and dreams, through doodling. Then the patient and the analyst attempt to use the drawings to figure out the unconscious basis for the patient's symptoms and resolve the problems. • – In this process, the analyst uses drawings and doodles as a tool because they (in theory) reflect the thoughts of the unconscious mind.

Pure Design • Pure design refers to drawings and doodles that have are strictly design oriented. • Pure design does not necessarily tell a story, make sense or even have any recognizable subject matter.

Pure design can range from simple…

… to complex.

Narrative Design Narrative design is a drawing that tells a story through its visual elements and/or the way the elements are tied together.

Narrative design, by its very nature, the fact that it is telling a “story”, tends to be more complex.

Journaling… Doodles, being an expression of the subconscious, often also contain words or bits of thought (hence the early idea of automatic writing). Your doodle may include (but does not have to) text. In narrative doodles, journaling can often help communicate ideas.

some misc. samples…

Doodling in action…

Student doodling…

your assignment ? ? ?