The value of "doodling" ...

In class we're experimenting with different approaches to character design with the goal of breaking out of our habitual tendencies and cookie cutter methods. Students create a library of abstract silhouettes, doodles, and textures (photos of clouds, water spots, stucco, etc). Next they pick a few from each collection that seem to have the most potential for a solid design, taking into consideration shape, movement, volume, etc. They will then begin to study these images and search for representational forms that can be developed into characters. Finally, after doing some exploration, they will choose a few favorites to push all the way to a finished character design. Forcing yourself to use shapes that you wouldn't normally think to use can help you achieve more unique designs. Above is an example of the doodle technique I did for class.