Craft-a-Doodle: 75 Creative Exercises from 18 Artists

by Jenny Doh

Using a simple doodle as a starting point, 18 artists take you on an inspirational, crafty journey! Filled with inventive prompts designed to fuel the imagination, these 75 exercises motivate crafters to pick up a pencil, brush, or marker, and explore their artistic voice. From quick “try it” ideas using shapes and patterns to doodled portraits and contour drawings, these step-by-step projects are wild creative fun. The featured artists include Cori Dantini, who provides a “Recipe for a Face”; Flora Chang with innovative watercolor designs; and Teesha Moore who offers ideas for adding personality to doodled characters.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference, Drawing

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2013

Reviews

[Winder Library]

I Loved this book! So fun and no better time than now to up your doodle skills. You know how you always seem to doodle the same thing...not after turning page after page and trying exercise after exercise in this super easy, any age, good time! It's going on my wish to purchase list.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of us doodle & this book shows ways to take those doodles & make meaningful gifts from them.

*This book really gets my creative juices flowing--I love that!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool book about doodling.

[Theremin Poisoning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope some of these exercises will provide quality doodle time for my son and I.

[Abbie Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read on different styles, techniques, and art patterns. It was interesting to try out the many shapes and designs.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great art idea book

[Amy Senter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fun way for me to kickstart some ideas for my new procreate app on my iPad. Most of the drawings weren’t my style however, so I picked and chose the ones I wanted to learn from.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love. It.
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I jumped at the chance to review Craft-a-Doodle, the new book by Jenny Doh of Crescendoh Studios. I had just recently purchased another book of hers, Creative Lettering, which is also well done. Her instructional craft books have this great way of communicating techniques as accessible skills that are easy to pick up and practice. Just grab a pen and paper, then give your inner art critic the day off so you can have fun creating whatever comes to mind.

Craft-a-Doodle's exercises are engagingly worded and easy to follow. Just the photos alone will be enough to set kids' imaginations on fire, whether or not they can read the directions. The design of the book really emphasizes the relaxed but attractive aesthetic that will appeal more to the hobbyist than the fine artist, and I don't mean that as a bad thing. The lack of intimidation can be really freeing for both novice and expert draftspeople.

The great variations among the exercises will make this a cool tool for getting the creative juices flowing, particularly for people like me who hold back from creating for fear of making mistakes. In addition to the 75 exercises, the artists added more ideas for changing up their methods and producing even more diverse results than they show in the book.

This book manages to balance instruction and inspiration really well, making it practical as well as motivational. Particularly for any entrepreneur wannabes, Doh's compiled lessons capture that twee visual quality that is so popular on handmade shopping sites like Etsy. Just beware of copying anything outright and selling it; emulate the exercises to shape your own style.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a doodler? Do you find a blank page an inspiration for a dot, line or squiggle? If so, then grab a piece of paper and a favorite doodling instrument. Craft-a-Doodle has 75 creative exercises from 18 artist to help you get started. If you are an avid doodler or just a beginner there is something special here for you.

Each doodle has a picture sample, a list of what you will need, instructions and tips. Of course, you'll need to bring your own imagination and don’t forget those creative juices. Readers can create flower sprays, hearts that look like a folk art garden, flocks of birds, people standing and so much more. My favorites are the doodles on the pages of an old book. What a great way to re-purpose and create art all at the same time.

Artist Cynthia Shaffer shares how to doodle letters on old pages of books and she also shares how to make lines look whimsical by creating a doodle dress that depicts the era of an old book. Other artists include Hanna Anderson, Julie Armbruster, Flora Chang and Jennifer Taylor, to name a few.

Doodling is very contagious and we've all been caught doing it. Some exercises are so simple and others complex, but yet leave plenty of room for your own creativity. Don't think that you are limited to just paper for your doodles, readers will learn how to doodle on rocks, with ink splatters and even into works of embroidery.

Doh has put together an appealing can do book for anyone looking for a simple artistic escape. The ideas presented will inspire and wow anyone with a pencil. Moms can use this tool to keep little ones quietly creating at least long enough to get some other things done. Teachers can use this tool to introduce how to incorporate lines and circles into a masterpiece.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now as you may or may not know I love colouring books, the ones that are currently available for us grown ups are truly awesome. Did I just use grown up and colouring in in the same sentence? Crap I did it twice!!

