I shared this cobwebby, petroglyphic doodle on virtualDavis.com back in 2012. A prehistoric hare? A doodle dare hare? Both. But it’s also a rabbit. Rabbit, rabbit. Welcome to September!

Today’s a new month. A new chapter. A fresh start. A sparkling beginning bursting with possibility and potential. After an amazing blur of a summer, September offers a recalibration. Crisper temperatures. A sharper wit. Fewer decadent distractions. An almost-but-not-quite-forgotten speed bump at the end of summer. Back to school. Even at 44 years old, I still get that feeling. Reentry. Time to focus…

Doodle School

Good fortune wandered my way this summer: two opportunities to showcase my doodles in galleries. My gratitude continues to swell like a pumpkin dreaming of Halloween. Still green, but orange soon.

I returned to that old digital doodle above for a couple of reasons. I stumbled across it and it felt fresh despite being more than four years old. Mostly I was attracted to how different it is from my recent doodles. A reminder to experiment and reinvent my idea of doodling again and again. Doodling is playing. It is a chance to break rules, to shift expectations, and to explore the unexplored.

I offer due thanks to The Scribbler. Thanks for reminding me to shake it up! Unfamiliar with The Scribbler? Here’s what I said back in 2012.

The scribbler allows you to create a “generative illustration”… based on your drawing. And you can save it afterward by following the instructions on the left hand side of the screen. (Source: virtualDavis)

So I’ve decided it’s time to start experimenting again. No habits. No ruts. It’s time to go back to doodle school. To discover new approaches to doodles. Here’s a quick sailboat doodle to illustrate my embarkation on a new doodle journey. Please recommend your favorite doodle techniques, tools, resources. I’ll happily try them all out!

Vox Pops

What are your favorite doodling tools and techniques?