Sometimes a paintbrush, pencil or other typical art tool can limit the types of marks we make in painting and drawing. It’s easy to have a narrow view of what a drawing or painting should look like so often we get stuck in the way we do things. One way to get out of a rut is by using different tools, unexpected tools, to make art.
Here are some ideas you might want to try:
- Use sticks, leaves or branches dipped in ink or paint
- Tie your pencil to the end of a branch for looser drawing
- Use parts of a plant as a stamp
- Use natural objects as stencils
The image above was just an experiment on cheap paper. I used the parts of the plant I wanted to draw to create each stem, leaf, and flower. I started by dipping ferns in ink and pressing them gently on the paper. Then I dipped the end of stems in ink to make long strokes, and dipped the tiny flowers in both ink and paint to add them to the stems and fill out the bouquet. The orange flower is the imprint of a flower dipped in paint. Finally I used a brush to add green to the leaves and stalks. The strokes to represent a glass vase were added last with a small branch.
What Does It Do?
Experimenting with mark making tools activates different thought processes. I would have never been able to make the image above with just a paintbrush and pen. I wanted to see if the plants could create an impression of their own image. But I could have used a stick, branch, or flower to draw anything, not just itself.
The important thing is to find a variety of objects that you can make a variety of marks with. When you do this the neurons in your brain will make new connections because you’ll be doing something completely novel. You will also discover something about what you like or don’t like, and you may find a new way of expressing yourself.
Just play like you would in a sand box
It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece or something that hangs on a wall. It’s just a way to explore possibilities in expressive art making, try different tools, and learn something about yourself in the process.
Just play and have fun!
Heart Beat of the Soul 