The Scribbles Institute

Please Visit Our New Website!

2011-06-17T08:31:00.001-07:00

To see the latest student drawings from Santa Cruz and Monterey schools as well as our new Scribbles Institute drawing studio at 303 Potrero #59 Santa Cruz, California 831.421.0774:
Drawing League schools and student work: Click here
Our new website: Click here

What Do You Want to Draw Today?

Now Open: New Scribbles Institute Studio!

2011-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

Finally, the doors are open to our new Scribbles Institute drawing studio, located in the historic Old Sash Mill complex near downtown Santa Cruz. We've got a lot of table space, plenty of paper and drawing materials, new easels and drawing horses to sit on, superb lighting, and new things to draw. Lenz Art Supply, the coolest art store on the planet, is just a couple of blocks away. Good eateries abound nearby and we have a kitchen to store wine, cheese, snacks, etc. We even have an iPod docking station to play everyone's favorite tunes. All that's missing is you.

Inspired yet? Classes and workshops are starting soon! We'll have a grand opening bash sometime in the future, too. Contact Rob for more info. Or stop by the new studio: 303 Potrero #59 (Old Sash Mill). Note: Since Rob is currently teaching at 10 schools, please set up an appointment to see the studio. Get ready to draw!

Premiere Issue of Drawing League Magazine

2011-01-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Check it out! Flip through highlights from last year's (Fall 2009-Spring 2010) high school and adult Drawing League Students:

Open publication - Free publishing - More sketching

Purchase copies of Drawing League magazine for family, friends, your school: Click here

Download a PDF of Drawing League magazine: Click here

We're currently working on the Fall 2010-Spring 2011 issue.

Observe and Sketch, Naturally

2010-09-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Kids can make drawing look easy, even when it comes to the challenges of sketching what they see in real life. We can learn a lot about observational drawing by simply observing a confident young artist in action.

Recently I caught up with my son and his family at a basketball tournament that my eldest grandson was playing in. As I walked up the bleachers I noticed one of my grandchildren, Jordan, intently filling a page in his sketchbook.

All four of my grandchildren have enjoyed drawing through the years and have helped me test ideas for my how-to-draw books. As they've grown older, their interests have changed (basketball and softball currently reign supreme in their household) but Jordan still proclaims with confidence, "I'm an artist!". At 8 years-old, on this b-ball game day, he was busy making the leap to a very crucial stage in childhood skills: drawing realistically from observation.

As he laid out details of the high school gym, I was amazed with his focused studies of the placement of overhead light fixtures and the parallel patterns of the cross-court bleachers. The boundary lines of the court were drawn proportionately and angled in perspective--early signs of showing depth of space in his composition. He would patiently observe his target of interest; then swiftly move his pencil to the page and draw it as he saw it.

In my drawing courses, from day one, a main goal is getting students to reconnect with the excitement of childhood drawing. On this hot summer afternoon, as Jordan rendered his court-side observations, I witnessed the natural instincts of the artist that we all used to be, and would like to be again.

Whenever you get the privilege to watch your kids draw: sit back, observe, and vicariously relive the magic.

In the Zone: Becoming One With Your Pencil

2010-08-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Imagine yourself playing your favorite sport. Forgetting all limitations, you perform flawlessly and are unstoppable as you tally up point after point. You're in a state of mind where time is suspended and movement flows without having to think of fundamental skills. This is called being in the Zone, and it is the state of mind you want to strive for while drawing.

Being in the Zone is when the intense concentration on what you're drawing gives way to effortless zen-like pencil strokes. It's as if your drawing hand takes on a mind of its own, while lines and shapes flow from your pencil tip. For beginning and advanced sketchers alike, finding this blissful state of transcendental drawing can prove to be elusive and challenging.

