Doodling for dollars?

It's no secret that I'm a compulsive doodler.  I have been, my whole life.  

Lately I have enjoyed using white and metallic Uni-ball Signo gel markers and Sakura Moonlight Gel markers on black paper, at least until my pad of Fabiano Black Black paper (yup, that's the name; it's awesome stuff) ran out.  I need some more.

Meanwhile, I also have a nice pad of bright white marker paper that I've been using with black Sharpies or black Signo Gel pens, and also with color added (my favorite colored marker pens of choice are Flair pens.  Great colors!)

Sometimes I'm not sure whether I like them better in black and white, or color.

Recently, I posted the black ink 'daily doodle' pictured below, on both Facebook and Instagram, and I debated over whether I wanted to add color to the ribbons and/or the orbs, or whether to leave it black and white.  (I still haven't decided).  A friend (who teaches a mixed class of 5th and 6th graders) asked if she could print out my drawing and color it herself.  She mentioned that her students absolutely loved the drawing.  And I had several friends remark that I should design coloring books. 

But here's the thing.  I like to doodle, and evidently, people like my doodles.  But my reason for doodling has nothing to with making money.  While it sounds lovely to make money from my doodles, I have no desires or skills regarding publication and marketing.  So unless someone miraculously volunteers to figure out how to publish and market my doodles, its not gonna happen, because it is not my personal priority. I doodle because it is a part of who I am and has been my whole life.  But you know, it's not really that hard to do!  I suggested to my friend that her 6th graders could easily do drawings like the one above.

Here's how:
Draw the ribbons looping and overlapping, lightly in pencil.  Figure out where they cross each over each other, erasing as needed where they cross.  Trace over the pencil lines with Sharpie.  Add orbs to further break up the space.  Fill all the shapes created in the negative space, with repeating patterns, a different pattern in each space.

 Or, as I did above, try radial designs that grow and attach to each other.

You can find several other posts on this blog about doodling.  To find them, use view the blog in the web version and search the labels/tags on the bottom of the blog!

Here's one last doodle for tonight!