May the “Art” Force be with you, always… (Blind Scribble Art)

“Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them,” said Obi-wan, as he instructed the young Luke Skywalker how to feel the force while having his eyes blindfolded (back in the day of the first Star Wars movie). The other day while instructing a nine-year-old about different mediums in art, I decided to follow Obi-wan’s counsel and start ‘blind’. The project was delightful and instructive, so I wanted to share with all of you the simple instructions:

1. Tape to the table a sheet of good quality paper (like watercolor or heavy drawing paper, I used 9×12 inch).
2. Blindfold the artist.
3. Start with pencil. The blindfolded artist slowly draws a simple scribble on the taped down paper, trying to envision, in the dark, the lines he/she is drawing.
4. Take off the blindfold to continue (and be surprised by what you thought you drew and what you actually drew).
5. Using a variety of mediums (there is watercolor, ink, pencil, and colored pencil in the art above) fill in each enclosed shape in your scribble.
6. Add patterns and/or shade each shape to look 3-D.
7. Look at your entire ‘scribble’. Is it starting to look like something? You may have to turn your paper upsidedown and sideways to see something. Add some lines as needed to push your creation to “be” something: animal, monster, person, machine, etc.
8. Fill in every little and big shape.
9. Then practice your poetry and prose skills and give it a name. The name of my ‘blind scribble’ creation above is: “Man Taking His Pet Pig Bird for a Rousing Run”.