Doodling is a great way to drop into the Zone. Some of the best doodlers in Santa Cruz, California, attend Highlands Community School

Baseball legend Yogi Berra famously said, "Ninety percent of hitting is mental, the other half is physical." And so it also goes in drawing: much of the process is mental, even before pencil meets paper. Letting go of preconceived notions about drawing and training yourself to see like an artist will help you start mental conditioning. Taking your drawing skills into the Zone--and staying there for extended periods of time--takes a special mindset indeed.

3 Ways to Draw Yourself Into the Zone:

Be the Pencil: Visualize Drawing
Like an athlete in training, envision yourself with pencil in hand, poised and confident, your arm gliding effortlessly through long, graceful arcs. Picture yourself laying down guidelines and accurate construction lines, making corrections, and finishing your drawing with artistic flair. The artist Andrew Wyeth once said, "I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious." Dream about drawing.

Eliminate Distraction
Left: Two Star Community Sketchers in Santa Cruz, California, share an iPod as they prepare for a challenging observational drawing lesson.

Music can help you focus and get deeper into your drawing. Maybe the sounds of ocean waves or wind rustling through trees will trigger your mood for inspired sketching. For Juan Arroyo, a high school student in Salinas, California, silence is his preferred mode for getting in the Zone. It's important to find a special place where you can focus on matters at hand, silence your inner critic, and draw out your inner artist.

Be Spontaneous
Random acts of doodling are excellent for prying open the doors of creativity and stepping into the Zone. Experiment. Loosen up your line work. Draw on top of mistakes: let errors and corrections add to your composition. Embracing mistakes, then getting past them, gives way to the spirit of discovery. And then the real fun begins!

Drawing can be a very productive meditation. Whether drawing from observation or imagination, it takes effort to find the Zone, just like when you're playing sports. But with practice it gets easier and easier to naturally drop into it. Keep pencil to paper, push your drawing abilities into uncharted waters. Suddenly, unexpectedly, you'll feel the cerebral shift as the gravity of the Zone pulls you into its orbit. Once there, each pencil stroke will feel like it's being channeled from a fearless, profound place where anything is possible.

One of the all-time greats, who has perhaps been in the Zone more than any athlete in history, is Michael Jordan. Here's a lesson on how to draw his portrait, see if you can drop into the Zone: Click here

Drawing on the Job: Ever Wonder Who Draws Those Cool Hand-Made Signs in Restaurants and Grocery Stores?

2010-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hand-drawn, artistic signs make our wait at the deli counter or navigating the produce department a more pleasurable experience. But who are the unknown artists behind the countless chalkboard and ink signs we see in our neighborhood grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops?

Erin Piester draws signs that are functional and fun to look at

Combining the Love for Drawing, Lettering, and Retail Service
Sometimes incorporating elaborate drawings of vines and veggies or just a simple flourish of lettering for the day's price on tomatoes, Erin Piester's signage abounds in the isles of Guido's Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The 30-year-old pastel artist studied nutrition and dietetics and works as a landscaper, but her drawing skills come to life during mornings spent creating the colorful signs at Guido's.

Erin's thoughtfully drawn, creative signs can bring a smile to a customer's face.

Author Steven Heller writes, on the New York Times blog, that Erin "has raised a mundane craft to alluring art." He goes on to say that her soothingly naturalistic yet engagingly abstract signs "are so joyful and jolly that you don’t mind the often high prices — which are usually rendered in white chalk."

Chalk It Up to Success

Claire Watson's menu boards display the power of solid drawing skills.

Claire Watson has taken her love of chalk art to a delightful extreme. While working in restaurants Claire started drawing chalkboard menus. What started as a side job became a bustling little enterprise called Chalk It Up Signs and Graphics, located in British Columbia. Her husband crafts the wooden frames on the smudge-proof, hand-illustrated menu boards hanging in markets, pubs, and retail establishments across the globe.

According to her company website, Claire recalls, “I’ve been pumpin’ out signs full time for about five years now, about 400 in total. But it started about 12 years ago. Working in the food and beverage industry, I was the one who wrote out the menu boards.”