Anyway once I started to explore the wonderful word of colouring I decided that I would maybe colour outside the lines and try creating my own little works of art but unfortunately I really do not have an artistic bone in my body so I bought this book to help me!

Craft-a-Doodle is an immense collection of tips and tricks that allow you to create you own little masterpieces. Jenny Doh and 18 amazing artists show you how to draw animals and people as well as creating little zentangle marvels plus many other things.

I have tried a few including the owl below and it is not always as easy as it seems but it is worthwhile persevering and most importantly it is good fun!

I suggest before you buy this book you go out and buy a ream of A4 paper to use, you are gonna need a lot of it to practise with!

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a creative or crafty child, this book is perfect! Even if you are the crafty type, you would most likely enjoy the exercises in this book. There are 75 exercises in all, and each one is unique. Several different artists contributed to the book, so styles and ideas are widely varied.

I liked some styles and exercises better than other ones. Not every exercise appealed to me, but the beauty of having so many artists contribute is that there will most likely be something for everyone. This book is a great resource for getting those creative juices flowing and switching into right brain mode. It is a lot of fun to take the doodle prompt and put an individual touch to it.

This book is definitely recommended for anyone artistic! It would make a really fun Christmas or birthday gift.

My blog: Books for Kids

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another title from the Jenny Doh/Lark Crafts stable. A broad introduction to the doodle as an art form and liberating departure for those hooked on the idea of the Zentangle - the exercises in this book are based on simple doodles but add other elements in a freer way than in 'traditional' Zentangling.

It features sample project ideas from 18 artists including Flora Chang, Aimee Ray and Cynthia Shaffer. It is clearly set out with lists of what you'll need and step-by-step instructions and tips.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boredom be gone!

In this playful book from Lark Crafts, Jenny Doh has put together a series of artful activities that take doodling to the next level. Bringing together pencil, ink, paint, and other types of media, an artist of any level will see their once-simple doodles turn into something amazing.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I've learned that I'm not a doodler. I try, but it's just not me. This book is a collection of doodling exercises, and while I liked a couple enough to try, most them them simply set my teeth on edge with the level of something I have no words for. So, not for me, but if you are a doodler, you might like it just fine.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and the different types of artwork it has you explore. Most of it is simple for even beginners and gives you ideas of different things to try and draw, paint or explore in various medias. I keep checking it out from the library and finally had to return it and decided it was going on my wish list because it is definitely a book I want to own and refer back to.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the ideas and projects is this book. The directions and illustrations are easy to follow. It is formatted as "doodle prompts" or suggestions for a project. With 75 different exercises there is something for everyone and covers a wide range of techniques.

[Ännä · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is filled with a wide variety of fun exercises that made me want to grab my sketchbook! These would be great warmups for any level of artist. I got this from the library, but I'm buying it.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book to relax and be creative with. I enjoyed completing many of the drawing prompts and exercises while on an airplane, flying across country. I feel like this book would appeal to a wide span of ages as well as both the novice and experienced artist. I loved it!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great inspirational and idea book. One needs only to thumb thru it to find something to do. Techniques range from "you can do this with small children" to "you can build up to this in steps" and the variety of doodles to try out are unique, not the stuff you see everywhere.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Doodle books are sucking me in! I can't resist anymore. I am going to shamelessly copy these doodles for my projects. At least this one features a variety of artists and techniques.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

cutesy doodles and great step-by-step guides.

[Karen H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is sooo much fun. I get it out when I need new journal designs!

[Mingchao Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

inspiration

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty cool book with prompts and ideas to get you doodling

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty neat! Great ideas that spark other ideas of things to do, mostly with pen/paper and sometimes watercolors. A few require things you'd need to get specially.

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! A variety of great ideas that provide both inspiration and lots of creative freedom/flexibility.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borrowed from the library, enjoyed the exercises in it enough that I might buy it in the future.

[Corinnagoodwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this would be more of a work book

[Elizabeth Nordquest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good tips/exercises. I got it from the library, but will probably buy it soon!