Hello, I am a Doodler.

June 12, 2009 12:43 PM

Doodlers Anonymous. Oodles and oodles of fabulous doodles.
posted by grapefruitmoon (17 comments total)

[this is good]
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:57 PM on June 12, 2009

Awesome...I will soon be the proud owner of the Pilgrim and The Watchtower prints!
posted by mrmojoflying at 12:59 PM on June 12, 2009

bookmark'd
thinking about buying some stuff after I get paid.

Sidenote: I hate how some of the coolest posts just die in comment obscurity because there's nothing interesting or controversial to discuss, and the comments just end up being like, twelve people saying "this is cool!"
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 1:07 PM on June 12, 2009

There's seems to be a lot of nice stuff here. Thanks, grapefruitmoon. I was considering posting the Firekites chalkboard animation the other day, glad to see it included here.
posted by xod at 1:08 PM on June 12, 2009

I also recommend the Thomas Hicks entry.
posted by xod at 1:14 PM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

Interesting doodles; but where does "doodles" end and "art" begin? These are all a far cry from the stuff I'd draw in my notebook and on my desk while bored in High School.

Also, yeah, it's not quite anonymous, is it?

So: this site does NOT do what it says on the tin, but it is nice to look at anyway.

[AA Doodles - Flickrdoodles - Doodling: aid to concentration?]
posted by not_on_display at 1:14 PM on June 12, 2009

Well, to be fair Alcoholics Anonymous isn't really anonymous either, otherwise every meeting would start, "Hello my name is Anonymous..."

Sites like this make me sad I can't draw. Added to my "art" folder.

Nice find.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:21 PM on June 12, 2009

wow. great find!
posted by dazed_one at 1:25 PM on June 12, 2009

Sidenote: I hate how some of the coolest posts just die in comment obscurity because there's nothing interesting or controversial to discuss, and the comments just end up being like, twelve people saying "this is cool!"

.
posted by artisticastronaut at 2:09 PM on June 12, 2009

I draw, sort of. I don't think I could capture the human form to save my life. (and when this happens I start drawing robots)
posted by hellojed at 2:22 PM on June 12, 2009

There's some truly great lost productivity there.
posted by longsleeves at 2:50 PM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

That's alright. Robots are better than people.
posted by Science! at 2:50 PM on June 12, 2009

because there's nothing interesting

I'm sure that you don't mean there is nothing interesting to discuss here, but I'll use your decontextualized quote to discuss something.

Growing up, I always wanted to draw, play music, write creatively, or desperately do something that involved self-expression. It turns out that I can do none of these things, but I can doodle. I've been doodling since I was a teenager at least. I doodled my way through my undergraduate lectures. I doodled my way through several jobs that tied me to a desk and phone 12 - 16 hours a day.

I doodled all the way up to graduate school, where I stopped precipitously. I miss it. I notice that when I am feeling particularly at a loss I pick up a pigma micron and doodle: stupid, ridiculous, informal, imperfect doodles like anyone else would do. It's my way of being creative without having to be burdened by the mantel of "artist," or worse, "wanna-be artist."

So, when I see someone like Louis Doulas, whose work feels very "doodlish," rise to the level that most people would attribute to an "illustrator" or "artist," I feel like I have a real appreciation for it. This isn't because I want to replicate his success (i.e. being very good) as much as it is because I see in his work the technical accomplishment that I will never see in mine. When I saw that his prints were on sale for $5 each (plus $1.50 S/H) it felt like Christmas.

There, I've discussed.
posted by mrmojoflying at 3:00 PM on June 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

I polly wolly doodle all the day and always have. Between doodling and some old Jack Hamm books, I taught myself to draw when none of my schoolteachers had the interest. I wonder if I should do some scanning, now.
posted by Countess Elena at 4:11 PM on June 12, 2009

The chalkboard animation was wonderful. I cannot say more as I must leave metafilter to explore doodlers anonymous further, and I suspect it will take all night. See you tomorrow!
posted by dogmom at 7:04 PM on June 12, 2009

Man, I love looking at others' doodles and sketchbooks. So inspiring! (And I have no idea why I never thought of doing chalkboard animation; I stepped on my ad hoc light table a few years ago and haven't done any animations since, but if I can just get ahold of a crappy whiteboard or chalkboard...)

Thanks, grapefruitmoon!
posted by ubersturm at 9:16 PM on June 12, 2009

I used to doodle extensively... a bit like this, except across the entire page instead of constrained into silhouettes.

Now, doodling has been replaced by idly clicking around the internet ("Anything new on Metafilter?") or playing iPhone games. I guess that's a little sad, though it didn't occur to me to miss it until just now.
posted by rifflesby at 1:58 AM on June 14, 2009