Nowadays, in her busy studio, music plays and the espresso machine is always on as the self-taught artist has diversified with new projects such as fabric banners, brochures for clients, illustrated ESL children's books, and her own pastel art exhibits. Focused on balancing family and work, Claire Watson has attained a lifestyle that many of us sketchers only dream of. She says with confidence, "I get to design and draw every day."

So, next time you're waiting for the morning brew at the local java house, toss an extra tip in the jar to show your appreciation for those whimsical hand-crafted signs on the counter; they may have been created by an enterprising young employee, honing their drawing skills for a colorful future.

I'm always looking for examples of how people use drawing in their everyday work life. If you use drawing on the job please contact me, I'd like to post your story on this blog. --Rob

New Adult Drawing Classes in September and October at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center

2010-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Attention: past, present, and future adult students! I'm planning for Fall classes and am excited that so many of you wish to continue exploring ways to Draw the Moment! It's also WAY cool that a lot of people are interested in taking our beginners Level 1 class. A special thanks to Gretchen, Linda, and Rhea at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center for helping with scheduling and providing such an awesome facility for our sessions. I look forward to drawing with everyone soon! --Rob

New! Beginners Class (Level 1) at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center

Explore drawing for enjoyment, work, and school. Draw the Moment is a fun and informative series of 4 adult workshop/classes for beginners, especially those who think they can't draw! Students are encouraged to express their own styles as they build confidence in spontaneous doodling, sketching ideas, and drawing realistically.

•Wednesdays, September 8, 15, 22, 29, 7:00-9:15 p.m.

To register: Click here

New! Advanced Class (Level 3) at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center

By popular request, I'm combining the previous Level 1 and Level 2 groups (Val, Kirsten, Helen, Sharon, Matt, Michele, Penny, Allison) for an advanced Draw the Moment session. We'll further explore techniques and principles including composition, form, and light and shadow.
Here are the schedule options:

• Wednesdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 7:00-9:15 pm
• Fridays, September 3, 10, 17, 24 7:00-9:15 pm

Wednesdays are probably the preferred evenings to meet, but please let me know what works for you. This session with the Santa Cruz Mountains Sketchers will be a lot of fun! Cost is $100 for members, $125 non-members; $10 material fee

Please let me know asap if you can join us and which schedule works better for everyone: email

Attn: Val, Kirsten, Helen, Sharon
I'm offering 2 special classes to help you prepare for Level 3. We all decided that it would be nice to have a couple of lessons to catch up with the Level 2 group. If you're still interested, here are the evenings available at the Art Center: Wednesday, August 25, 7:00-9:15pm. Wednesday, September 1, 7:00-9:15pm. Cost is $50

Please let me know asap if you can join us: email

Santa Cruz and Monterey Schools Continue with the 'Coach'

2010-03-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

The Scribbles Institute will continue working with six high schools through June 2010. The new semester completes the second year that Santa Cruz County and Monterey counties have contracted with our popular Draw to Learn program. Check out the amazing student work at Drawing League.

Our Debut Music Video: These Fearless Sketchers Are My Heroes!

2009-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Lesson: Composition, Form, Tonal Values, and Rhythm. My drawing students from Highlands Community and Star Community schools in Santa Cruz, California cut loose with graphite and pencils. They belong to my innovative Scribbles Institute program called Draw to Learn. They are also members of the new Drawing League we're starting in January 2010.

Watch it BIG on our You Tube Channel

Check out more student work:
Highlands Community School
Star Community School

Automatic Drawing: Measuring the 6.9-Magnitude Quakes of the Mind

2009-10-18T13:08:00.001-07:00

This morning, I caught an article about the tragic earthquake that devastated the Bay Area on October 17, twenty years ago. I thought, "Wow! A 6.9-magnitude quake, measured on the Richter scale, would send the needles of the local seismograph machines off the charts!" Then I had one of those Aha! moments: If the sporadic lines etched by seismograph needles can record earth's tectonic activity, then why can't pencil lines depict the deep rumbling tremors of the subconscious mind?

I quickly searched through old sketchbooks until I found two abstract drawings that delineate my epiphany. Created four years ago, the sketches show glimpses of the uncharted depths of full-throttle spontaneous drawing. While doing them, I intentionally suppressed all conscious thoughts except for the movement of my pencil (I eventually lost track of that too). The rapidly-drawn lines became a seismic reading of my subconscious mind's activity.

Click on drawings for detailed images

It usually takes a big investment of time for viewers to appreciate these abstract sketches. But if one imagines the pencil point as the needle of a seismograph, and the lines as the printout of shifting synaptic quakes of the mind, then it's easy to understand their purpose.

Just as earthquakes reveal the natural forces of the world around us, drawings can reveal the critical inner-workings of the human mind.

And, if you extend the metaphor of the needle to polygraph tests, then these drawings could become printouts of the quest for truth. But then, that's a whole different discussion.

The Campaign for Drawing: The Big Draw Celebrates 10 Years!

2009-09-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ah, if only I could go underground next week and jump on the tube to central London. Starting October 1st, something huge and really special happens in the UK. It's called The Big Draw. Unfortunately I'll be working here at home on the central coast of California. But if you're an avid sketcher, and going to be in London during October, you'll want to check out the drawing events--over 1,000 of them--spread across the UK.

I've been following the Big Draw via the Internet for a few years. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, this annual event keeps growing and adding exciting new events. Organized by the good folks at The Campaign for Drawing, The Big Draw takes place in galleries, museums, libraries, shopping centers, and school campuses all over the UK. Event participants are encouraged to experiment with pencils, paint, sand, digital imagery, vapor trails (that sounds very cool) and much more.

Since I'll have to be a no-show, I think I'll get my students together for our own Big Draw event here in Santa Cruz.

Find a Big Draw Event in Your Area
The Campaign for Drawing Power Drawing Courses

I Can't Draw

2009-09-07T14:19:00.001-07:00

It's that time again--back to school! Today I'm planning drawing lessons for schools in Santa Cruz and Monterey, California. I'm also preparing for the inevitable group of students who will lay down the gauntlet at the very first moment of class, proclaiming outright, "I! Can't! Draw!"

Indeed, I faced the first defiant outcry even before the first day of school. Last week, while discussing the drawing course with teachers at a small alternative education school, a student overheard her name added to the course roster. A look of horror crossed her face as she blurted out, "No way! I can't draw."

As she spoke I leaned over to look at the papers on her desk. I noticed she was doodling with a pen on a folder. It was a wonderful abstract doodle, composed of intricately woven lines and delicate shapes. "Perfect start. I'll see you in class next week," I replied.

Driving home, I remembered one particularly defiant high school drawing student last year. From the moment pencil hit paper Alex let me know, in no small way, that he didn't know how to look at things then draw them. Each time he gasped in frustration, my return volley was firm encouragement. "Compare what you've drawn to what you're looking at, keep looking for accurate proportions."

Alex's drawings

That was pretty much how it went as we continued drawing through the lessons, from simple cartoon characters to natural forms.

Then one day during class, while drawing from a picture by the muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros, Alex glared up at me and quietly said, "I hate you Rob, and I hate drawing."

I replied, "Yeah I know, but look at this amazing sketch you're doing." He smiled slightly and continued shading the background behind the figure of the woman.

And so it goes. This week, every drawing teacher across the land will rise to the challenge. Elementary and middle school teachers, drawing instructors such as Mona Brookes, and university professors such as Dr. Betty Edwards will step into their classrooms and hear the familiar ring of those three fateful words: "I can't draw."

Smiling patiently, they will say to themselves, "Ah, but you can."

Jeff Bridges Has a Fun Little Secret: He Loves to Draw!

2009-09-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

It's easy to think of our kids coming home from school, sitting down and drawing fun little pictures. But we never think of mega big-time adult celebrities coming home from a hectic day on the job, sitting down and... drawing fun little pictures.

Acclaimed actor Jeff Bridges, well known for his roles in movies such as The Big Lebowski, Fearless, and The Door Under the Floor, loves to steal away and draw to his heart's content. In fact, his cool drawings are a big part of communicating with fans on his personal website. Jeff's whimsical sketches and doodles reveal the core requisite for drawing enjoyment as an adult: a direct connection with his inner kid.

He considers himself an amateur artist (he did the paintings for Fearless and the book illustrations for The Door Under the Floor). "For a long while I wasn't sure I was going to make acting my main focus professionally. I was interested in music, painting and other creative pursuits."

Jeff Bridges did get serious about acting, and we're glad he did. But as an unabashed sketcher and doodler, he's an inspiration to grownups everywhere, who'd like to come home after work, relax and have fun with a pencil and paper--starting tonight.

Doodling as Performance Art

2009-04-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

We've all, at one time or another, found ourselves doodling during class or a company meeting. But for most of us, the thought of sharing our cute little doodles with a public audience is something that... well... grownups just don't do. Try telling that to the crew of scribbling bohemians called WeeWillDoodle. Armed with ink pens and perpetual kid-like imaginations, their large scale doodles are taking the Filipino cultural scene by storm.

Based in the city of Baguio, Phillippines, WeeWillDoodle is an energized group of eight hardcore doodlists. Their orchestrations of lines, geometric motifs, and cute little characters--monsters, smiling skulls, cows, and robots--are inked on the walls of cafes and galleries. Their live improv doodling is featured at music venues and crowded shopping mall events. They transform the seemingly inane process of doodling into a hybrid blend of performance art, street art, and Saturday morning cartoons. According to the group website, "You basically start out with nothing in mind, letting thoughts and imaginations flow through the pen and letting it take you to wherever it wants at that point in time. You may call it mindless, if you compare it to other kinds of artwork, and that's the beauty of doodling."

Collaboration is the Key
Back in 2007, during casual doodle sessions with friends, Neiz Yumul would start a doodle on scratch paper then pass it to everyone. As the paper went around, each member would add more and more doodles to the picture. The pleasure of collaborative doodling became a regular pastime, which lead Neiz to formalizing the group into a team. "I introduced the idea of having a doodle show after my last solo exhibit to contrast my digital artwork with traditional doodles," says Neiz. "I coined the name WeeWillDoodle. The 'ee' signifies fun, which is key to our work."

The group's collective efforts are bound together by their childhood love of drawing. The team recalls drawing with schoolchildren during a recent event: “Kids are the undisputed masters of doodling, they have so much energy and so many raw ideas that are free from all the insecurities and limitations that we adults have. It was so much fun to draw with them. The characters they made were off the wall!" Ramil Escorda says, "Doodling has always been a part of me. Ever since I was small there’s no notebook that I didn’t doodle on! Whenever I’m bored or stressed out, there’s always a blank paper for the taking."

Doodling is important to WeeWillDoodle member Tioan Medrano, who works as an illustrator and graphic designer. "This unique creative impulse helps inspire my creative thinking process. Every design I make starts with doodling," says Tioan. For her doodling is just part of the adventure. "I was a finance person in my past life, am an artist today, and will be a musician in my next life." But she says that art is "still my first love."

So, the next time you're bored during a lecture or business meeting, why not turn that little doodle into an idea that could change your future? Try following Neiz's lead: "I get inspired by anything, it might be as simple as a drop of rain or as complex as the cross-section of an airplane."

Lots more at the WeeWillDoodle website: Click here.

Clara Charlotte: Girl with an Attitude About Drawing

2009-03-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

The first line in her bio says it all: "Clara Charlotte Roethe is an illustrator and guerrilla artist." Upon visiting her sketchblog, I get a sense that Clara is always ready to draw--anywhere, anytime!

Clara draws while watching the news. She tries to draw on every scrap of paper to help the environment. She loves to draw in moleskins (high-quality sketchbooks) and enjoys portrait parties (where people draw each other).

While growing up in the small German town of Hessen, Clara's grandfather taught her how to draw and use watercolors. As a graphic designer, drawing continues to be her main creative outlet. She says, "her work has been showcased on the lampposts and forgotten corners of Krefeld (Germany)."

Her work has been published in the Latvian comic magazine Kush and the international street art magazine, Masta. Whether she's sketching "cool shots of purses filled with exclusive makeup" found in Flickr albums, or expressing how much she misses her boyfriend--"I feel like a single sock"--Carla's straight-from-the-core linework is simply refreshing. She manages to combine the innocence of childhood drawing with an edgy awareness needed for investigating the world around her. The musings that accompany her blog sketches are an added treat.

There's only one thing lacking in the work on Clara Charlotte's sketchblog: MORE of it!

Drawing with the Blink of His Eyes

2009-03-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

For most of us, learning to draw what we see is a huge challenge. But for quadriplegic Thomas Nelson, the challenge is to literally see what he draws. Thomas, who is completely paralyzed, except for his eyes, draws pictures by blinking his eyes.

Eight years ago, at 57 years old, Thomas was living the life of his dreams. But then he received devastating news that would radically alter the course of his life. He writes in his online journal:

"In 2001 I was a year into retirement and having the time of my life as a full-time working musician. Little did I suspect that fate was winding up to deliver a curve ball that caught me right squarely between the eyes.

"This particular missile came in the form of a diagnosis of ALS. I guess I'm fortunate that my version of paralysis began in my feet and worked it's way up because it gave me a few extra years before my arms and hands became too weak to play."

ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease", progressively shut down the functions of Thomas' muscles. He was forced to adapt. "With little time to mourn my losses, I turned my face to the wind and never looked back. The constant through it all has been my computer. Through the computer I stay connected with friends and family, manage my personal affairs, read books, and communicate with the people around me."

As a creative outlet, Thomas devised a way to draw. He uses E Z Keys scanning software, Xara Xtreme graphics editing software, and an IST switch that emulates a mouse click when he moves his cheek. Amazingly, he connects vector points and draws lines by blinking his eyes.

"By necessity the lines I draw are slow and methodical, but I want them to appear loose and free," writes Thomas. When describing his creative process he says, "Basically, I'm limited to drawing standard geometric shapes and straight lines, then I use a shape editor tool to bend the shapes and line to my liking."

With the blink of an eye Thomas Nelson creates wonderful drawings. In each drawing we see the work of a man determined to beat the odds as he overcomes every challenge thrown in his path. "When I was first diagnosed with ALS the doctor gave me five years to live, but when I told him I couldn't pay the bill he gave me five more. Seems to be working." Draw on, Thomas!

View Thomas' gallery on Deviant Art

Thomas' websites for helping artists and others to overcome the debilitating effects of disease and injury, and continue to live happy and productive lives: Computers4Quads Hand Picked Designs

Does Doodling Help Your Brain?

2009-02-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

Lots of media chatter about Friday's release of a study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology stating that "doodling aids memory." Along with being mentioned on MSNBC, a number of articles and blog posts popped up on the Web. It turns out that your phone conversation doodling may be good for your brain.

US News and World Report says that doodling "may be something we do because it helps to keep us on track with a boring task, rather than being an unnecessary distraction that we should try to resist doing."

NHS Choices, a UK health information service, is a little more cautionary: "In conclusion, this study suggests that doodling while listening is not necessarily a hindrance to remembering information that has been heard. Whether doodling can improve memory in real life situations remains to be seen."

I just think it's very cool that doodling + cognitive psychology is being taken seriously as a topic for discussion.

US News article>> Click Here

NHS Choices article>> Click Here

Drawing Wonky with Moofus

2009-02-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Paging through the latest issue of Dwell magazine, I came across an architectural drawing by 11-year-old Milan Rodriguez. Dwell asked him to do the illustration. Not only did his wonderful sense of composition grab my attention, but I found his art world tag Moofus quite intriguing. I had to know more about this kid.

Article and Interview with Moofus by Rob Court: Click Here

The Future of Doodling in the Palm of His Hand

2009-02-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

Combining technology and drawing, fourth grader Lim Ding Wen created an iPhone application called Doodle Kids.

"I wrote the program for my younger sisters, who like to draw," Lim said. His sisters are aged 3 and 5.

Lim, who lives in Singapore, is fluent in six programming languages. He started using the computer at the age of 2. He has since completed about 20 programming projects.

Article>> Clip>>

Graphic Recording: Sharing Complex Ideas Through Drawing

2009-02-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Are you one of those people who likes to solve problems on the job by sketching your ideas for coworkers? Are you a visual communicator interested in putting your drawing skills to work for businesses and organizations? Check out what these sketchers are doing to answer the call of duty as graphic recorders and graphic facilitators.

Increasingly, corporations and organizations are using visual communication during brainstorming sessions between executives, managers, and employees. Graphic recorders, according to Reilly Dow (pictured above), draw large murals that "act as a public memory, and help participants in any meeting or conversation share complex ideas." Reilly says that "Graphic recording is a powerful tool for synthesizing conversations, dialogs, meetings and events. The recorder creates large-format visuals in real time, tapping into the collective intelligence and wisdom of a group and bringing it to life with graphics." View Reilly Dow's website called Pinkfish.

Brandy Agerbeck (pictured above) refers to graphic facilitation as creating "conceptual maps of conversations." She says that conceptual maps focus "the group as they work, aiding concentration by capturing and organizing their ideas."

View Brandy Agerbeck's graphic facilitation of President Obama's Inauguration Speech

Christina Merkley uses her artistic skills (shown above) to help groups visualize the decision-making process. She says that "organizations are discovering the power of graphic facilitation to get participants with diverse views on the same page."

View Christina Merkley's portfolio

Christina has an excellent selection of articles about the history of graphic recording/facilitation and tips on how to get started. View Christina Merkley's articles

Here's the place to go for info about graphic recording and graphic facilitation: Visual Practitioner.org

The Center for Graphic Facilitation: Blog

Lesson About Overlapping

2009-01-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

If you're a teacher or parent, then you know the gratification of those cherished moments when a student really, really gets it. It was so cool to see the light bulbs click on when my students at Highlands Park Community School learned to add depth of space to their drawings. They were thrilled to see their drawings change from 2D to 3D. Here's the link to our lesson about overlapping: Click Here

Santa Cruz County of Education, which operates Highlands Park Community School, has contracted the services of the Scribbles Institute to organize drawing programs for students. The program includes both the online Fax Academy and hands-on classroom instruction.

iPhone Sketching

2009-01-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

We're always on the lookout for extreme sketching. This week's honors for cool-extreme go to Stephane Kardos for his iPhone sketches of the Los Angeles area. A new 'brushes' feature enables Stephane to sketch street scenes on location. Stephane works for the Walt Disney Company as an art director. Also, check out his location sketches of old cars and trucks. Visit Stephane's sketch blog.

The Writing's on the Wall

2009-01-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

If your idea of wall graffiti fun is drawing with an erasable pen on a white board in the conference room, then you'll be excited about the VizThink conference, February 22-25, 2009.

Drawing is fast becoming a powerful tool in the workplace for visualizing and expressing ideas, organizing information, and solving problems. Corporations are finding that visual communication amongst executives and employees is a key to survival. This is an exciting trend for everyone interested in drawing! Look for more info in future Scribbles Institute posts. For more conference details visit the VizThink website.

I've started a group for the VizThink online community with people interested in exploring the power of drawing.

Straight Up, Raw Sketching

2009-01-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

There are literally thousands of sketch blogs to view on the Internet. The subject matter and drawing styles seem infinite--inspiration abounds! What's particularly cool (sometimes very educational) is reading about each artist's process; their struggles, triumphs, and experimentation with materials and techniques. Also helpful are readers' comments and feedback about an artist's sketch. Just a sampling of refreshing sketch blogs (lots more to come):

Ryan's Sketchez
Ryan's approach to drawing is positive and honest. His relentless pursuit of everyday objects has produced lots and lots of sketches. Straight to the point: this guy loves to draw!

Andrea Joseph
Each one of Andrea's sketchbook pages is an unexpected delight to look at. She also likes to write about her experiences with drawing, making for a valuable educational experience for other sketchers.

Ken's Sketch Journal
If urban sketching is your passion, then Ken Foster's blog will prove to be quite inspirational. It seems that his book is in hand everywhere he goes.

James Jean
Without doubt, James Jean is one of my favorite contemporary artists. His sketchbooks are lucid depictions of everyday life. Whenever I look at his finished artwork (wall-sized pencil drawings) I simply want to start drawing.

Animal Instinct

2009-01-09T17:50:00.001-08:00

Animal sketching can be a fun challenge. The fun is in quickly capturing a likeness of your subject, and the challenge is in accomplishing your sketch with a minimal amount of lines, before your subject decides to change position.

In his 1925 book Animal Sketching, renowned sculptor and inventor of mobiles, Alexander Calder (1898-1975) included sketches and helpful insights, such as following the rhythm of your subject. "When an animal is in rapid motion, or moves so that you do not expect it to return to its original position, leave what you have drawn and start a new sketch. Use a large sheet of paper and make your sketches small. You must work quickly and it saves much time in changing with the animal's movements. Do not trouble to have your drawings right side up or sequential. Keep rapidly transmitting your impressions of the animal's movements, and enjoy what you are drawing."

Calder then goes on to mention animal instincts. "In drawing animals we must have the feeling that they are doing something, no matter how simple the thing may be. In spite of our vast mental superiority, animals have minds and use them. In man, reason has taken the place of instinct to a great extent. Animals think with their bodies to a greater extent than man does. In anger or fright, ears flatten against the head, the hair along the spine rises. The dog at sight of food drools at the mouth, male birds courting display their feathers. There is no self-consciousness: animals are always intent upon the thing they are doing, and we must feel that they are as we sketch them."

Ready to give it a try? Domestic pets will usually oblige in your household sketching safari by providing an endless stream of poses to fill your paper. Calder felt that cats make splendid models. "If a cat is asleep, make it completely, luxuriously asleep, the belly supported by the floor, legs limp, muscles sagging. If it is alertly awake, get the attitude; all the muscles tense, ears erect, eyes observant, tail poised to give the best balance for a sudden spring." RC

DreamWorks Feature Animation artist and sculptor David G. Derrick Jr. likes to get out of the house to do his animal sketching. David took his sketchbook with him while traveling in Kenya. His recently published book, African Diaries has wonderful sketches of wild zebras, lions, exotic birds, and a wide variety of other African animals. David's website features galleries of his artwork.

Drawing Improves Life / Life Improves Drawing

2009-01-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Drawing is a heritage, a correspondence that we have in common with our ancestors since the dawn of history. Drawing is in our DNA. It's never too late to pick up a pencil and get started, or should I say, to continue where you left off. What starts as a casual doodle on paper could lead to an idea that changes the world, or simply remain a wonderful little doodle in a sketchbook.

This blog shares the ideas of people who draw on a regular basis, as well as those who wish to reconnect with drawing. This blog mixes it up with sketchers of all ability levels and interests, highlighting ways in which people use drawing to make their ideas visible, and their lives more enjoyable. If The Scribbles Institute helps a few folks put drawing to good use in their daily routines, then my efforts will be worthwhile. As Bob Dylan said, "What more can you do for someone but to inspire them."